Some basics about ingitions:

Points: 5-6 Ohms coil, low resistance sparkplug wires, points centrifugal advance adjustment.

Electronic: 2-3 Ohms coil, high resistance sparkplug wires about 10 kOhms/feet.
Advance adjustment centrifugal or electronic with VOES.

I have never seen normal or electronic ignition systems with over 20000 volts, it isn't possible to produce that from 12 volt primary. Only capacitive discharge systems where primary voltage is raised to 200-300 volts, secondary voltage goes over that...

 

pops, when you set your point gap and such, do the points contacts close squarely?

 

yes they are closing squarely.ok points are set at .018th.plugs are gapped at .040th.i know in the factory book it says .025-.030th.but the harley mech.says thats where you want them at .040th.so i dont know,but still have same problem regardless of plug gap.

 

i think i found my problem.dont think it the points.i was checkin bike again. and changin out fuel lines.had cheap 3/8ths. line with a clear view fuel filter has replaceable screen.
now have 5/8ths.line.i noticedthat there was a little crudin filterit was rust.anyway cleaned it all even in tank.when i was done an fresh fuel it wouldnt fill filter.started bike and still no flow runs out of gas.so i blocked off tank vent,and closed off tank put air to iy an nothing soon as i bled off air a second later fuel flows an filter fills an bike starts.problem lies in tank seen tank sealer peeling off and lots of rust underneath sealer.
so now i need new tank best to start fresh. right ok

 

oh almost forgot. thanks alot for your help
now i save money for unused sportster tank.seal it myself whats a good sealer kreem.is good i know.used it many times.

 

The general reputation of Kreem is that it may be good on new tanks but many have had it peel of when used on old rusty tanks. The better products are POR and RedKote.

40 is the correct gap if you have electronic ignition. For points ignition it is 30. For mag it is 20.

I would search eBay for a replacement tank.

 

sepixxl---

Some basics about ingitions:

Points: 5-6 Ohms coil, low resistance sparkplug wires, points centrifugal advance adjustment.

Electronic: 2-3 Ohms coil, high resistance sparkplug wires about 10 kOhms/feet.
Advance adjustment centrifugal or electronic with VOES.

I have never seen normal or electronic ignition systems with over 20000 volts, it isn't possible to produce that from 12 volt primary. Only capacitive discharge systems where primary voltage is raised to 200-300 volts, secondary voltage goes over that...
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sepixlh---they advertise coils to be 40k volts....saw one in jp they said was 80k volts.
i know youre an electrical guy and i admit i am not so much but i am just repeating what the company advertises.
also why would you want high resistence wires wires at all....seems like at that point you would want the most juice you can get..it would seem like you would defeat the purpose by using a high resistence wire?---just askin...

 

I think there is a confusion here between volts and ohms. I am definitely not the guy to sort this out as electricity concepts are Greek to me. But you guys know.

 

As they say, many ignition problems are fuel problems.

You didn't say whether your changing the points made the bike run better, and if so, for how long. Could well be, the time it took to change the points also served to let some fuel through your flawed filter and hoses to the carb -- but that should 'improve' running for only a few hundred yards.

I join those who recommend an eBay gas tank, but I have a habit of sealing any and all tanks these days. I quit using Kreem years ago and am a strong advocate for Por15. It's good stuff.

I've probably sealed twenty tanks over the last few years, with no known failure so far here's a brief description of what I do:

I empty the tank of all fuel, wash it out with a garden hose, let it dry, then dump a double handfull of 3/8" nuts along with a handful of dry wall screws in the filler neck.

Then I wait for my long-suffering S/O to leave for work (I'm retired) and give it a little bit extra to ensure that she doesn't come back for something she forgot. You don't want your wife walking in on you for what comes next.

Next I wrap the tank tightly in anything I can find, usually a sleeping bag or two, cram it in the clothes dryer, then jam lots of those throw pillows that women keep around for god knows why, in all the cavities. The idea is to hold the tank away from the porcelain finish of the dryer drum.

REMEMBER TO SET THE DRYER TEMP ON 'NO HEAT'.

I then spin to taste, usually an hour or so, then return all of the crap you wrapped the tank in, and very important:

REMEMBER TO RESET THE DRYER TEMP WHEREEVER THE S/O NORMALLY SETS IT!

(don't ask me how I know the importance of this step)


Dump out the hardware, then wash out the tank with water; and after it is thoroughly dried, pour in the por 15, being careful to follow the instructions on the can. You want to slosh it all over the inside of the tank, but you don't want it 'pooling up', so you drain the excess. I generally save about 90% of the por material for the next job. Use the Saran Wrap like they say.

Last, I put the tank up in my atic for at least a week. My current project XLS tank has been up there for nearly two months.

Sorry to be so long-winded. I think Por-15 is thoroughly cured w/in about 24 hrs, but, I wanna be sure.

Lastly, I kinda suspect that no ironhead engine, not even one running on alcohol, needs a 5/8" fuel line.

Good Luck!!!

 

i had said in earlier post it ran about 10 -15 mi.before it started to miss an cough with new points.also when i got on it it sputtered, missed ,and then it took off.as far as using 5/8ths.lineit was better than usin 1/4 or 3/8ths line.but anyway as far as the tank i dont think i can get the sealer to adhere to the rust still in it.i did the same as you did with your tank,but used 50cal.lead ***** from my blackpowder.i didnt want any dents in tank.the tank was previously sealed.now its pealin off,and i seen there is rust under the old sealer.i guess you cant really get all the rust out,unless you blast it down to bare metal and then seal it.