Hello everyone. I still really need some help. I bought this 97 dyna lowrider and it wont start. It was this way when I bought it. It has good spark, good compression, fresh gas. It still wouldn't start. The cam sensor looked partially melted. So, I replaced it with one some of you recommended. I also replaced the carb and plugs. I put a new battery in it too. It cranks over and kind of chugs but will not light up. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I do not have a service manual. But, am getting one. I'm thinking maybe a timing issue. I have moved it a little in each direction. Didn't seem to make much difference. It cranks over fast enough. After a few seconds of cracking the starter seems to disengage. I found some wiring diagrams on this forum but can't blow them up enough to read them very well. Thanks again for any help.

 

Try spraying some starting fluid into the carb, if it fires off, you know it is a fuel issue. Just do not be too aggressive with the starting fluid, just enough to see if it will fire off.

If it does fire off start looking at carb & fuel delivery (petcock etc.).

 

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the fsm is your friend.
one issue that can happen is using the wrong stroke when installing pickups.
FOR SAFETY REASONS:
do not use starting fluid, it can totally mess up an engine like bend rods and break pistons due to the fact it can raise compression level to very high levels by igniting at the wrong time. use a spritz bottle and some gasoline.

 

This is NOT good advice! Don't try this at home, or anywhere else!

 

 

Are the plugs gas soaked?

 

i have seen toooo many engines destroyed with starting fluid. most people use it like killing bugs, in their minds, if a little does good then a lot more does better, WRONG 2 tablespoons does not do any better than 1 tablespoon.
it is far safer to spritz safety fluid or gasoline down the throat of the carb or throttle body, WHY???? well the machine is gasoline fired RIGHT!!! then there is WAY less danger than a run-a-way flame front to shatter rings, break pistons and bend rods.
how about a blast to the past, have you or seen it done back when where gasoline was poured down the throat of the carb to start the car or pump the snot out of the accelerator pump.
offshore we installed "sure shot" ether injection systems for extreme cold conditions on diesels, some were automated and some were cable operated. if used correctly and it was hard not to use it correctly (but then again people are stupid) no engine damage, i have seen too much ether lock an engine and mess up a starter.
that said, if you pour gasoline down the side of the machine and try to lite if off,
forest gump said "you cannot fix stupid!"
starting fluid is a band-aide, NOT A SOLUTION!

 

To clarify my post, just enough to see if it fires off. Not to run the engine on starting fluid.

Agree that too much starting fluid will damage the engine. However a small squirt will not do any damage as long as you don't try and keep the engine running on said fluid.

If it pops off for a few seconds on staring fluid the OP will know if it is a fuel issue; if not he has something else going on and will need to investigate accordingly.

Hope we hear back from the OP to see if more advice can be provided.

Best Regards.

 

band-aide
if the ignition timing is off, do you think it will pop off like you say, pretty sure it will.
he mentioned that he installed pickups, but at what stroke?? 180* out??? seen this a lot.
it is a good way to blow the manifold off the heads. shoot, i have seen rubber boot mounted carbs come flying off on a kick-back just on gasoline. not many people now days knows what it is like with a manual foot, my pan sent me to the moon and my victor 441 took my sole off my foot wear. good ole glory days, got some scare to prove it.