[K9Tex]

Hello all...I'm new to the forum..I have a 1998 sportster when I start her even if it is warm outside I have to use the choke and it has to stay on until the bike is warm or it bogs out...If I try and give it gas before it is warm it also bogs down...Once it is warm I can take the choke off but it idles at 1500..I pulled the main jet out and cleaned it still the same..I'm thinking the pilot jet is cloged or the mixture screw has to be adjusted..The seal is still on the screw..Also when I pulled the plug it was white..Not getting enough gas?..Any suggestions?Thanks in advance

Scott

[ringo912]

Go to the tech tips section of this web page. There is very good info on tuning and jetting your carb. I did mine and it runs like a rocket.

[dutch]

Sounds like you may have a intake air leak. Start the bike let it idle squirt carb cleaner or wd 40 on the intake at the heads and around the base of the carb at the intake if the motor speed changes good chance you have a leak. Dutch

[chucktx]

i also think you are experiencing an intake leak.....good advise about the wd 40 trick

[K9Tex]

I took the carb apart and replaced the pilot jet and cleaned the main...then I adjusted the mixture screw...(as described on Harley pro)Put her back togeather put the choke on fired her up and she ran great...Took the choke off after 15-20 seconds let her warm up adjusteed the idle screw..Idled at around 700-900 rpm...I road her for about 2-3 hours and ran great...Then out of now where she just bogged down and died...Tryed to re-start and would not...It sat for about 5 minutes and tryed again and she started..This happened 3 more times as I was trying to get home..I figured it must be flooding out but why..ran great for 2-3 hours...I have the carb out again..trying to get the float pin out but having a hard time..Is there a trick to getting it out?...I'm thinking there might be something under the needle?

[duke76]

A little trick to get the float pin out is to use an automatic center punch, I cant take credit for this little trick, they taught us that at Arctic cat atv school, they also use a CV carb.

[K9Tex]

Pulled the carb out couldn't get float pin out so took diafram out and neddle and blew compressed air in carb to clear out the seat..Put her back togeather and still the same problem at about 2 miles she just dies...I let her sit for 5 min and she will go another few miles...I tried to play with fuel shut off going between on and off to see if I could help the gas flow but that didn't seem to work....I need help...

[fxdxsteve]

sounds like the petcock is plugged

[mwelych]

Didja think to check the fuel filter??? Happened to me on my Jeep Wrangler. What a major PIA to replace... Drop the tank, etc.... Try it, sounds like it's that...

[K9Tex]

I cleaned the tank all out...Flushed it with water...Lots of paint came out...Why does Harley coat there tanks?...Anyway blew everything out with a compressor until nothing came out of the tank...Put it all back togeather..And the same thing..I go about a mile and she dies..I let her sit and she starts back up and goes another mile..I tried different positions of mixture screw no luck...My gas cap also does not seal that well could that be doing it?Or would an intake leak also cause this?...It's just weird starts and runs fine for a mile then nothing....Please Help

[chucktx]

im not sure if your model has the vacuum controled petcock or not. the vacuum line may be bad, allowing the petcock to turn off. vacuum keeps it on. there is a line from the carb to the petcock, and the petcock has a diaphram in it also.....hope this helps...

[K9Tex]

Is there a way to test this?

[chucktx]

if you have a "mighty vac" or simillar tool.....availabe at harbor freight for about 20 bucks or your local auto parts store. hook it to the petcock vacuum port and with the hose off the carb. running into a receptical to catch the gas. turn on the petcock.....fuel should not run out of the hose. now pump the handle on the vac tool and fuel should start running into the can. this will prove or disprove the petcock. if it works, check the hose to the carb for a hole/split/ dryrot.....ect...hope this helps

[K9Tex]

Replaced the petcock...Still the same problem...Could it be electrical?..Maybe a relay?...Thanks

[chucktx]

are you getting a good flow of fuel to the carb?? where the hose hooks to the inlet of the carb, is there good flow??

[K9Tex]

I beleive so...Is there a good way to check this?...

[chucktx]

pull the hose from the carb, open the petcock and it should flow a stream the same size as the inside of the hose, no dribbles, or interuptions. im not sure what the flow rate on your petcock is, may have been in the instructions.

after you rode the bike for 2 or 3 hrs then it bogged down and quit, how did you determine that it flooded. was there a strong smell of gas?? was there gas running out of the aircleaner?? just curious here, and trying to help to get ya on the right track...

[maxpower_hd]

Originally Posted by K9Tex

I cleaned the tank all out...Flushed it with water...Lots of paint came out...Why does Harley coat there tanks?...Anyway blew everything out with a compressor until nothing came out of the tank...Put it all back togeather..And the same thing..I go about a mile and she dies..I let her sit and she starts back up and goes another mile..I tried different positions of mixture screw no luck...My gas cap also does not seal that well could that be doing it?Or would an intake leak also cause this?...It's just weird starts and runs fine for a mile then nothing....Please Help

I'm not sure what the gas cap NOT sealing would do. However, if it IS sealing and not venting, that could be a problem. Is the cap not sealing because it is not the right cap? You should have a vented cap. If you have some other non vented cap that only fits good enough to not let the tank vent then that could cause an issue.

An easy way to check would be to run it without the cap, preferably without a lot of gas in there, and see if the problem goes away. Just be careful not to ride hard enough to splash gas out of the tank.

That may not be it but I have seen it happen, especially to lawnmowers and snow blowers. From my experience, it seems that the issue gets worse with less gas in the tank. More vapors that need to vent maybe.

[maxpower_hd]

Another thought, if it isn't the cap or fuel delivery, bring an extra spark plug along and take a test drive. When it bogs out and dies, remove the plug wire and attach the spare plug and look for spark.

I had an 89 and a 97 Sporty 1200 both have ignition modules go on them. They acted up intermittently similar to what you describe. It seemed it would get hot, die, cool down and run again.

An easier way to check it would be to borrow someone else's module and see if it goes away. That's what I did. In fact I still have an extra stock one I keep around to troubleshoot this very issue.

[hotroadking]

Just don't check the spark with the tank cap off

Unless you're fully insured, health and bike.


Ok bike ran fine until you futzed with the carb

Not sure you'll get any flow from the fuel line on a vac petcock without any vac from the motor running?

I would check the fuel line make sure it's not clogged, pull the petcock and make sure no more futz in the tank came loose and clogged it.

Try riding it with the gas cap loose or borrow one from a buddy whose bike is running.

Float could be sticking, check height and movement
jets could be clogged, blow them out with air
Petcock could be fubar'd you can get a new one from HD not that expensive
Vac line could be broken, replace the line with new hose.