HELP ON S&S CARB

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HELP ON S&S CARB

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Harley Davidson Forums >> Harley Davidson Motorcycles >> Classic >> Shovelhead >> HELP ON S&S CARB

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HELP ON S&S CARB - 5/16/2008 6:48:16 PM

panshovel4life

Posts: 31
Joined: 1/31/2008
Status: offline

Hey guys. I just put a S&S Super E carb on my 51/74 Pan/Shovel. The bike ran fine before the carb swap but old carb was just warn out. The bike with the new carb runs fine untill I get to the higher RPM's in each gear. It kinda bobbles. No backfire no other noise either. Also the bike wil not run any faster then 60 MPH. I know the motor is able to do way over that cause the old wore out carb would let it run over 75 or 80 and the carb was not even opening all the way. Please help.

Post #: 1

RE: HELP ON S&S CARB - 5/16/2008 7:10:49 PM

megawatt

Posts: 297
Joined: 12/7/2007
Status: offline

Check your float level and the needle/seat first. If you have sufficient fuel in the bowl, then perhaps your carb has plugged passages or jets. But it kinda sounds like you are running out of gas due to the fuel level dropping in the bowl. Check the bowl out first.

< Message edited by megawatt -- 5/16/2008 7:17:23 PM >

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Post #: 2

RE: HELP ON S&S CARB - 5/16/2008 7:37:47 PM

panshovel4life

Posts: 31
Joined: 1/31/2008
Status: offline

could it be running out of gas due to the petcock? How do you check the float level and what can be done about it to adjust it

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Post #: 3

RE: HELP ON S&S CARB - 5/16/2008 8:06:50 PM

megawatt

Posts: 297
Joined: 12/7/2007
Status: offline

If you have a healthy stream of fuel coming out of your fuel hose when the petcock is open, I doubt that is your problem.
The only way to check your float bowl level is to measure the float setting with the bowl off. To avoid having to remove the carb and flipping it over to check the measurement, Put a piece of hose on the fuel supply nipple on the carb and gently presurize the line by blowing on it (yes, you are putting the hose in your mouth, don't let your buddies see you giving a hose a knobber) while you operate the float up and down. S&S has the measurement for the carb float on their website I'm sure. Check the float position against the S&S setting where raising the float just closes the needle valve and you feel the air flow stop. That's the quickest method I can think of. A guy on here named Rodney very recently posted a link to his website with a bunch of info on S&S carbs. Check that out. Its here in the Shovelhead section.
I found it. Here it is:
http://rodgregg.com/s_s_docs.htm

< Message edited by megawatt -- 5/16/2008 8:18:41 PM >

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Post #: 4

RE: HELP ON S&S CARB - 5/17/2008 3:56:22 AM

badinfluence63

Posts: 1300
Joined: 11/8/2007
Status: offline

The only difference between the "E" and the "B" is the "E" has a acce;erator pump and the "B" doesn't. I think its your jetting. There is a main jet,intermediant jet and an idle mixture adjustment.

here is an excellent site for dialing in your Super "E":

http://www.millerscustomparts.us/shop/sandscarbtuningtips.htm

I bet its one of these 3 adjustments. I would rule them out.

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Post #: 5

RE: HELP ON S&S CARB - 5/17/2008 5:26:09 AM

sqdealgeorge

Posts: 279
Joined: 12/26/2007
Status: offline

Do the throat sizes match Same ID for the carb and manifold? Was the old carb a B S&S ?

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Post #: 6

RE: HELP ON S&S CARB - 5/17/2008 7:29:42 AM

panz4ever

Posts: 428
Joined: 10/20/2005
Status: offline

You can also go straight to S&S.... www.sscycle.com They have the tech tips for setting up your carb correctly. The site is very user friendly.

(in reply to sqdealgeorge)

Post #: 7

RE: HELP ON S&S CARB - 5/17/2008 8:21:26 AM

Rodney

Posts: 688
Joined: 5/23/2007
From: Central Oregon
Status: offline

Hi Panshovel,
are you running drag pipes, what cam and other mods to your engine?
what ignition are you running?
how do the spark plugs look after the bike had been ridden to operating temp. 1o to 15 minutes depending on ambient temperature?
does the engine idle well and dose the air fuel mixture screw respond to adjustment?
is this a NEW S & S right out of the box or used? if new jetting size should be printed on the box.
if used have you check the jetting size of the main and intermediate?

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Post #: 8

RE: HELP ON S&S CARB - 5/20/2008 2:19:35 PM

panshovel4life

Posts: 31
Joined: 1/31/2008
Status: offline

sorry guys. busy weekend. I was not get enough fuel into the carb. I could look at the fuel filter while I was having the problem and there was barley any gas in it. explored futher into it and the petcock was messing up. so i went with the recommended petcock for the S&S. And now the damn bike won't even run at all. I'm selling the S&S and putting a good ol' Bendix on it. The bike ran great with a wore out Bendix so a new one has to work better then that stupid EPA ran S&S

(in reply to Rodney)

Post #: 9

RE: HELP ON S&S CARB - 5/20/2008 2:32:45 PM

Rodney

Posts: 688
Joined: 5/23/2007
From: Central Oregon
Status: offline

Too bad your giving up on the S & S

they are a good Carburetor once set up correctly.

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Post #: 10

RE: HELP ON S&S CARB - 5/20/2008 5:29:40 PM

panshovel4life

Posts: 31
Joined: 1/31/2008
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Rodney I'd love to keep the carb but I just don't know what the darn thing needs to make it run.

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Post #: 11

RE: HELP ON S&S CARB - 5/20/2008 7:13:09 PM

Rodney

Posts: 688
Joined: 5/23/2007
From: Central Oregon
Status: offline

If you have the time to make it work so do I {we}.
theirs a lot of knowledge on this board to take advantage of, hope we can help.
The only thing you have to gain is leaning whats going wrong.
I hate letting a machine get the best of me

do you have electric start? I guess not since you said you have a pan bottom shovel top.

< Message edited by Rodney -- 5/21/2008 6:42:25 AM >

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Post #: 12

RE: HELP ON S&S CARB - 5/21/2008 6:19:33 AM

sqdealgeorge

Posts: 279
Joined: 12/26/2007
Status: offline

Some more questions Is the butterfly opening all the way ? Are you using the proper throttle cable to allow the butterfly to open all the way?

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Post #: 13

RE: HELP ON S&S CARB - 5/21/2008 10:59:15 AM

panshovel4life

Posts: 31
Joined: 1/31/2008
Status: offline

Oh I know what the main problem is but i think it's horse crap that a wore out bendix will run on a motor with 2in. drag pipes and a high performance can and that the S&S won't.

(in reply to sqdealgeorge)

Post #: 14

RE: HELP ON S&S CARB - 5/26/2008 8:25:08 AM

jmetro

Posts: 243
Joined: 5/29/2007
Status: offline

#1, check your jets, should be around a 70 main and a 28 slow for a 74" and a 72 main and 29.5 for an 80" (this is just a good starting point) your idle screw should be about 1 1/2 turns out from lightly seated. float level on a brand new s&s should not be a problem. do a plug reading after riding it for a while and see if the plugs are black, if so, smaller main jet. if they are super white, larger main jet. as for the idle jet size, you should be able to make the engine stall with the idle adjustment screw both enrichening and leaning. if you can't make it stall turning it out (enrichening) then you need a bigger idle jet. (the opposite is true also) when you can do this, set the screw halfway between both stall points.

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