As Miacycles mentioned, those VOES switches seldom fail and considering your symptoms of the idle being up then down, I wager the switch is good and that one of the wires is near broken at one of the terminal connectors. They generally terminate the ground on the rear head stud and I'd check there first. If satisfied it's good and grounding well, find the other wire terminal that connects to the wire going to the ignition module and disconnect and check there.

It's not uncommon for them to lose a little vacuum when using a handpump to check - doesn't indicate they are bad. Using a handpump, you also need a continuity tester (or ohm meter) to make sure the switch closes when vacuum is applied. Using an ohm or contunity meter, connect one lead to a good ground and the other to the unplugged terminal of the VOES that goes to the module and it will read "open" or infinity ohms. Pull vacuum with hand pump and the meter should read "closed" (or near ) zero ohms.

 

Everything you ever wanted to know about a VOES is right here:

http://www.wildwestcycle.com/f_voes.html

enjoy

 

Nice article!

question

he mentions what seems to be stock ignition "the harley black box." What if you have an aftermarket ignition setup? Still necessary?

I think I need to replace my VOES anyway.

 

That depends, maybe your VOES just needs to be adjusted? It's prob set at around 3.5 to 5 in-Hg. Usually they either work or they don't. They are just an on/off switch. Have you checked it out with a Vacuum pump/guage and an ohmmeter? What compression are you running? 1 up on a stock softtail? I run a VOES because it retards my timing when I rollon at part throttle, especially 2 up and loaded. I know I need one, but I could prob program it out with my Dyna Curvemaker. Once I (think) l've figure it all out, I'll let you know. Still learning so.....? Best of luck to you.

 

yeah, I'll be totally honest and say that what you're getting at is mostly ahead of me

unfortunately I don't know exactly what's been done to my bike. Something tells me it's not stock. It's got some pretty good pickup. Maybe some day I'll have it spec'd out so I know what's there.

I don't have that testing stuff, but I'm sure some of my new buds do.

I'm gonna pull mine and do what the article says after reading it a couple more times.

have fun tweakin on yours!

 

I finnaly got a chance to check the VOES this evening. I've been busy with work and havn't had a chance. After checking it I'm almost as unsure as before I began. So I started the bike up, and let it warm up a bit. I found that it had a male/female spade connection in the ground wire near the VOES. So I seperated the male/female spade connectors and the idle dropped. Ok, so the VOES is good, right? Well maybe not. I plugged the connectors back together and it idles back up. Then I go to tuck the wires back up where they had been before and all the sudden the idle gets a bit erratic. I move the wires around somemore and it seems every time I move them the idle gets erratic. I think maybe there is a bad connection where the wires go into the VOES itself. I let it run for a minute or two more, then wiggle the wires again, nothing. I wait another few seconds and wiggle the wires again. The idle faulters a little this time, but not much. So now I'm left wondering if wiggling the wires is actually making the idle act up, or is it just a coincidence. ARRRGGGHHH!!

Anyway, I decided I'm going to just replace the VOES and hopefully eliminate that as being the problem. I called one of the local dealers and the part is only $25.99, but none of the dealers in the area have it in stock. I'll have to go by there and have them order it.

One more thing. I'm still not sure how to disconnect the VOES from it's bracket. Mine is not connected to a bracket by itself like the picture I'm going to post. Mine is on the bracket between the heads that the fuel line passes through. I can see there is a round clip holding it to the bracket, but there is a black *** there (circled) that would be in the way of removing the clip. Does that come off? Even though I plan to replace the VOES anyway, I would prefer not to break it getting it off. I had planned to check the VOES to see how many inches of vacuum it took to make it operate too, but I can't get my hand in there to disconnect the vacuum hose. If I want to check it that way, I'll have to remove it from the bike. I can't get to the carburator side of the hose either. There isn't enough clearance between the carb. and the fuel tank.

 

+! on the miacycles get the clip.

 

When I bought an aftermarket VOES, the bracket and clip came with it. I think the clip is a one time use only clip. You might be able bend up the little metal teeth of the clip with a small screwdriver or knife, but I doubt you can reuse it. The "black ***" is the VOES. That's where the adjusting screw is, under the silicone plug.

 

I understand that I probably won't be able to reuse the clip. What I'm asking about is the black cap in the picture above the clip. Does it come off? I don't see how else you would be able to remove the clip.

 

The black cap does not come off. It is part of the VOES.

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