Need carb help...Please.
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Joined: May 2006
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Need carb help...Please.
Hi All,
This is my first Harley, '99 softail. A little background first. My father owned this bike for two years trouble free, then after buying a Road King he decided to give me the Softail if I wanted it. You guessed it I said Hell Yeah! Before he brought it up to me he had a local shop install new tires, front pads and a new/used petcock. The original petcock was gummed-up. He picked up the bike the day before departure and when at wide open throttle the engine missed and sputtered. He brought the bike up anyway think spark plugs. Well it wasn't the case new plugs didn't help. It feels like fuel starvation or ignition fall out at higher RPM.
I removed the bowl from the carb and it was full of crap, crud, and rubber hose. The main jet was covered as well. I used a small wire to clear all the holes and sprayed some carb cleaner up that hole. A silver cylinder fell out of the main jet hole and won't seem to go back in correctly. I was hoping the new fuel line I replaced and bowl cleaning would cure my 'On Demand Throttle Lag' however it's worse because the main jet won't thread back in with the cylinder,(is this the needle jet?) on top. See pic. I've always done my own work but will take it to a shop if I have to, I just want to learn about this bike and be able to maintain it myself.
The bike never sputtered until the new/used petcock was installed, coincidence? Maybe. I did ride the bike about 30 miles and driving normally it was fine, only when I really got on it in the higher RPMs did it sputter and lose power. Thanks in advance and sorry for the long post but background was important. Here's a pic of the mainjet hand tight with the silver cylinder on top of it. The tapered end is up and is just coming up in the bore. With the cylinder out the main jet threads all the way in and seats. Thanks again.
[IMG][
/image]
This is my first Harley, '99 softail. A little background first. My father owned this bike for two years trouble free, then after buying a Road King he decided to give me the Softail if I wanted it. You guessed it I said Hell Yeah! Before he brought it up to me he had a local shop install new tires, front pads and a new/used petcock. The original petcock was gummed-up. He picked up the bike the day before departure and when at wide open throttle the engine missed and sputtered. He brought the bike up anyway think spark plugs. Well it wasn't the case new plugs didn't help. It feels like fuel starvation or ignition fall out at higher RPM.
I removed the bowl from the carb and it was full of crap, crud, and rubber hose. The main jet was covered as well. I used a small wire to clear all the holes and sprayed some carb cleaner up that hole. A silver cylinder fell out of the main jet hole and won't seem to go back in correctly. I was hoping the new fuel line I replaced and bowl cleaning would cure my 'On Demand Throttle Lag' however it's worse because the main jet won't thread back in with the cylinder,(is this the needle jet?) on top. See pic. I've always done my own work but will take it to a shop if I have to, I just want to learn about this bike and be able to maintain it myself.
The bike never sputtered until the new/used petcock was installed, coincidence? Maybe. I did ride the bike about 30 miles and driving normally it was fine, only when I really got on it in the higher RPMs did it sputter and lose power. Thanks in advance and sorry for the long post but background was important. Here's a pic of the mainjet hand tight with the silver cylinder on top of it. The tapered end is up and is just coming up in the bore. With the cylinder out the main jet threads all the way in and seats. Thanks again.
[IMG][
/image]
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 916
Likes: 3
From: Mauldin, SC
RE: Need carb help...Please.
Yep, that's the needle jet. It looks like maybe it isn't all the way up. You have to jiggle the emulsion tube around a little before it starts to screw in to get the needle jet seated. The needle jet can get hung up on the collar. The needle jet should go in with the long end up as in the attached photo. 
Road Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,192
Likes: 4
From: Columbus, OH
RE: Need carb help...Please.
First off buy a shop manual for $50 bucks.
If you found that much gunk in the bowl, the whole carb needs cleaned. Go to a car parts store and get a 1 gallon can of carb cleaner with the basket in it. Take all the parts off the carb (count the number of turns on everything you remove) and throw everythin including the body in the cleaner overnight. DON'T PUT ANY RUBBER PARTS IN THE CLEANER. Use compressed air to blow out any holes in the jets and carb body and wipe everything down and reassemble. Make sure you set your float bowl height correctly, that can effect high speed. Good luck and welcome to the forum.
If you found that much gunk in the bowl, the whole carb needs cleaned. Go to a car parts store and get a 1 gallon can of carb cleaner with the basket in it. Take all the parts off the carb (count the number of turns on everything you remove) and throw everythin including the body in the cleaner overnight. DON'T PUT ANY RUBBER PARTS IN THE CLEANER. Use compressed air to blow out any holes in the jets and carb body and wipe everything down and reassemble. Make sure you set your float bowl height correctly, that can effect high speed. Good luck and welcome to the forum.
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RE: Need carb help...Please.
Thanks for the replies. Is there a better source than HD for a factory manual? They wanted $17.00 for touch up paint (1oz.) [:-]. Any advise on my pic, why the main jet body won't thread up further? Thanks.
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RE: Need carb help...Please.
OK, got her runnin' again. I had the needle jet turned around. I tried it this way before but I guess I didn't jiggle it enough. This time worked, yes I'm a dumba$$. I now have good strong power throughout the band. Now I just have to see if my float level is the problem. When running, fuel is puking out of the overflow line. I removed the gas caps, while running, to see if I am having a vent problem but nothing changed. Maybe float level, the needle and seat looked OK. Thanks again for the help. Still looking for a manual source.
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 916
Likes: 3
From: Mauldin, SC
RE: Need carb help...Please.
I took my air cleaner off and took a couple pictures to give you an idea what the needle jet should look like. The attached pic isn't real clear, but the jet sticks up further than yours does. You sure you have it in the right way? The collar on the jet is off center, and the long end goes up. As I mentioned before, you have to wiggle the emulsion tube around before it starts to screw in to get the needle jet centered. If you don't, the jet gets hung up on the collar and it won't go all the way in.
[IMG]local://upfiles/2952/3723964E66AE46ED9D77255280A7C47C.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/2952/3723964E66AE46ED9D77255280A7C47C.jpg[/IMG]
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 916
Likes: 3
From: Mauldin, SC
RE: Need carb help...Please.
I just realized after I posted that picture, your accelerator pump nozzle is missing!
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,537
Likes: 21
RE: Need carb help...Please.
That is the Bowl Drain......
There is probably dirt preventing the seat from closing off the flow of fuel out of the bowl.......
And get the Svc Manual.....
There is probably dirt preventing the seat from closing off the flow of fuel out of the bowl.......
And get the Svc Manual.....
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