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First post here, I recently inherited a 1980 fxs that was my late uncles first harley. The motor was rebuilt 10 years back by my brother, I guess the bike has never run quite right.
To be honest I'm not a mechanically knowledgeable person, but I'm looking for some good guides and or advice on getting this bike running smooth.
The few glaring issues I noticed after taking the bike for a rip, the front brakes seem to rattle and chatter when not in use, it's very difficult to get the bike into neutral when it's running, and when you're getting on the gas the bike spits and sputters and just does not run right at all.
It's got the original Keihn carb on it, my father and I attempted a rebuild on that and it ended up flooding with gas after reassembly, so I have to take that apart still and fix it.
I am a real greenhorn when it comes to working on my own bike, so any help would be greatly appreciated.
i would say the very first thing to do is buy yourself the Factory Service Manual. It will show you how to adjust the clutch service your front brakes and tune your carb.
PS; dont bother with Clymer manuals or any thing but the FSM. take it from there then ask questions here......the folks here dont consider any question as a dumb question, so ask away
Thanks for the advice! I do have the Clymer I've been going off, it hasn't helped me a ton.
If the bike has been sitting for years, whats would be a checklist on things that need be done or checked. I changed the oil and got a new filter, filled it with fresh Trans fluid, bought a new gasket for the front brake master cylinder, and got a new air cleaner element.
It was pretty common for the front calipers to rattle ... If I remember correctly HD even supplied a "foam tape" solution that was applied between the caliper anc fork leg
It was pretty common for the front calipers to rattle ... If I remember correctly HD even supplied a "foam tape" solution that was applied between the caliper anc fork leg
Ahh okay, I was under the impression that was for later years. I guess I'll look into that foam then, haha.
Thanks for the advice! I do have the Clymer I've been going off, it hasn't helped me a ton.
If the bike has been sitting for years, what's would be a checklist on things that need be done or checked. I changed the oil and got a new filter, filled it with fresh Trans fluid, bought a new gasket for the front brake master cylinder, and got a new air cleaner element.
did you clean the wire gauze near the oil pump that's a regular must do.......from my experience with this i would check and clean the ground wire at the frame to your battery and look around the harness for chaffing or loose wires, you might even want to unscrew the handlebar electrics to see if they're not full of white crud. Check all of the fasteners/hardware to make sure every nut and bolt is tight . I took both wheels off to check the bearings( they were good to go ) when i got my '82 flh as it had been sitting for most of its life. The only rubber pipe i had to renew was the cross over fuel line as someone had renewed the main tank fuel line when they fitted the S&S carb.
Welcome to the forum, when are you in CT? If your bike is mostly all original, I wouldn't jump into an S&S carb until you've gotten the basics up to snuff. The Keihin can be a good carb but first make sure it is really clean. Also, intake manifold leaks are common, between manifold and heads as well as carb. These need to be corrected for the bike to run well with any carb.
How about posting a few pictures of your bike, we all love pictures here.
Welcome to the forum, when are you in CT? If your bike is mostly all original, I wouldn't jump into an S&S carb until you've gotten the basics up to snuff. The Keihin can be a good carb but first make sure it is really clean. Also, intake manifold leaks are common, between manifold and heads as well as carb. These need to be corrected for the bike to run well with any carb.
How about posting a few pictures of your bike, we all love pictures here.
I'm in Litchfield County! How can i test for intake manifold leaks? And ill get some pics up tonight or tomorrow
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Need a solid guide on 80 fxs
