New (to me) '99 FLHR, sat outside in FLA for some years, now it's living in the mountains of SW VA, about 2500' higher. It's fouling plugs badly, and getting about 25 mpg. Replaced nasty air filter, ran a few tanks of high-test, non-ethanol gas thru it, still same. Runs PERFECT...until the plugs get so fouled they don't spark anymore.

Is the altitude change a thing to consider, or ought I try lean it a little (not sure how to judge how MUCH), or ought I just remove the carb and take it to somebody to rebuild it? (That last part is beyond my skill-set)

 

Good rebuild will make your bike run fine in Roanoke. That is if you can find a good mechanic and good parts to do it with. No telling what has been done to it. It probably needs more than a rebuild if someone modified it.. Check the compression with the throttle held wide open. Some of the fouling could be oil. Does it smoke blue? Or black? Maybe leaking past the valve guide seals at that age.
Ethanol gas won't hurt or affect it. All we have had here for 30 + years and I work on everything.

 

Sorry, ought have said, it's just soot, no oil

 

These things are quite simple. Pull it apart. Two things deteriorate - the two diaphragms. The rest is sludge factor. Clean it - check float level, check the 'phragms, reinstall. I'd gladly charge $250 for THAT work :-)

 

I'm sure it sat for months multiple times with fuel in the bowl as well. Meh, mebbe I'll buy a kit and give it a whirl....worst case, I'll take it to a mechanic, which is what I was probably gonna do anyway.

 

Give it a good cleaning and rebuild. Take note of the jets you have in it. Might be an after market kit like dyno-jet installed. If it does, then return it back to OEM or CV performance product.

Slow jet, main jet, emulsion tube, needle jet and needle. Need to look at all of those along with what has already been mentioned in previous posts.

My guess is it's gunked up and might have aftermarket (or a mix) jets and such in it. YD

 

Pretty sure no aftermarket stuff. Anyhow, wimped out and am letting a (very qualified) friend do it)

 

Being s/he's a friend, ask if you can "assist" and watch. It's really easy. I did it last night on my '93 FLHTP. The hardest part was driving the float pin out of the towers. Mine was stuck and it's easy to break those float towers.

I had an idle circuit issue. Turns out the last person to rebuild it did not install an o-ring on the idle mixture adjustment screw. While in there, I upgraded to the mixture screw with the knurled ****. Be sure to use a dremel or other tool to etch four marks on the side of the **** so you are able to count the turns when adjusting.

 

Would have looked to watch/observe ask questions, but at this point in my life I have to pick and choose what I have time for. I'm a road warrior, it's five pm on Friday, and I'm 380 miles from home...spent nearly 2 hours escaping the Atlanta area, still two more states to drive thru. Got a brand new Super E on my Panhead, and after this guy is square, I'm probably good carb-wise for a few years...and I just can't justify the time/effort to get competent with all that. I'd love to learn A: welding, B: golf, but I can't see either of those things for another decade when I retire (hopefully)

Talked to Mike today, he had gotten into it, said it had the wrong slow jet, was a pile of syrup in there, and needed a few other minor parts. Hopefully I get time/weather to mebbe ride the Pan this weekend..(If I ever get there)

 

Night and day--was fouling plugs within the span of a single tank of gas, getting about 25 mpg. NOW it gets to 190 miles before I hit reserve, running like a top