EFI to carb
Novice
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
From: Maryland
After years of headaches and lots of wasted tuneup money with my 97 Roadking, EFI, I gave it to Psycle Barn, Little Orleans, MD, who converted it to carb. I should have done this the day after I bought the bike new. PB removed all EFI equipment including fuel pump, installed CV carb w/ Dyna-jet, Dyna 2000I ignition & coil, some simple rewiring, not a complete or even partial wiring harness, installed a Pingle valve kit on the tank and now I have a real bike. I took it on a 1000 mile ride right after it was finished and it never skipped a beat and never ran so well. I was riding with a friend on a EFI Roadglide and our fuel consumption was almost identical. I realize the newer EFI systems are great but if you have the old MM system, dump it and go with a carb. I was told by local HD mechanic/partsman, replacement parts for the original MM system are almost unavailable and the HD test equipment has been pulled, meaning a breakdown on a trip means disaster. You either try and find used parts, call home for a trailer or sell the bike and get a bus ticket.
Tourer
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 391
Likes: 1
From: B.C. Canada
My bike started out as a FI bike. Did some engine mods and couldn't get it mapped properly. Two high performance shops tried to map the engine. The shop that did the last mapping said that the numbers were good for this build. I wasn't convinced on that but decided to ride it for a while. So I ran with that build until a trip from Sturgis left me stranded because of the cams I was using and the mapping. A HD dealership couldn't touch it. Had to rent a Uhaul and bring a broken bike home. I called Bobby Wood and talked to him about numbers and he confirmed my thoughts. So out with the Fi and over to Carb. Never looked back and the bike actually woke up even more than the FI tune. For me I like the carb side of things.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
Reason #1
I have had some issues lately, and I get responses that these bike are set up lean from the factory for EPA reasons. If I had a carb, I could simply adjust the af mixture or worse case pop in some new jets to fix the lean condition.
Reason #2 Any time I want to do something to the bike, ie cams, (havent done them yet due to the cost of tuning) it has to go in for a dyne tune. And you have to put on an expensive fuel mgmt system. Carb tuning can be done for alot less money in my garage.
I'm just not sold on the EFI system, I may come around once I learn the dynamics of tuning. But it's much more complicated for me
I have had some issues lately, and I get responses that these bike are set up lean from the factory for EPA reasons. If I had a carb, I could simply adjust the af mixture or worse case pop in some new jets to fix the lean condition.
Reason #2 Any time I want to do something to the bike, ie cams, (havent done them yet due to the cost of tuning) it has to go in for a dyne tune. And you have to put on an expensive fuel mgmt system. Carb tuning can be done for alot less money in my garage.
I'm just not sold on the EFI system, I may come around once I learn the dynamics of tuning. But it's much more complicated for me
It is true you might find messing with the carb bike is easier, but there are owners here on HDF who tinker with the EFI on their bikes. So you also could learn to do that. One thing is certain, the EFI bike will run better than the carb bike, so don't chuck your EFI just yet!
If you make a package of changes to your bike, then get it properly tuned by an expert, you should be set for a very long time. Carb or EFI.
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
From: NC
I switched to a carb on my 09 FXDB and I am happy with the change. I used a S&S super E carb and a thunder heart stand alone ignition. The ign runs off the factory crank trigger and uses the factory coil. You dont have to do much wiring and it gives you full control over the timing. Took me about 8 hrs to switch it over.
Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 736
Likes: 23
From: Waverly Hall,Ga
I have an 06 ultra and someone on here gave great details on how to do it and a harley parts list to do it and I saved it to my email but don't know how to post it here...about $750..to do the job in parts as I recall..
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Stage II
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: California
Easy!
I converted my '05 roadglide to carb and never looked back. EFI is fine if you want to ride a stock bike. As I recall all parts for the conversion came out under $500 and I used a spare carb that was laying around in my garage. Cost to dyno-tune an EFI bike was about $350 around here. If you have the know how to swap the carb, you have the ability to tune the carb...
You need a petcock, carb, manifold, sub-harness for a carb bike preferably the same year as yours, (replaces the efi sub-harness), an aftermarket electronic ignition module. Delphi TB uses same cables as a CV. Either make a bracket for the choke cable or buy the carb model top motor mount bracket.
Just make sure you can get the carb sub-harness for your bike. It's likely the same harness as I have, but you never know, harley could have changed the main harness once they went to all EFI just to avoid having that extra harness... I dunno... The Carb sub-harness very basic but most importantly it provides the connector you'll use to drive the ignition (you remove the factory ECM).
It really IS an easy swap...
You need a petcock, carb, manifold, sub-harness for a carb bike preferably the same year as yours, (replaces the efi sub-harness), an aftermarket electronic ignition module. Delphi TB uses same cables as a CV. Either make a bracket for the choke cable or buy the carb model top motor mount bracket.
Just make sure you can get the carb sub-harness for your bike. It's likely the same harness as I have, but you never know, harley could have changed the main harness once they went to all EFI just to avoid having that extra harness... I dunno... The Carb sub-harness very basic but most importantly it provides the connector you'll use to drive the ignition (you remove the factory ECM).
It really IS an easy swap...
