Hi everybody. I have a 98 heritage springer that I bought 6 months ago. It's been hard to start since I bought it, backfiring through the air cleaner and out the tailpipe. It's now gotten to the point where it won't run and just backfires. I'm an auto mechanic and in my line of work it would be an ignition timing issue, but I know Harleys are a whole other world. I wonder if the ignition module, which is a crane fireball hi4e, is advancing the timing like it's at 2500 rpm all the time. I read about pushrods being out of adjustment and causing this issue, but I pulled the covers down, set the cam off the loved and I can rotate them with my fingers and they have no free play. Any ideas?

 

The older Crane ignitions have had a nasty reputation over the years of going sour.
We use/stock Dyna 2000i's, when we encounter that scenario,(no spark) if in fact that is the problem.
Scott

 

It has spark

 

Probably has an intake manifold leak.. Spray some brake clean around the flanges that connect the manifold to the heads. See if idle changes. Check carb to manifold. Check to make sure the petcock vacuum line will hold a vacuum. Same with voes switch line. I would look for exhaust leaks..

 

Can't find any exhaust leaks. The petcock vacuum line is holding vacuum. Sprayed the intake gaskets and got a little change in idle so I went ahead and replaced the intake gaskets. Started it up and let it idle a while, wouldn't idle without the choke partially on, but shut it off and wouldn't restart. Doing the same thing again. Backfiring through the intake and exhaust. I know automotive knowledge doesn't apply on harleys, but it sure seems like an ignition timing issue.

 

Sounds like the pilot jet is plugged..

 

same concepts apply...

air, spark, gas

verify pushrod/ lifter pre-load
verify compression & leak down

If it starts with choke and will come up to operating temp but then won't start/ run once the choke is closed...I'd suspect gas (carb primary), more than ignition timing.

 

Does it backfire through the intake and the exhaust at the same time or one time is the intake and the next time is the exhaust?

 

i might be that your carb needs to be diss-assembled and cleaned,,,,,the slow/pilot jet affects idle,,,if it's plugged or partially blocked,,it wont start and run correctly. take it apart and clean it like you would a car carb and blow the passages with compressed air. then try it out with nice plugs.
m

 

check basics first compression number one at least rule out mechanical . sounds like timing jumped somehow.