Classic Cycle -April 2009

Bench Racing #109 April 2009 Starving shovel I recently bought a 1967 FLH. It has 20 over high top pistons, S&S E type carb and drag pipes and solid lifters. I don't know what cam it has. Problem is, it starts missing at high R.P.M. if you keep the throttle wide open it will bog down and die; if you back off it recovers and runs fine. I have checked the timing, resealed the intake manifold, replaced the manifold with a rubber band type, set float level with bowl, changed main jet from smallest recommended to largest, swapped carb with new S&S E borrowed from local shop, changed plugs, points, condenser, wires, coil, ignition switch, circuit breaker unit, and battery. I had a valve job done, used octane booster checked gas tank vents. The plugs run black and sooty, but this might be because I test ride it on a 1/4 mile long driveway. Insurance is expensive here and I don't want to buy it if I can not ride the bike anyway. The only thing I did that helped was removed the baffles from the drag pipes. It will rev high in 1st gear now but not in 2nd or higher. The Harley dealers in this area with not work on shovelheads. I don't know where to go from here. Any ideas that you may have would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Ron in Texas Via email Presents buretor is good than you’ll need to increase the size of the carburetor’s float inlet valve. The fact that the plugs are sooty would normally indicate a rich condition but in this case I’m thinking it because you’re riding the bike in your driveway, as opposed to on the road, and I’m assuming that not every trip up and down it is a full throttle blast. Besides it’s possible that you’ve got more than one problem, in that it may be rich at some or even every throttle position and just running out of fuel on the big end. Lastly I‘d suggest that you might just have a run of the mill lean jetting condition. If fuel flow isn’t an issue try running the bike with no main jet in it. It won’t run well, but if it doesn’t shut off you know where to head next. TY Timing Trouble Q Howdy Mark, By: Mark Zimmerman suspected the fuel tank vents might be plugged but unfortunately in the wrong pew. My guess is that you’ve got a fuel flow problem. Whether it’s because you’ve got a mechanical issue somewhere like a partially plugged fuel line or an overly restrictive filter or because the petcocks just can’t flow enough fuel to supply the carb is hard to say. But the first thing you’ll need to do is check your fuel flow rate. Stock HD petcocks flow about 28 ounces per minute and that’s barely enough to keep with a stock motor, let alone one that’s heavily modified. So if you’re not flowing at least that or even if you are a new high flow valve from someone like Pingel should be the first thing on your shopping list. If the fuel rate is okay, and I’d say anything closer to 60 ounces a minute would be fine, then double check the flow by shutting off the petcock the moment the bike shuts off and measuring how much fuel remains in the float bowl. If the bowl isn’t full and your flow rate to the car- Bench Racing A Well Ron in Texas, I think you were in the right church when you Why is it that every time I have a problem with one of my motorcycles it has to be electrical? Today I'm having trouble with the stator on my 1974 Yamaha TY 250 A. When timing the bike a dial indicator is used to measure the location of the piston before T.D.C. Once this is established the points are set to break. Using a voltmeter the red lead is attached to the black wire coming from the spark coil (the kill switch being deactivated) and the black wire grounded to the motor. The needle on the volt meter will swing to zero showing that the points are just beginning to break. Here the problem comes in. The needle showing the interrupted circuit never swings to zero indicating something is shorted. I have replaced the points and condenser and have had the source coil rewound but still have the Q Hi Mark, 74 April 2009 | WALNECK’S CLASSIC CYCLE TRADER® I WALNECKS.COM http://www.WALNECKS.COM

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Classic Cycle - April 2009 Contents American The Buzz w/Buzz Walneck Motorcycle Tips w/Mike Brown Harley-Davidson FXRP Police Bike Biker of the Month 1986 Harley-Davidson FXRS Low Rider 1968 Harley-Davidson FLH Rocky Mountain Concours d'Elegance 2008 Mid America Chris “ Wild Man “ Callen Bench Racing w/Mark Zimmerman Events Listings & Advertisements British European Japanese Competition Motorbikes & Scooters Memorbilia Antique Cycle Clubs Parts, Accessories, Want Ads How to Place a Word Ad How to Place a Photo Ad Area Code Directory How to Subscribe Let Us Help with Your Event

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