Please help
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 463
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From: Arizona
RE: Please help
So Charlie, has this bike always done this, not idling & backfiring or did it just start when it got cold? Have you looked at the condition of the spark plugs? Are your plug wires fully seated in the coil? Battery cables tight? Is there any back-firing out of the carb or the pipes only or both?
It could be a few things from a clogged fuel filter, ignition going bad, or a carb jet being clogged etc.
I disagree with what you're being told here. Harleys are not rocket science, it may seem like it right now since you don't know much about this bike, but I started out the same way. Once you get into them a little you'll find out it ain't that big of deal. You can take your bike somewhere & have them fix it for you or you can start out doing the basics, save some money, & learn something about this bike. I really fail to see where you're going to "screw something up worse" or having it end up costing more to fix by doing basic troubleshooting steps to find the cause of your problem.
1st tell your friend to buy a service manual. He'll need it if he plans to have any self-sufficiency in caring for his own ride.
I'll try to help you work thru a few things if you can give me a better idea of what & when these issues started etc. You might also want to post this in the Engine/Fuel/Intake/Exhaust Section to get some knowledgeable advise as well. Also you might try V-Twin Forums in the Carb section or the Engine Mods section. Very knowledgeable people who seem to be a bit more hands-on than I've found on this forum as far as doing there own engine work & mods etc. Anyhow just my .02 cents.
It could be a few things from a clogged fuel filter, ignition going bad, or a carb jet being clogged etc.
I disagree with what you're being told here. Harleys are not rocket science, it may seem like it right now since you don't know much about this bike, but I started out the same way. Once you get into them a little you'll find out it ain't that big of deal. You can take your bike somewhere & have them fix it for you or you can start out doing the basics, save some money, & learn something about this bike. I really fail to see where you're going to "screw something up worse" or having it end up costing more to fix by doing basic troubleshooting steps to find the cause of your problem.
1st tell your friend to buy a service manual. He'll need it if he plans to have any self-sufficiency in caring for his own ride.
I'll try to help you work thru a few things if you can give me a better idea of what & when these issues started etc. You might also want to post this in the Engine/Fuel/Intake/Exhaust Section to get some knowledgeable advise as well. Also you might try V-Twin Forums in the Carb section or the Engine Mods section. Very knowledgeable people who seem to be a bit more hands-on than I've found on this forum as far as doing there own engine work & mods etc. Anyhow just my .02 cents.
RE: Please help
I agree with a bit of everything here... i could be several issues... mostlikely it is due to lack of back pressure and will need to be rejetted... when i learned how to do this i just brought in the carb and asked the guy if i could watch him do it... it was fairly simple... man your avitar picture was that your online dating profile pic... come on ha ha ha
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RE: Please help
ORIGINAL: Azgunner
So Charlie, has this bike always done this, not idling & backfiring or did it just start when it got cold? Have you looked at the condition of the spark plugs? Are your plug wires fully seated in the coil? Battery cables tight? Is there any back-firing out of the carb or the pipes only or both?
It could be a few things from a clogged fuel filter, ignition going bad, or a carb jet being clogged etc.
I disagree with what you're being told here. Harleys are not rocket science, it may seem like it right now since you don't know much about this bike, but I started out the same way. Once you get into them a little you'll find out it ain't that big of deal. You can take your bike somewhere & have them fix it for you or you can start out doing the basics, save some money, & learn something about this bike. I really fail to see where you're going to "screw something up worse" or having it end up costing more to fix by doing basic troubleshooting steps to find the cause of your problem.
1st tell your friend to buy a service manual. He'll need it if he plans to have any self-sufficiency in caring for his own ride.
I'll try to help you work thru a few things if you can give me a better idea of what & when these issues started etc. You might also want to post this in the Engine/Fuel/Intake/Exhaust Section to get some knowledgeable advise as well. Also you might try V-Twin Forums in the Carb section or the Engine Mods section. Very knowledgeable people who seem to be a bit more hands-on than I've found on this forum as far as doing there own engine work & mods etc. Anyhow just my .02 cents.
So Charlie, has this bike always done this, not idling & backfiring or did it just start when it got cold? Have you looked at the condition of the spark plugs? Are your plug wires fully seated in the coil? Battery cables tight? Is there any back-firing out of the carb or the pipes only or both?
It could be a few things from a clogged fuel filter, ignition going bad, or a carb jet being clogged etc.
I disagree with what you're being told here. Harleys are not rocket science, it may seem like it right now since you don't know much about this bike, but I started out the same way. Once you get into them a little you'll find out it ain't that big of deal. You can take your bike somewhere & have them fix it for you or you can start out doing the basics, save some money, & learn something about this bike. I really fail to see where you're going to "screw something up worse" or having it end up costing more to fix by doing basic troubleshooting steps to find the cause of your problem.
1st tell your friend to buy a service manual. He'll need it if he plans to have any self-sufficiency in caring for his own ride.
