[iancmiles]

Greetings all. Might as well get right down to business.

I've got a 99 sportster 1200 custom. Ultima straight pipes w/ torque cones. Dragtron a/c. CV-performance stage 1 deluxe kit. Running 44/180 jets. EZ-Just idle mixture, and high flow elbow. New plug wires (Taylor 24" universal). Had vacuum problems so I replaced the vacuum piston w/ diaphragm. No intake leaks that I can find. All mods have happened within last 2 months.

Bike runs very rich....keep fouling the plugs. I can get about 1/4 mile on the bike before plugs are toast.

Thanks for any help

[chucktx]

is the enrichner, aka, choke turning off fully???

[iancmiles]

Choke is fully closed for all I know. How can I check it/adjust it to make sure?

[cowboy]

take the air cleaner off & look inside & pull or push choke in & out the butterfly should stand stright up & down for closed & side ways level for open

[kenfuzed]

In regards to the choke you want to make sure the plastic nut (elbow end) is screwed all the way into the carb. If not the plunger will not seat and the choke will keep supplying fuel.

Next thing I'd check is the mixture screw, set it as lean as possible without coughs. Check that the float is not set too high. It can get bumped during rejetting. I'll post a diagram of the float level. Drop the main jet down to the 175 as well.

Not sure what was set up in the carburetor before so bear with all my questions. Did it have a previous kit installed (dynojet, thunderslide)? If thunderslide (black plastic slide) you will need to go back to a stock slide as the kit won't work with a thunderslide. Were there any shims or washer on the original needle? If so make sure they were not installed on the new needle. Did the needle jet (chrome-looking nozzle) get reinstalled? Below is a picture of the nozzle though the person labeled it as a collar.


Hopefully this starts to narrow down the trouble.

[iancmiles]

previous owner had rejetted stock to 45/175 (if I can remember correctly) idle mixture plug had also been drilled. everything else spring, needle, etc. (to my knowledge) was left stock. I first got the bike w/ stock a/c and s/e slip-ons. she ran well. Since I put new pipes on she hasn't been the same.

Needle did have a washer on it, but was not used for installing new needle.

Don't remember ever seeing the chrome nozzle when replacing tube.

[kenfuzed]

That missing collar/nozzle could be the problem. It controls the both the spray pattern and helps the needle meter the amount of fuel delivered. Without it fuel could spray uncontrollably. I'll get back to you with the part number from HD.

[iancmiles]

took carb apart again today. chrome nozzle was in proper location. was unable to adjust float. Thank you for the diagram but I was unable to see what "tab" I could bend to decrease amount of fuel in bowl. got it back together and adjusted idle speed and idle mixture. she ran smoother than yesterday, but I could only go about a mile before plugs were totally fouled.

[kenfuzed]

The float tab is a tiny silver metal tab that the float plunger hangs on. The plunger (aka float needle) has a small wire hanger that dangles around that tab. To get to it you really need to punch out the shaft that the float pivots on, but you can also bend that tab with a tiny screwdriver.

Are the plugs fouled with black dry carbon or are they at all damp?

I'm going to send you a new set of jets and a leaner needle to see if that helps. Maybe its a defective jet... not likely but you never know. I'll send you a PM for your address.

[iancmiles]

Thanks for the info. I will try to adjust the float.

Plugs are almost completely dry, and have heavy gas smell.

Glad i bought $2.00 champions instead of oem plugs again.