efi idle screw!

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Jan 9, 2013 | 05:54 AM

#21

Hogpro

Former Sponsor

Joined: Aug 2005

Posts: 10,968

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My softail has the idle screw under a plug. Will you kill your engine? That depends on you but the reason that the twin cam idles higher than the evo is that the top end needs oil and the idle speed determines how much oil pressure there is hence how much oil is making it to the top end.

Jan 9, 2013 | 09:07 AM

#22

Uncle Larry

Seasoned HDF Member

Joined: Jan 2011

Posts: 157,439

Likes: 56,998

From: Michigan 15 Minutes East Of Hell

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghostrider69

Here we go again. Someone hears a few people say "you'll kill your engine with a low idle speed" and now they preach it to everyone else. If you don't let your bike idle for 15, 20 or 30 minutes at a time it doesn't make a ****. I guess that's why before fuel injection came out and most people had their bikes idling at around 5 to 600 rpm the engine would seize up if you let it idle for 5 minutes and all of the engines needed a rebuild after 1000 miles. Come on now. Good grief. The only major draw back to a very low idle is the load that is applied to the rod and crank bearings because of the slow revolutions.

Old scooters had/were lubricated by a totally different system .... The newer ( TC's ) need the increase in RPM's to ensure that oil does get to the upper end ... there have been many instances ( documented ) where this ( low idle speed ) has caused damage due to lack of lubrication .... No, it's not an "Old Wives Tale" ... Don't reduce the recommended idle speed of your late model scooter ... and I didn't hear this from someone else, I've seen the damage done over a period of time.

Sep 6, 2018 | 09:39 PM

#23

kbowley

Novice

Joined: Aug 2018

Posts: 16

Likes: 0

From: South Berwick Maine

'04 FXDLI idle adjustment

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paniolo

Some of the HD FI bikes (the old M&M bikes in particular) have screw adjustments in the throttle body. On other bikes they are hidden by a plug behind the face plate. Having explained that, DON'T try and adjust it like a carb. All that does is mess up the ECM and it may throw other settings out of whack. So if you want to play with the idle you need to get the tuning software and adjust it via a computer.

At least that's my experience.

On my '04 fuel injected 88 low rider the idle speed is adjustable just as a carburetor. Remove the complete air cleaner and backing plate then at the bottom right there is a welch plug that pops right off and the idle adjustment torx screw is behind it. When I got the bike many years ago I had the Screamin Eagle stage 2 done with the 205 cams as well as the SE cam plate with a high flow oil pump and hydraulic tensioners installed at the dealer and it idled at about 1250 (it was the same before the kit when I test drove it). I simply backed the screw out until I got it to 1000 rpms and its been like that for 14 years without issue. The dealer, as well as the service manual, state that setting below 800 rpms will cause overheating and engine damage. It also states that it requires the heavy duty oil pump (part number xxx) if idle is set below 800 rpms. That said, I felt 1000 rpms was safe and its been set there for its entire life. I have been in stop n go traffic on many a 95 degree days and she still runs stronger than ever and doesn't use a drop of oil between changes. So I would feel confident saying setting it to 1k rpms is fine, below that your on your own. On my '08 FXSTC 96b engine with the same kit there is no user adjustment and she idles right at 1k.

Last edited by kbowley; Sep 6, 2018 at 09:48 PM.