I'll try to help you work thru a few things if you can give me a better idea of what & when these issues started etc. You might also want to post this in the Engine/Fuel/Intake/Exhaust Section to get some knowledgeable advise as well. Also you might try V-Twin Forums in the Carb section or the Engine Mods section. Very knowledgeable people who seem to be a bit more hands-on than I've found on this forum as far as doing there own engine work & mods etc. Anyhow just my .02 cents.
He recently took a trip to Mexico on the bike from Washington State. On the way back from Mexico (in California)it startedbackfiring a little bit. It progressively got worse as he came home. Now it is just terrible sounding. When he got back from Mexico, he changed out the plugs. The old one was black. The bike still backfires and stalls. His bike has 13,000+ miles on it. He is not the original owner.
I was thinking that we would take this a step at a time and go through the plug wires, wiring to battery and charging...make sure everything is real tight like.
We did manage to get a fix my hog DVD for his bike. I got one for my bike as well and it is worth every penny.
I have every tool in the book for cars and my bike (motorcycle jack too), so I think we can get this thing working in time for our Canada trip next summer. I really want to help him out. He is my neighbor too.
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RE: Please help
ORIGINAL: JRK5892
I agree with a bit of everything here... i could be several issues... mostlikely it is due to lack of back pressure and will need to be rejetted... when i learned how to do this i just brought in the carb and asked the guy if i could watch him do it... it was fairly simple... man your avitar picture was that your online dating profile pic... come on ha ha ha
I agree with a bit of everything here... i could be several issues... mostlikely it is due to lack of back pressure and will need to be rejetted... when i learned how to do this i just brought in the carb and asked the guy if i could watch him do it... it was fairly simple... man your avitar picture was that your online dating profile pic... come on ha ha ha
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 463
Likes: 0
From: Arizona
RE: Please help
It sounds like the bike WAS running good & something HAS changed to cause it to run the way it is. Were both plugs black or just the rear one? The rear cylinder only is back-firing, does it seem to mis-fire, as in not fire, occasionally as well? The '05s have known issues with valve stem seals leaking. If you have a valve stem seal leaking in one cylinder it could cause it to not fire properly due to the plug being oil fouled so you push out unburnt fuel during the exhaust stroke.
Here is a link that helps with plug reading.
http://www.dansmc.com/spark_plugs/sp...s_catalog.html
http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/spkplghnbook.htm#We
I would really recommend you repost this problem in the Engine/Fuel/Intake/Exhaust Section as there are guys there that are much more knowledgeable than I with troubleshooting this. Give as much detail & timeline as possible. You can fix this even if it is a valve stem seal leaking & you have to pull the heads to get it replaced. It's just assembly & disassembly no juju or rocket science involved. This is what I suspect may be your problem, BUT I'm not sure with the info I have so far.
Other things I'd be asking: Did oil consumption increase when this issue started? Has gas mileage changed? When the plugs were replaced did the problem go away at first? How do both plugs look now? Is there any occasional pinging in the rear cylinder. A leaking seal can cause it to ping occasionally as bits oil are introduced into the combustion chamber.
One other thing, if it has the K&N filter I'm assuming you're saying it has had a Stage 1 upgrade done with the S.E. or Arlen Ness Big Sucker backing plate. Look underneath the bottom of the carb, towards the rear of the carb, with a flashlight. You should see a hole & up in the hole will be your idle mixture screw. Take a screw driver & screw it in until it LIGHTLY seats or bottoms out. Mark the screwdriver & count the number of turns you make as you screw it in. Ball park should be 1 1/2 - 2 1/4 turns. Back out the screw to about 1 3/4 turns for now, you may have to adjust your idle speed if the # of turns were way off to begin with. The idle speed adjust ment screw is the screw on the right side of the carb where the cables connect.
Let us know.
Here is a link that helps with plug reading.
http://www.dansmc.com/spark_plugs/sp...s_catalog.html
http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/spkplghnbook.htm#We
I would really recommend you repost this problem in the Engine/Fuel/Intake/Exhaust Section as there are guys there that are much more knowledgeable than I with troubleshooting this. Give as much detail & timeline as possible. You can fix this even if it is a valve stem seal leaking & you have to pull the heads to get it replaced. It's just assembly & disassembly no juju or rocket science involved. This is what I suspect may be your problem, BUT I'm not sure with the info I have so far.
Other things I'd be asking: Did oil consumption increase when this issue started? Has gas mileage changed? When the plugs were replaced did the problem go away at first? How do both plugs look now? Is there any occasional pinging in the rear cylinder. A leaking seal can cause it to ping occasionally as bits oil are introduced into the combustion chamber.
