Well, now that we've been formally introduced, I already need a little help from the Evo clan!

The 87 Softail had been sitting for nearly a decade. So I rebuilt the carb, and it starts and runs fairly well, with 2 exceptions. The big one being, at low rpm, it backfires through the carb. I first notice it when it's warming up with the enricher pulled out. When it's idling low, and almost about to die, I'll give it a little blip of the throttle and hear it suck air, then POP! I've also noticed it when shifting gears (especially when going slow up an incline). I'm assuming it's running a little lean, but I'm not sure what my steps should be for troubleshooting it.

My second issue is, once it's warm up, it doesn't return to lower rpm quickly. If I roll the throttle a bit, then let go, it's slow to return to idle. It's only running a single throttle cable, so I thought it may be friction in the housing, but I don't really notice it until it's warmed up enough to run without the enricher pulled.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

(A couple details I should have included. It's a Mikuni carb, and I did not change the jets. I only see one vacuum hose that runs from the back of the carb, to something behind the horn. The vacuum hose is a pretty loose fit.)

 

Howdy fellow hoosier!

Did you check the carb to intake seals? the vacuum hose you speak of is a vacuum operated petcock.

 

More likely the hose for the VOES. His 87 probably has the manual fuel petcock.

In addition to the carb seal, I would also check the manifold seals for leaks.

 

I stand corrected sir.

I don't think I ever said this to you, but, WHY YOU !@#$%&**&*(&($*%#$^%!@#$!@%$&$&^&@#!$$~@!^@$%&^*() ^*((%$%^!#$

 

Go back to your sea foam and coke.

 

Thanks to both of you! I'll probably just replace that seal and eliminate it from the equation. I looked up a pic of the voes, and that's definitely what it goes to.

What's the best way to check the intake? Can I just spray some carb cleaner around them and see if it gets sucked in?

 

That would be........

and SIR.............

 

spray the carb cleaner on them while it's idling, if the idle changes then they are leaking, usually it idles faster with carb cleaner and leaking seals...

Ds

 

Thanks Doug!

 

On a bike that's sat for ten years, more than likely things have dried up.

Trust me, I've been sitting for the last decade, and... Well... You know....

Traildog: I figured you were a diet soda sorta guy...