Hello everyone, new to the group and I just recently picked up my 1st “classic” shovelhead. It’s an 83 FLHT 80ci belt drive. I did not get the bike from the gentlemen that restored it and rebuilt the motor, so I know little in the terms of history on this bike. That being said it started 1st or 32nd crank at the dealer and tests drove just fine, ran and idled great.
Now that I have the bike at home & in my garage the weather has gone in the opposite direction we would like to see here in northern Illinois and is back in the 20’s, it’s been a real bitch to get started. So much so, it sounds like the compression is too hard for the starter to get it rolling and fired. Actual wore down a brand new battery in the process.

Couple of questions…
1-Could this be just a cold blooded issue based on the temperature difference between being stored in a dealer and now in a cold garage?

2-A friend who came over and witness how hard the starter had to work to turn it over, suggested I look into “compression Releases” to help my starter.

Not sure on what work the engine has had other then it was completely gone through during restoration, but it does Lope like if has cams, and starts hard like the compression is up there.

Any thoughts out there on this……

 

Welcome from the Joliet area.

 

Cold garage,,,='s thinner oil needed or warm her up with some heat,

CR's ??? never hurts,, then do a CC and see what it is, then you'll know for sure If needed.

Do you even know anything about the build...???

anything pre TC has a lope to it... talk to someone who knows Harley's to learn more

Better yet.. do some Goggling and Researching on LINE,, You'll learn a lot in just a few hrs by hitting the keyboard..

 

welcome to the group. you'll have to help us help you - is it a stock carb or aftermarket? is the choke hooked up? does it have an accelerator pump and did you squirt a couple in first? electronic ign or points? is the timing right? start simple before adding CRs etc.
and post pictures!

 

I am trying to track down the builder and hope to find out more...this NOT KNOWING WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ENGINE CRAP SUCKS.... so hopefully we will connect and I will have more details

The only thing I know for sure about the engine at this point, is that it has an S&S carb & after market slip ons with no baffling.

As a follow-up I have been riding HD's for quit a while, this is just the 1st Shovelhead I've had...I'm used to new bikes with FI and electronic ignitions RUBBER mounts and so on....I'm trying to step back in time and try to ride something I have not previously ridden...

I have had Sportsters, Heritages, Softtails and electra glides with the oldest being a 94

 

First...what bike do you have??? An 83 FLHT was a 5 speed with an enclosed chain drive...Some FLH 4 speeds had a belt drive....quite a bit difference in the starter systems...with the 4 speed being a little more troublesome. From your description it could be just a bad starter...IF you indeed had a good battery hooked to it with good connections...but one bad connection would cause the same problems.

 

Its a shovelhead and what almost all of them do when left in the very cold is they SUMP -- what is sump well the oil one drop at a time by passes the oil pump check ball and leaks into the engine cases --- NOW normal use bike every couple of days driving it you will never have this issue BUT sitting since the weather has changed, in stead of the motor having a 1/2 cup of oil in the block you might have 2 or more quarts and as you know it is easyer to run in water up to your ankles faster than up to your knees -- so its hydrauliced

look in the oil tank is the oil full or almost empty