S&S Carburetor Jetting
- SuperBeetle
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Okay Harley guys my neighbor has a 91Electra glide sport. Some big ass cam, straight pipes, S&S carb, and from what he tells me 88 cu in engine. I know very little about Harley's but am smart enough to rebuild carburetors etc. Do any of you know what size jets this thing needs? Went today and talked to a guy who is supposed to be very good. Explained what the bike was doing and he had me go to a smaller main jet (from 72 to 70) and a larger intermediate jet (from 28 to 31). The bike now stutters and stumbles worse at higher RPM range. I don't know the RPM's because there is no tach. I was originally going to go with a larger main jet but the mechanic suggested 1 size smaller. Any suggestions or help would be most appreciated.
- freetown fred
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SB, if he did all that, I'm assuming he went with solid lifters--hopefully coil & points--I'm bettin valves are out of adjustment-S&S has a crap load of suggested specs--location, altitude, average temp.--etc. Personally, I took the S&S off my shovelhead & threw it in the junk box & went back with the Bendix--yes, I did a J-cam, solids bored to 92 from 88. Have fun my friend. Like Rob said--ignition-- I also sht canned the transistor crap & went with coil & points. PS--S&S does make a good carb & usually need little work/maintenance- some engines just don't like them.-I'd tell him to look else where.
- coaledsweat
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Don't know a lot about it and the one time I did do it I used a vacuum gauge. I nailed it.
- SuperBeetle
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I personally ride a Honda. Always starts right up and runs well all the time. I would ride a Harley if I could find one for 700 bucks and only had 4k miles on it like the Shadow did.
- freetown fred
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You must be a lot shorter then I was figurin to ride a Shadow. I sat on one once & felt/looked like a monkey fkn a bowling ball!! What's goin on with the Harley????????????
- SuperBeetle
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I'm 6'1" Fred The Shadow ACE isn't too bad actually. Anyway, the Harley has had way too many people working on it. My neighbor is no mechanical at all so he only knows what these guys tell him. As for the Harley well, it ticks really loud when it gets warmed up, stumbles at higher rpm, and barley turns over, even with a new battery. Definitely needs spme things done to it. The guy really can't afford to pay someone to work on the bike. Hell I'm not sure if he can find anyone who isn't full of it to even work it, besides me.
- freetown fred
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Ticks as in valve adjustment???????????????
- Freddy
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You gotta start with the basics. It takes three things to make an engine run. Compression, ignition and carburetion. Do a compression check. If it's got lousey compression nothing will help until that's fixed. 145 to 165 PSI, maybe some higher on the SS? Even as low as 100 would most likely run, but it's important they be within 10% of each other. If they are 20 % apart you have a serious issue. It sounds like you should adjust the valves, but loose valves will be OK.... for a while. (on the other hand if you can hear the tapping over the straight pipes, maybe you should adjust the valves) Tight valves are bad new fast. Backfiring through the exhaust is a bad first sign. If the compression is OK spark is next. Does it have electronic ignition? It's not a bad way to go. If it were 1974 I'd say go back to points, but today? I'd go with electronic unless you know and understand points ignition and want to stay on top of them. If it's got good spark, then you must verify the timing. If timing it correct, now you can finally get to the reason we came here. In todays world there's a good chance it has "green slime syndrome". Old gas can frig a carb up. Disassemble, make sure every port, hole, jet and crevice is clean. One partially clogged hole can cause stumbling as RPM's increase. Has it ever run right since the cam & pipe? If it ran right before the cam you gotta go with bigger jets. I can't tell you what size jets as I'm not familiar with the SS motor....or even Harleys in particular, but when you add cams or pipes things need more gas. At least at this point you'll know everything is OK but the jetting. Don't forget to check float level as the carb goes back together.