One other thing, if it has the K&N filter I'm assuming you're saying it has had a Stage 1 upgrade done with the S.E. or Arlen Ness Big Sucker backing plate. Look underneath the bottom of the carb, towards the rear of the carb, with a flashlight. You should see a hole & up in the hole will be your idle mixture screw. Take a screw driver & screw it in until it LIGHTLY seats or bottoms out. Mark the screwdriver & count the number of turns you make as you screw it in. Ball park should be 1 1/2 - 2 1/4 turns. Back out the screw to about 1 3/4 turns for now, you may have to adjust your idle speed if the # of turns were way off to begin with. The idle speed adjust ment screw is the screw on the right side of the carb where the cables connect.
Let us know.
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RE: Please help
Please see https://www.hdforums.com/m_2666349/tm.htm
I included some information already in this topic and added answers to your questions there as well. We will check the screw tomorrow and see what we get.
Thank you for all your help.
I included some information already in this topic and added answers to your questions there as well. We will check the screw tomorrow and see what we get.
Thank you for all your help.
ORIGINAL: Azgunner
It sounds like the bike WAS running good & something HAS changed to cause it to run the way it is. Were both plugs black or just the rear one? The rear cylinder only is back-firing, does it seem to mis-fire, as in not fire, occasionally as well? The '05s have known issues with valve stem seals leaking. If you have a valve stem seal leaking in one cylinder it could cause it to not fire properly due to the plug being oil fouled so you push out unburnt fuel during the exhaust stroke.
Here is a link that helps with plug reading.
http://www.dansmc.com/spark_plugs/sp...s_catalog.html
http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/spkplghnbook.htm#We
I would really recommend you repost this problem in the Engine/Fuel/Intake/Exhaust Section as there are guys there that are much more knowledgeable than I with troubleshooting this. Give as much detail & timeline as possible. You can fix this even if it is a valve stem seal leaking & you have to pull the heads to get it replaced. It's just assembly & disassembly no juju or rocket science involved. This is what I suspect may be your problem, BUT I'm not sure with the info I have so far.
Other things I'd be asking: Did oil consumption increase when this issue started? Has gas mileage changed? When the plugs were replaced did the problem go away at first? How do both plugs look now? Is there any occasional pinging in the rear cylinder. A leaking seal can cause it to ping occasionally as bits oil are introduced into the combustion chamber.
One other thing, if it has the K&N filter I'm assuming you're saying it has had a Stage 1 upgrade done with the S.E. or Arlen Ness Big Sucker backing plate. Look underneath the bottom of the carb, towards the rear of the carb, with a flashlight. You should see a hole & up in the hole will be your idle mixture screw. Take a screw driver & screw it in until it LIGHTLY seats or bottoms out. Mark the screwdriver & count the number of turns you make as you screw it in. Ball park should be 1 1/2 - 2 1/4 turns. Back out the screw to about 1 3/4 turns for now, you may have to adjust your idle speed if the # of turns were way off to begin with. The idle speed adjust ment screw is the screw on the right side of the carb where the cables connect.
Let us know.
It sounds like the bike WAS running good & something HAS changed to cause it to run the way it is. Were both plugs black or just the rear one? The rear cylinder only is back-firing, does it seem to mis-fire, as in not fire, occasionally as well? The '05s have known issues with valve stem seals leaking. If you have a valve stem seal leaking in one cylinder it could cause it to not fire properly due to the plug being oil fouled so you push out unburnt fuel during the exhaust stroke.
Here is a link that helps with plug reading.
http://www.dansmc.com/spark_plugs/sp...s_catalog.html
http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/spkplghnbook.htm#We
I would really recommend you repost this problem in the Engine/Fuel/Intake/Exhaust Section as there are guys there that are much more knowledgeable than I with troubleshooting this. Give as much detail & timeline as possible. You can fix this even if it is a valve stem seal leaking & you have to pull the heads to get it replaced. It's just assembly & disassembly no juju or rocket science involved. This is what I suspect may be your problem, BUT I'm not sure with the info I have so far.
Other things I'd be asking: Did oil consumption increase when this issue started? Has gas mileage changed? When the plugs were replaced did the problem go away at first? How do both plugs look now? Is there any occasional pinging in the rear cylinder. A leaking seal can cause it to ping occasionally as bits oil are introduced into the combustion chamber.
One other thing, if it has the K&N filter I'm assuming you're saying it has had a Stage 1 upgrade done with the S.E. or Arlen Ness Big Sucker backing plate. Look underneath the bottom of the carb, towards the rear of the carb, with a flashlight. You should see a hole & up in the hole will be your idle mixture screw. Take a screw driver & screw it in until it LIGHTLY seats or bottoms out. Mark the screwdriver & count the number of turns you make as you screw it in. Ball park should be 1 1/2 - 2 1/4 turns. Back out the screw to about 1 3/4 turns for now, you may have to adjust your idle speed if the # of turns were way off to begin with. The idle speed adjust ment screw is the screw on the right side of the carb where the cables connect.
Let us know.
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Joined: Sep 2007
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From:
RE: Please help
Based on your questions i would suggest you find a tuner independant or other who can help If you do not know how to change jets you may not be skilled enough to take on this problem. Either pay someone or buy a service manual you are going to need it