New Panhead Advice Needed
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 12,878
Likes: 5,449
From: la la land jerzey
some of the guys have had issues with the rubber needle in the carbs but i have not so not sure whats up with that
its a big little issue - something was over looked - you did not supply a lot of info making guess on many things a typing thing --
if it has points you dident say - condenser is bad
the choke enrichner i have seen the seat out of wack - two different metals the stainless valve and an alloy seat that is drilled with a casted carb body ?? - and that causes all kinds of tuning issues
edit - super B float has to be almost at flood to pick up the fuel correctly
if it has points you dident say - condenser is bad
the choke enrichner i have seen the seat out of wack - two different metals the stainless valve and an alloy seat that is drilled with a casted carb body ?? - and that causes all kinds of tuning issues
edit - super B float has to be almost at flood to pick up the fuel correctly
I believe you are on to something here. I went through the carb again tonight and something is just not right.
I rebuilt the carb I'm using. I got a kit from some aftermarket Hecho en China outfit. The float, upon close examination, is just not working right.
There is a little wire loop on the valve, as opposed to the ring in the original S and S model. Also, there is a bend up hook on the float, as opposed to the slot on the original.
It appears that the Hecho en Chine model wants to flip off the hook when you get the the float to the height it is supposed to be at. It isn't enough to totally take the valve off the float, but enough to cause it to hang cattywhompus.
I don't believe it is getting enough gas, just enough to run when primed, and run blazingly lean.
I spent a little time today making an air leak check bracket and plan to test and put on a stock, unmolested S and S Super B without the Superbowl and see what happens.
The saga continues.
Cruiser
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 148
Likes: 0
From: East Texas
Lean
Been running knucks an Pans fer a while, Yea you got a bad lean condition. Most times the problem is in the intake plumbing to make pipes run red hot.Rubber O rings or brass "early plumbers manifolds" are notorious for leaks . Just my 2 cents. 
Killer
Killer
Hooked up the tester this morning:
Checked my seals to make sure they were nice and tight. They are and not kinked or caught:
That gurgling noise I heard was not my grand daughter blowing bubbles. It was the rear jug making that massive blowing sound:
Leak is towards the bottom. I cannot figure out exactly how as the seal is in right and seem nice and tight. I know it's not the nipple, definitely the seal:
Now all I need to do is figure out what to do now WTF???????? over.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 12,878
Likes: 5,449
From: la la land jerzey
i put electrical tape around the o rings - justa couple of times around NOT THE china **** they sell - american made quality tape bought at an electrical supply house -- johnjzjz
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,012
Likes: 1
From: SoCal
Those clamps are really nice looking but I've seen a lot of posts on different forums taking about how they they tend to pinch the o-rings and leak.
If you keep having trouble trying to seal it you might want to try some stainless aircraft style clamps like these...they are pretty cheap, not as pretty, but seal pretty good.
One more thing...looks like you have standard rubber o-rings, nothing wrong with those, but the crap gas we have to run these days eat them up over time. They'll last, but if you have to pull it apart you might consider viton o-rings instead...they hold up to all the additive crap in the gas a lot better.
Also, not sure if your bike is just a different set up...but here is a picture of my intake before I cleaned it up with the old clamps pushed to the side...the way my o-rings seat from the intake to nipple looks a lot different than yours. It almost looks like yours is set up for the rubber band style seal with that up-notch from the o-ring area on your intake. Mine is the same size...nipple and intake. Take that with a grain of salt as I am very new to these old bikes.
If you keep having trouble trying to seal it you might want to try some stainless aircraft style clamps like these...they are pretty cheap, not as pretty, but seal pretty good.
One more thing...looks like you have standard rubber o-rings, nothing wrong with those, but the crap gas we have to run these days eat them up over time. They'll last, but if you have to pull it apart you might consider viton o-rings instead...they hold up to all the additive crap in the gas a lot better.
Also, not sure if your bike is just a different set up...but here is a picture of my intake before I cleaned it up with the old clamps pushed to the side...the way my o-rings seat from the intake to nipple looks a lot different than yours. It almost looks like yours is set up for the rubber band style seal with that up-notch from the o-ring area on your intake. Mine is the same size...nipple and intake. Take that with a grain of salt as I am very new to these old bikes.
