Carb cough . . .

Very likely it's the dang fuel. Just put in a fresh tank without Seafoam and these starting/farting issues began again. I still have some Seafoam left and I'll put that in with the gas - 1 oz. (minimum) per gallon as they say on the label. I have calculated that if I must use an additive all the time, it will be the same as $5 gas. I guess my ol' motor is very sensitive to ethanol . . .

Just thought I'd add that I changed oil yesterday. Straight SAE 50 Valvoline racing oil, about 2 1/2 quarts, no additives this time. After 3000 miles, the oil didn't look too bad. It takes me a solid 45 minutes to change it because I have to take the bracket off to get the filter out. But it enables me to really clean that area good. At 3000 miles I also take the extra time to check all fasteners. Everything was tight. Only the mirror needed adjusting - pretty good for a bone shaker, I thought!

It won't be like 5$ a gallon of gas. A bottle of star tron is under 10$ and it treats like 40-45 gallons if I remember correctly.

My '01 Ultra got victimized by the 10% ethanol and I had to carry a bottle around and hit the tank with a splash every fill up. I would miss every now and again, no big deal. If not that beast would pop,sputter, lose power. I learned that about 2 days out in Ohio trying to head home to New Hampshire. I thought I'd gotten bad fuel. That problem worried me from October 2010 till April 2011, when I finally learned the combo of 89 octane and a splash of star tron helped. I was headng to MArble Falls, AR and told everyone wish me luck, if I get there I get there and that combo proved to be the winning deal. Learned that from a old timer HD mechanic named Lee...true story.

You know..I'm blessed. I don't do squat to my bike but put gas in it and ride it. And I ride the sh*t out of it too. I've had a belly full and a life time of tinkernating between the '83 and '63 FL's. Maybe when and if I am able to retire and have tons of time on my hands again I won't mind it. Or if ole' Betsy ('12 Ultra) lets me down I'll be done with modern and rejuvenate my '83. Other then that gas issue with my '01 Ultra (which I bought in '08)that bike gave me near 50,000miles trouble free. I bought it used and crapped a stator on the Canadian border when I first got it.

I admire your taste in motorcycles and that you're still killing the rigid kicker only,lol. I seen your bike up close and personal...it made my property look better when you were parked on it.

I've always liked to tinker, whether it be with wood, metal or whatever. I have the time for it, too. I knew before I put this cantankerous machine together that I'd be in for some wrenching.

That's good to know about how you solved your fuel issues. I will use the Seafoam again and see what happens. Believe me, I would never do this with Ex-Lax! Starting for me is crucial though, as I have only so many kicks in me - oh, I guess maybe 30 or so before I have to stop for a while and rest up for the next cycle. Besides, it just plain looks bad when there are others watching when I go to crank it up and it won't start! :rant:

Those kickers have personalities and feelings,lol. Sensitive little buggers. I'd never been stranded with my rigid Pan. Everything was always amendable on the side of the road and a bag of tools,nuts,bolts,washers,baling wire and such,lol.

I went to start the ol' thang up this morning and . . . it started right up, idled about a minute and then died a quick and painless death. Now I know the gas is okay, etc., and so is everything else. I take the points cover off and . . . I find that the coil wire insulation has been scraped off down to the bare wires and is shorting on the edge of the hole in the cone. AHA!
So I temporarily wrapped it up with electrical tape and first kick she comes to life again. Hot dog, now I got good gas, spark, compression, so I got it in the wind.

I'm wondering what would be a more permanent repair to that area? A grommet won't work because the metal is too thick around the hole. I even had shink wrap around the wire and it still wore through. But the wire was also tight against the edge of the hole and that's what caused the insulation to wear away. Shake, Rattle & Wear away! This is also the exact place where a very small amount of oil is leaking through.

A sleeve covering like this should do the trick

Gator Sleeve Braided Wrap | Braided Sleeving

Last night I already made a new wire and installed it using shrink wrap again. This time I sanded the hole smoother. I think what caused the wire failure was that I had it stretched too tight around the hole. Should work this time. I saved the site you sent in case I need to get some later, thanks.

I also removed the EBOC gizmo from the bike and now the crankcase is venting to the atmosphere. Thing kept leaking. Maybe I'll just run a length of hose to the chain and let it vent on it. Other shovel riders have used that method.

Man, I have just got to get that leak plugged up. I've changed seals twice and it still leaks.

Took the baffles out of the pipes as well, a tip from Tattoo. Will see what happens . . .

Hey Joshbob. Good thing you like tinkering. And I hope you can appreciate why after near 25 years of owning that honery Pan with antiquated technology I'd had enough. Its somebody elses turn. My Pan wasn't near as fancy as you've made your shovel. She was your basic rigid with a Pan motor. Had converted it to a modernized automatic advance and retard distributor. But she kept busting my balz all the time anyways. She was sold to a my friend Woody in AZ who paid to have it shipped from NH. And who is happy as a pig in a poke to have her. Heres a pic of Woody when he finally took delivery of it. He was happy to have it and I was happy to see her gone. The 2001 Ultra which was 7 years old when I bought it was an extreme appreciated upgrade of epic proportions:

Yes, I do understand why you made the switch to a modern bike - they are marvels of technology and I'm sure they are on the road more than they are in the shop getting repairs.
Here in Hobgood, there isn't much to do, maybe go to breakfast at the grill and socialize with my buddies and go to work at the academy. So, having something to tinker on keeps me occupied. And it's so much fun when the wrenching happens to come out right.
The next few days it will be raining a lot so I have time to work on the ol' thang . . .

Forgot to mention that I used a similar sleeving on my gas line from the petcock to the carb. It's more of a heat shield but seems to be holding up well to abrasion as well. Don't remember the brand name but I got a length of it from Lick's Cycles.

Who knows if I can get lucky to get to 69 I may opt to reincarnate my 1983 Shovel into a rigid with one difference...it'll have a kick and a pus*y button.

Rigids are so cool but you pay the price, I just got tired of paying that price.....for now anyways.

Shouldn't need to buy a piece of protective sleeving for the wires,I'm sure Tattoo would have a piece at his shop,or at a junk yard...anywhere a wire passes through a hole I cover it with a sleeve,actually I like to run all wires in a harness or sleeve....
Tattoo likes no baffles,LOL....let us know how you like running straight open pipes...

Well, I started the bike up last night after I got the pipes back on but it was raining so I couldn't go for a spin. Yup, it's louder, but not by much. And the motor has a much deeper tone, which I like very much. Can't wait for it to dry up around here and take a ride.

You must be part of that east coast drizzle we been getting since yesterday...its nasty,wet and raw cold up here as we speak or rather as we post.

I'm a little less than 1000 miles east of you and same crappy weather here,cold and wet...some pretty heavy downpours the last couple of weeks:gah:

You mean you lost one out on the highway somewhere while riding? I've heard that happening every now and then with aftermarket pipes - welds no good and they break and there goes your baffle . . .

Took my first ride today without the 10 1/2" baffles. I'm uncertin if there's anything different in the performance but, my, the pipes sure sound good! Nice deep, throbbing note. Not at all obnoxiously harsh sounding, like I expected them to be. Maybe that's just with the hopped up motors. Carb seems okay - no popping, coughing, or other problems. I'm still going to try a #48 pilot when it comes in. We think it needs a bit more fuel in the lower/mid range.

Guess I'm going to be the "Scourge of the Neighborhood" now! Actually, my next door neighbor is usually drunk, so he won't care and there hasn't been no one living on the other side of us for years.

A lot of riders think drag pipes suck performance wise, but I can't see why. My bike seems to be the same as before - at least, no worse.

Yup! See post #58.