Known bike specs,
1971 FX Super Glide numbers on the case and frame
FLH appearance
motor mods unknown, friend says it sounds as if it has a "G cam", super E carb, Sturgis Dual belt drive, I rebuilt oil pump, replaced oil pressure switch, Changed oil, blew out oil lines, new ignition system (blue streak points and condensor) Accel super coil and big wires. re built carb. Low miles but i don't trust the OD.

I was on my way to work Saturday evening. This was the bikes first highway run at a maintained 65-70 mph. I wanted to take advantage of the super light traffic due to shutdowns and see if my "Shovel head Sneeze" was going to show up once i leveled out the throttle for more than 1/4 mile. The ride was satisfactory until the exit for work when i heard the noise that i have heard before. It is a weird metal squeaking no oil type noise with some knocking that increases in volume right before it shuts down. It has happened before about a year ago it happened twice right after i got the bike running.

I was cruising so I pulled in the clutch and it shut down. Seeing that i was still merging off the highway I popped the clutch out while drifting about 55 mph and she lit right off. So down one and off to safety i went. It was a struggle to keep it going at the light she died going up the hill at the next light. It was a quick stop also not a stall. I pushed it off the road onto the sidewalk. It wouldn't crank with the starter it tried but would just make that labored noise like it was trying to move but couldn't. In the past when this happened it fired right back up. So i decided to try and kick it. Nope Locked solid. So now what to do. I tinkered and looked for a few minutes bike didn't seem hot. Oil was barley warm. Now i was gonna be late so now or never I just gave it a big ole kick it freed up so i hit the starter it came to life not very well but was alive. I ran down around the corner to work and shut it off. Punched in and then went to move it around back. It wouldn't start just a big backfire after about 4-5 big revolutions. Frustrated i walked away. I then went out about an hour later after securing a trailer and ride home from a friend to move it around to the back side of work out of the way. I was able to start it but it didn't want to run seemed out of time. I checked my plate and points all were tight and still sitting where i marked them last. (Second ride since i put new coil, points, plugs wires etc on it) went out at lunch to mess with it a little and it doesn't want to start it seems to be out of time. Extremely frustrated and aggravated with life at the moment because of the bike and the fact we received reduced hour lay offs earlier in the evening i just shoved it on the trailer and now it sits in my garage.

In the past when this happened i thought maybe the clutch was dragging or hanging up so I wasted two cans of brake cleaner and adjusted the clutch, problem went away. But thinking back I also re-timed the bike, statically on the TDC mark. Could it be seizing up and slip[ping on the crank causing it to lose time? Could it just be because I have not fully timed it due to a lack of knowledge and tools to do the advanced timing. I am going out this evening to put the bike up on the stand and begin to explore and poke stuff with my screwdriver. I was hoping that maybe I could get some insight and help to fast forward my random looking around for an issue. I never did a full disassemble of the bike when i got it because i wanted to try and find all the problems and only tear it apart once. I am new to shovel heads and new to Harley, but i am not new to using a wrench.

Thanks in advance and I am a night shift guy so my hours are weird plus there is a lot going on for everyone now so for those of you that chime in for help please stick around and excuse late or odd hour replies.

 

Typical Dead battery response... check Charging system...
If it locks up for real, it will Not then Run worth a ****...
Sure got me wondering how the hell one can tell what Cam is in it by Sound... You need an Experienced Indy me thinks...

 

Remove your plugs, use the pedal to crank the motor. If the pistons go up and down you probably have not locked the motor.

Never ever heard of a "G" cam before made by anyone. You might ask your friend who makes it and how he suurmises what the cam is by listening to it.

The knocking would concern me a bit, especially since you have heard it before (2X). Rod bearing ready to go or maybe a piston pin loose and banging on the cylinder wall?

Static timing is just a temporary spot and not intended to be the final setting. It is supposed to put you in the ball park so that when you use a timing light, you generally only have to go a couple degress either way to be spot on.

The big backfire after trying to start is extra gas that has nowhere to go because of the timing issue I believe.

Get a timing light. Make sure all connections are tight, properly time it. Once that is done take it for some short continuous trips around the block to see if the timing holds once the engine is warm and up to operating temps. If the knockig sound returns with the engine running fine otherwise, it is time to identify the source of the knock. I sure wouldn't take it on the road and risk blowing up your motor.

Leave you clutch alone. It is not the problem.

Have you checked to make sure your stator plug is not loose and only partially plugged in? Have you checked the wire from the points to the coil to make sure there are no bare spots, cracks or a partial break in the wire? Same applies to the wire going from the voltage regulator to the "+" side of the battery.

If you are sure the ignition components are good (Accel is now China crap; don't know about who makes Blue Streak anymore, and condensors can be bad out of the box), you have a good battery, and it still runs poorly at speed the only component left is the advanced wieghts behind the timing plate. Have they ever been replaced?

 

Standard Motor Products makes Blue Streak..... Good **** right there... Believe it's all USA..

 

you have a seizing issue and its heat related to the engine movement - everything is a guess at this point

do a compression test cold with the battery fully charged - and report back not going to speculate / do the test even using a car battery to help the starter speed

 

Oil pump issue. No way you went cruising down the highway and the oil was "barely warm". Did you prime the pump after you rebuilt it? Sure the key set properly and didn't push thru?

 

Good obnservations gentlemen. Did't see the barely warm statement until I just reread his initial post. It would make sense tho. Engine is not getting the proper lubrication, heats up, knocks, sputters, misses and shuts down.

 

Either that or the new rebuild did not leave enough clearance if he replaced Pistons..

 

John I now know why its has never really run right. Well the Rear cylinder has 105-108 cold. And the Front well its got nothing. maybe 5-20. I ran down the road and got my small bore scope from work shoved it in the plug hole and well the sleeve shows all sorts of evidence pointing toward a seize. Only thing i can think of is that maybe the head or tube got clogged with sludge or something? And if the oil was not circulating fully is that why it would not have been as warm as usual?
I guess i was pushing my luck anyways the bike hasn't been on the road in la little over 30 years. What is my best move going forward now? Pull the whole motor? I would more than appreciate the guidance from you fellas because i have done enough stuff the hard way I will take what ever help i can get.

--Pan: For the G Cam i believe he meant Grind cam. Maybe Andrews I don't know we will find out now. Unfortunately my buddy passed recently and well he had been running shovels since before i was born. They were his favorite. And all my wires and connections are good i went through them. one by one. The blue-streak points are nicer than most. But yea I didn't know Accel went to Taiwan Timmy I thought they were still good. The coil that i received Has absolutely no markings on it. There is not even a decal on them anymore. I inquired with the "Big" vendor and they said oh yea that is a super coil its yellow

 

I was so nervous doing that pump I looked at all the pictures on that white paper it came with at least 20 times. Lol Yea i filled it with oil and used the kicker to turn the bike over until it wouldn't take anymore without puking it out. Is that the right way or does that work. And that little key PIA