Well, I changed the fuel valve from the vacuum one to the manual one and went for a ride. Life was good. The bike was running really strong and sweet. I was almost home and thinking that maybe I got lucky and then suddenly it started crapping out again at anything above 1/3 throttle. It doesn't misfire it just won't run properly. Just like it has no gas. Life wasn't so good anymore.
I can certainly understand coils not working well when they get hot, but not intermittently. Oh well, I have tried everything else and it hasn't fixed it, so I guess I may as well try coils.
I hope you guys don't think I'm hijacking this thread. It's just that the OP and I have the same problem and if the OP finds the fix or I find the fix, hopefully it will work for both of us.
Cheers.

 

any more news on these issues, did coil fix problem?

having similar issue

thanks

 

try a pingel petcock, clean your petcock screen , get your coil checked to see if its bad, it may only be bad under a load. check battery connections for tightness. id find a good indy mechanic who is good with bikes of that year and have them look at it. Could be electrical, could be fuel system related.

 

check battery connections for tightness.-missedem

That's where I would start...check the power (+) side for connections to starter and ignition system. Also check the negative (-) side for a tight grounds. Cheapest and easiest thing that you can do.

 

Checking all connections, including plug-ins for corrosion is very good advice and helped me in the past. I have had other issues that were caused by this problem. I found loose connections and lightly corroded plug ins. It was a lot of work, but well worth the effort. I think this should be done on all Harleys at least annually.
Also, I just replaced the battery ground strap with a really flexible one made up by a high end audio store. This will take the strain off the battery ground post, which I have had come loose on me a couple of times.

Well, I didn't need a coil. I left my house one day and the problem surfaced within a hundred yards of my house. Not a coil. So I continued the analysis. A while ago, I put tape around my throttle grip and marked a line at: closed, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and wide open. I put a corresponding line on the throttle housing at closed. The problem was always above 1/4 throttle. I have a mini tach and I decided to leave it in 2nd gear and hold it at 1/4 throttle and let it rev out to see how high it would rev. That would tell me whether it was a throttle position problem or an rpm problem. It continued to rev out and I backed off at 5,000 rpm. This told me it wasn't rpm related and therefore eliminated the crank sensor. It also told me that it was in the main jet, because it ran fine on the pilot (idle) jet, which is up to about 1/4 throttle. Although my fuel screen was always absolutely clean, I had to accept that there must be something in the main jet. I took the carb off and took it totally apart and blew compressed air through every possible orifice in that carb. I put it all back together and so far the problem has not resurfaced and I have gone through a little over a full tank of gas. I am now going to find a small enough fuel filter that I can fit it under the tank and hope the problem doesn't come back.
Thanks for everything guys, and I hope the others resolve their issues too, with all the great suggestions on here.

 

Might sound dumb to some people but try to unscrew your gas cap while its happening and see if that helps. Sometimes after refueling when your tightening your gas cap and you click it like 5-10, others like 50 F*n times. It might be starting to block off the vent in the cap itself. Or if you just got a new cap is it vented, non-vented, try blowing through (with your mouth) compared to your old one? Just a thought

 

I forgot that I had posted on here and need to add something. I tried every single thing that has been recommended on this thread and checked other forums and they had nothing unique to offer. After chasing my tail for about 2 years, I think I found the problem. I was on a trip and it happened while I was passing a string of cars. I had to immediately brake and get to the back of the line before I got compressed by the oncoming traffic. I limped it along for the hour and a half to our destination, which was the next town anyway. I knew it was in the main jet, just because of what I said before about it not running if I twisted the throttle enough to get out of the idle jet. Anyway, the next morning I took the float bowl off and took out the main jet. Sure enough there was a little piece of black something in the main jet orifice. I decided that I must have a slowly decaying fuel hose between the fuel valve and the carburetor. I put a new hose on and haven't had a problem since. I'm not saying that would be everybody's problem, but it is one that hasn't been mentioned, that I know of.
Best wishes to all who have a ghost problem.

 

Good find! Makes sense to me. This past Summer I had the console off and noticed the tank-vent hose was laying on the tank instead of connected to the vent. The gas fumes degraded it enough that it fell off. Replaced the line with the right type rated for gas. After that I changed the fuel line to a new piece.

 

Where can you get a manuel fuel valve? ----- Thanks, James

 

05 wide glide here,the fuel line "inside tank",I took my mechanic two weeks to run down this issues(lucky he's a buddy and didn't charge me actual time) anyways the hose got a tiny pin hole and was sucking air due to engine vacuum suction,replaced tank hose $22.oo,
Hope this helps guys CUZ it drove me fcking nuts with plug replacement-plug wire,fuel filter replacement, GOOD LUCK. , ride safe!!!!