Anybody tinker on Harleys? Could use some help.

[shima]

Damnit!! I thought I was onto something.

You’re right @eric67camino - my bike has screaming eagle exhaust. Looks like it’s normal to step up the jets like you say.

Back to checking if the choke is stuck open.

 

[eric67camino]

If it's only running with choke on its lacking fuel or getting too much air. So plugged jets, plugged passages, restricting fuel. Or, too much air, like with an intake leak.

 

[shima]

Sorry @eric67camino I think my original post introduced some confusion because I worded things poorly.

Replacing the intake seal (where the carb meets in the intake manifold) resolved the issue where it would only run with choke on. The bike runs fine without choke now.

My only symptom is that the bike is running rich as hell. I pulled apart the choke/enrichener tonight, cleaned things, and put it back together. Hoping it was perhaps stuck open or something.

Will fire it up tomorrow and will report back.

 

[eric67camino]

My apologies. I thought it was still needing the choke after the carb seal.

Too much fuel would have me looking at the starter valve to see if it's burnt or scored, thus allowing excess fuel past it. Or making sure the idle mix screw was adjusted properly.

 

[eric67camino]

You also might look at you accelerator pump to may sure it's operational.

And make sure the slide is operational. If the slide is not picking up, it's not allowing more air to come in when you twist the throttle.

 

[shima]

@eric67camino I want to thank you again for helping me fulfill my Harley dreams this summer!

Since we last talked, I cleaned a couple more passages in the carb:

1. I realized on my first go-around that I had missed the float bowl vent passages. There was some crap in there that I was able to blow out.
2. I also bought some compressed air in a can (I don't have a compressor) and tried this procedure for some other passages I hadn't already addressed.

Over the weekend I tried test riding it and it just died the moment I gave it throttle.

I let it cool down overnight and then recorded a video yesterday showing where it sits:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Pwa67tx9nb1AJWW98

If you do watch the video:

1. Please don't look at the bald spot forming on my head!!
2. I start it up cold with the enrichener knob fully pulled out. Then I crouch next to the bike and slowly push the enrichener back in.
3. You can see that if I blip the throttle it is okay but if I keep the throttle open for any length of time then black smoke just starts pouring out.

The mixture screw is at 1.75 turns out from lightly seated, so I think it should be okay. Maybe I can play with dropping it to 1.5, but this amount of black smoke makes me think it is more than just a quarter turn of the mixture screw.

EDIT: Earlier when I read your post I thought you meant something different when saying starter valve... realize now you just meant the enrichener/choke. I can double-check the adjustment of that thing.