Last edited by JayDee5150; Mar 22, 2014 at 09:02 PM. Reason: Viton o-rings...not piton!
Cruiser
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 148
Likes: 0
From: East Texas
Yep
Keep the ol Iron running. Killer
Cruiser
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 148
Likes: 0
From: East Texas
10-4
Those clamps are really nice looking but I've seen a lot of posts on different forums taking about how they they tend to pinch the o-rings and leak.
If you keep having trouble trying to seal it you might want to try some stainless aircraft style clamps like these...they are pretty cheap, not as pretty, but seal pretty good.
One more thing...looks like you have standard rubber o-rings, nothing wrong with those, but the crap gas we have to run these days eat them up over time. They'll last, but if you have to pull it apart you might consider piton o-rings instead...they hold up to all the additive crap in the gas a lot better.
If you keep having trouble trying to seal it you might want to try some stainless aircraft style clamps like these...they are pretty cheap, not as pretty, but seal pretty good.
One more thing...looks like you have standard rubber o-rings, nothing wrong with those, but the crap gas we have to run these days eat them up over time. They'll last, but if you have to pull it apart you might consider piton o-rings instead...they hold up to all the additive crap in the gas a lot better.
Killer
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WOW, took a little bit, but finally got her squared away. I'm a happy camper today
Upon close examination of my intake, I came to the conclusion it can probably swing both ways, O ring and rubber band. It is a ZEL intake. Not an S and S.
Soooo, I went and ordered me a set of the band type aircraft clamps. I got them this morning.
It's a great day, as I had redone the S and S super B with original S and S float and needle, and got the heli coil in the oil return cover so it didn't leak like a spaghetti strainer.
After almost two hours of fitting and cursing, fitting and more cursing, I got this beast together. What a PITA.
I discovered that the rubber band, AND the O ring will fit. I was going to try and take pictures of everything along the way, but got caught up in getting this thing together.
The fit was already tight, so getting the bands on there, and then the clamps proved to be quite a chore. Had to do a little bit of fitting on the clamps (for us in the sticks fitting means grinding and a big rubber hammer)
But I got em on.
After getting everything back together I ran the vacuum check and was surprised to see bubbles everywhere.
Well, I started to crank down on the clamps, and crank down, and get nervous, and crank some more. Finally the leaks stopped.
Seemed like I had to get those suckers awfully tight. But they have both seals in them now, O ring AND rubber band, and I have no leaks.
I lifted my enrichener, gave her three kicks to prime, put the circuit breaker in the middle, switch on and one kick.
Got a snort, chuff and puff of smoke.
Kicked again, and whooo hooo, she fired right up, dirty wench that she is.
Thanks to all for the great advice and pictures.
Upon close examination of my intake, I came to the conclusion it can probably swing both ways, O ring and rubber band. It is a ZEL intake. Not an S and S.
Soooo, I went and ordered me a set of the band type aircraft clamps. I got them this morning.
It's a great day, as I had redone the S and S super B with original S and S float and needle, and got the heli coil in the oil return cover so it didn't leak like a spaghetti strainer.
After almost two hours of fitting and cursing, fitting and more cursing, I got this beast together. What a PITA.
I discovered that the rubber band, AND the O ring will fit. I was going to try and take pictures of everything along the way, but got caught up in getting this thing together.
The fit was already tight, so getting the bands on there, and then the clamps proved to be quite a chore. Had to do a little bit of fitting on the clamps (for us in the sticks fitting means grinding and a big rubber hammer)
But I got em on.
After getting everything back together I ran the vacuum check and was surprised to see bubbles everywhere.
Well, I started to crank down on the clamps, and crank down, and get nervous, and crank some more. Finally the leaks stopped.
Seemed like I had to get those suckers awfully tight. But they have both seals in them now, O ring AND rubber band, and I have no leaks.
I lifted my enrichener, gave her three kicks to prime, put the circuit breaker in the middle, switch on and one kick.
Got a snort, chuff and puff of smoke.
Kicked again, and whooo hooo, she fired right up, dirty wench that she is.
Thanks to all for the great advice and pictures.