Help with heritage

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May 21, 2010 | 05:47 PM

oldryder

Thread Starter

6th Gear

Joined: May 2010

Posts: 10

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Help with heritage

Newbe to this forum. My bikes are a dyna and ironhead. So I don't come here much. A friends husband passed away about 6 months ago and left her a 99 heritage. It had been sitting before that. My understanding is that it was running before he let it sit. What do I need to do before bringing back to life. I was thinking about squirting wd-40 in the cylinders and turning it over with no plugs to get the oil moving. Drain the gas in the tank and carb and fill with new. She has a new battery so that should be alright. Any help, suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

May 21, 2010 | 05:50 PM

bear68

Tourer

Joined: Oct 2009

Posts: 270

Likes: 2

From: West Palm Beach, Florida

Instead of WD-40 I would recommend automobile ATF (trans fluid) I use it with car engines that have been sitting a while or have carbon buildup in the cylinders. Gives a reasonable amount of lube while cleaning at the same time. Once you get it running for a few hours, change the oil.

May 22, 2010 | 12:31 AM

Bluehighways

Stellar HDF Member

Joined: Feb 2010

Posts: 3,403

Likes: 268

From: Southern California

+1 on the ATF, otherwise it sounds like you're on the right track. After a couple hundred miles I'd change the oil in all three holes again.

Also change the fork oil.

Watch for leaks. The nemisis of a sitting machines is that seals can take a set, bearings and gears that haven't been covered with oil for a long time can get a fine coating of rust on them . . . there's not much you can do but watch, change the fluids a couple of times in a row and then keep your fingers crossed. Usually things will turn out just fine. But a bit of paranoia doesn't hurt.