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Internet Tech Forums

 

 

‎***Tech Tip of the Day*** While there is some good info to be had on internet forums... that info is only as good as the person posting it. THERE IS A LOT OF MISS-INFORMATION OUT THERE. Just because your neighbour's brother's uncle heard from a friend they did this or that to his bike doesn't mean its a good idea. You will have to sift through the bad stuff to get to the good. Cutting carb springs and drilling jets is no substitute for a good Jet Kit just like an internet forum is no substitute for a good mechanic you know and trust.

 

--Aaron

Jetting Keihin CV Carbs

We got a 1996 XL883 Sporty in this week for some carburetor issues. It had a 48 slow jet and a 190 main jet on an otherwise stock bike. Holy Moly! BIGGER IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER.
Here are a few tips for jetting Keihin CV carbs.

1. Eliminate intake air leaks. If you are fighting an intake leak you are already losing the battle. With the bike running, spray a little shot of brake cleaner from an aerosol can with a long straw on the intake flanges where they meet the heads. If the bike bogs out you have an intake leak. Replace the seals.

2. Make sure you are using good, fresh fuel. Check the fuel tank for rust in the bottom and on the petcock screen. Debris in the float bowl can plug up jets and interfere with normal float operation.

3. Clean the carb and inspect all the components. Spraying "carb cleaner" in the intake is NOT a substitute for a carb bath and new seals and orings. The vacuum piston can get burnt and worn over time also. Replace any damaged or worn parts and all seals before any tune.

4. Use the proper tools. Carb screws are notoriously easy to strip and round out. Also a good punch set is recommended. You don't want to replace a expensive carb body because you broke it with a hammer or broke a mixture screw off.

5. Know what you are working with. Engine mods play a vital role in jetting. But also knowing whats in your carb will help you out. Unfortunately there are a many different aftermarket "Stage" kits available for carbs. Knowing which kit you are working with will help you tune. We use and recommend the DynoJet kits.

6. READ THE DIRECTIONS!!! All the older Harley-Davidson Service Manuals have extensive carburetor tuning sections. Also all of the DynoJet kits come with detailed instructions. These will tell you exactly what jets to install, where to put needle settings and how to set floats and mixture screws. They also offer guidance on troubleshooting for problems. Incidentally most of the instructions are readily available online.

7. Don't modify components. There is no reason to go with the "poor man's jet kit." Don't cut loops out of springs to make them softer. Don't drill out jets to make them bigger. These parts are inexpensive and readily available. There is no need to butcher them for a proper tune. Only modify parts if your instructions tell you. (i.e. Drill out vacuum piston air hole)

8. In conclusion, armed with good, clean components, the proper tools, the right information and a little patience. You should be able to achieve a streetable and rideable tune for any Harley-Davidson Air Cooled V-Twin running a CV Carburetor without having to put it on a dyno.

 

 Don't do this.  Wrong hardware.  Wrong Air Cleaner for Carb.  Mounted with out a support bracket to attach to the heads.  This actually covers up vacuum holes that need to be there for carb to work properly. 

Back Bleed Squishy Brakes

We have run into this problem from time to time.  Most people assume just bleeding the brakes cures all your squishy problems but here is another trick that will help you out when dealing with squishy front brakes on Harley Davidson Motorcycles.

We are working on a 2004 FLHR dual disc front brake setup. Pic#1 Shows how far the lever pulls back. This brake system has already been properly bled out and flushed with fresh fluid. As you can see the brakes will grab but the lever will pull almost to the grip before they do.

Pic #2 Shows the reason why. Dirt in the caliper. Also notice how the pistons don't protrude equally from their bores. Brake dust and road grime over time gets into the piston bores in the caliper and gums up the o-rings. This causes the pistons to stick in their bores and the hydraulic pressure (feedback at the lever) to fade. This results in a squishy lever and can also cause the pads to wear unevenly.

Pic#3 Shows dirt on the pistons.

Heres how we fix it. Start by removing the caliper and pumping the brakes repeatedly until the pistons come out of their bores. Then we spray them down with brake cleaner.

Then blow them dry with compressed air.

Pry the pads apart with a pry bar or big flathead screwdriver. (Notice if you are replacing the pads you will want to do this process with the old pads installed so as not to damage a new set of pads.)

You might have to hold one side of the pads while pumping the brake lever to get the opposite side pistons to come loose.

Repeat the process of cleaning, drying, prying and pumping 3-4 times. What you want to end up with is pistons that are clean and shiny and that all come out of their bores at the same rate like the below pic.

Install your new pads.

Reinstall the caliper and torque all fasteners to spec as per the service manual. Repeat this process for the other side caliper.

Notice the difference in pull between where our lever started.

And where our lever is now. We have a lot more lever available than we did before.

Always remember to recheck the fluid level in the master cylinder when you are done. Hopefully this helps you out next time you deal with squishy front brakes on your Harley Davidson V-Twin.
You can always hit us up at www.BlueCollarBikeWerks.com if you have any problems or questions. And feedback is always appreciated. --Aaron

Tools of the Trade

                                                         Shop Diagnosis Flow Chart
Step 1.  Drink Beer
Step 2.  Consult Magic 8 Ball
Step 3.  Use jumper wires to let smoke out.
Step 4.  Use hammer to put out fire.
Step 5.  Repeat steps 1-4  and blame problems on last mechanic who worked on bike.

Chopperin

From a past build.

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