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Freddy has asked the first question that should be answered.Freddy wrote:You gotta start with the basics. It takes three things to make an engine run. Compression, ignition and carburetion. Do a compression check. If it's got lousey compression nothing will help until that's fixed. 145 to 165 PSI, maybe some higher on the SS? Even as low as 100 would most likely run, but it's important they be within 10% of each other. If they are 20 % apart you have a serious issue. It sounds like you should adjust the valves, but loose valves will be OK.... for a while. (on the other hand if you can hear the tapping over the straight pipes, maybe you should adjust the valves) Tight valves are bad new fast. Backfiring through the exhaust is a bad first sign. If the compression is OK spark is next. Does it have electronic ignition? It's not a bad way to go. If it were 1974 I'd say go back to points, but today? I'd go with electronic unless you know and understand points ignition and want to stay on top of them. If it's got good spark, then you must verify the timing. If timing it correct, now you can finally get to the reason we came here. In todays world there's a good chance it has "green slime syndrome". Old gas can frig a carb up. Disassemble, make sure every port, hole, jet and crevice is clean. One partially clogged hole can cause stumbling as RPM's increase. Has it ever run right since the cam & pipe? If it ran right before the cam you gotta go with bigger jets. I can't tell you what size jets as I'm not familiar with the SS motor....or even Harleys in particular, but when you add cams or pipes things need more gas. At least at this point you'll know everything is OK but the jetting. Don't forget to check float level as the carb goes back together.
- SuperBeetle
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I had the carb apart on Saturday. It is clean and actually it wasn't too bad. As far as it running properly, I don't really know. The thing has been worked on by a bunch of different guys who all had their own ideas about what to do and probably screwed everything up. He spent 1500 bucks on it last year and that guy just ripped him off. Yes, I do believe the valves need a look see but am told it was just done.The timing was supposed to have been done as well but who knows! I suppose I'll start from the beginning and go from there. I'm just trying to help the guy out. He was in a very bad accident 10 years or so ago and had a very bad head injury. I just want him to enjoy his bike and want to help him out. All his bike buddies baled on him after his accident. He was a very popular biker and judged the wet t-shirt contest at Gettysburg bike week until he was almost killed in the accident.
- freetown fred
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For the record SB--REAL Bikers don't bale on a Brother cause of an accident even if it's quadra or para serious. Trust me I know this for a fact!! But you're right---start from the beginning!!!!!!! Save yourself some aggravation! Good luck with it my friend. Real nice of you to do it for him. That's what Brothers do!
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- SuperBeetle
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I agree with you 100% Fred. It still amazes me that they did that. I know for a fact there used to be some crazy parties going on over there and bikes were there all the time. I guess they used him for what they could and then the party was over. I wish I knew more about bikes. I am learning pretty quickly though. A trade off of sorts as I see it. I work on his bike and learn at the same time. And he does let me park my Honda in his garage!
- olpanrider
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Unless the mechanical is correct your wasting your time on the carb. As said basics first
Timing, new plugs,valve adjustment,compression an leak down test. If everything checks out start on carb.
Turn off accelerator pump it can give false reading making you think its fat but is actually lean. You will never get great performance with drag pipes without at least adding lollipops or baffles so that the sound wave doesn't interfere with the incoming mixture (reversion). One off the problems with certain cams and drag pipes is a bad mid to upper range stumble from reversion. There are 3 ways to help that put lolipopos/baffles(have lolipops in my 62 an 50) in the pipes, add a thunder jet ( its a third tuning circuit so you can lean your midrange but not make wot to lean) or change pipes.
Around here .295 or .31 intermediate jet and 68-72 main should get you in the ball park
Timing, new plugs,valve adjustment,compression an leak down test. If everything checks out start on carb.
Turn off accelerator pump it can give false reading making you think its fat but is actually lean. You will never get great performance with drag pipes without at least adding lollipops or baffles so that the sound wave doesn't interfere with the incoming mixture (reversion). One off the problems with certain cams and drag pipes is a bad mid to upper range stumble from reversion. There are 3 ways to help that put lolipopos/baffles(have lolipops in my 62 an 50) in the pipes, add a thunder jet ( its a third tuning circuit so you can lean your midrange but not make wot to lean) or change pipes.
Around here .295 or .31 intermediate jet and 68-72 main should get you in the ball park