Carb driving me nuts!

hello, my name is Frank aka Tileman, having a hec of a time tuning in my rejeted carb. It's a 2002 HD XL1200 Sporty with a CV carb. Installed a 587 Outlaw intake with a breather kit, and the exhaust is stock pipes with SE slip-on's. Purchaced a rejet kit with EZ mix an EZ idle screws did what the instructions said , started with 1 3/4 turns and can't keep it running went to 2 turns then 2 1/2 and now loud exhaust bang (back fire) . After I installed the carb I started the bike up ( with no ac ) and she ran for a good 5 mins. Shut her down , installed the ac system and now back firing and cant keep her running. What can I do. What am I doing wrong. Checked all vac. hoses, took of the gas cap. I also replaced the slide with diagram , 4 sided float needle, accelorator diagram, and intake manifold Gaskit, really can't afford shop prices.

If you didn't miss anything in your last checking, did you get that diaphragm in right and without tearing it? If it were me doing this, I'd take everything off and do it all over again.

Did you take the air cleaner off and see if it ran again? Maybe there is some packing material in the unit?

Hopefully someone else here can help this Frank out!

She'd start brooom and run for a minute and cough out. Been doing this all day. I then thought she's not getting gas to stay running, huh! Cab is set up its clean jets clear what else....well let me drain the fuel and check the filer again.....wow all kinds of junk I mean a bunch. It was definitely stopping a good fuel supply. Put it all back together, put her to bed till tomorrow. I'll see what happens after I put fresh clean gas in. Thanks

Put in a good set of plugs, sounds like a fouled plug with the loud backfire or at least clean the ones you have and try and lean it out a bit before you start. Had the same problem a couple of years ago. Also check your float level it maybe on the rich side. If you place it on a 15 degree angle the float should sit perfect straight up and down. Check the inside float tab make sure you don't have a dig where it hits the needle valve. Let us know how you make out.

Wow, yeah, old, bad gas is something that will definitely cause these problems, even if you put new gas in the sludge won't necessarily be thinned enough. Just make sure you have gotten all the old sludge completely out of your tank - there are products available that can help with this. You likely can reuse your plugs after cleaning them off, unless they are already well used.

If your bike is stowed for more than 60 days, use a fuel stabilizer like Sta-bil (sp?) to keep it from degrading. Worth the little cost and effort to keep it running when you want. Also, check your gas cap and get a look in the tank for rust or other degradation. I had a gas cap on my Kawasaki that kept dropping crud into the tank, but I didn't catch it right away because I was focused on the tank innards instead of just seeing the bottom of the friggin' cap! D'oh!

Good luck and ride free!

Wow thanks for all the replies. Well everything work out on the carb side, I think I can rule that out. I started really looking hard at the vac. Hoses and there old and cracked, so I ordered some to redu all the vac. Hoses as well as the gas line. I also looked hard at the petcock and it wasn't letting gas through! Hey this could be good! Pulled it and it was not working so I bought a new one w/ filter. Stopped there and now charging the battery up. In the morning I'll add gas and see if all goes better if so I'll get going on all the lines I'm going to replace. Well here's a hope'n

Ok! Replaced the petcock, brushed up the spark plugs, that we're black, turned in the mix screw backa bit, back to 1 3/4 starting point, so I have gas, and I have spark this morning, she fires up for around 10-15 seconds and bogs out no coughing or backfire. Can this possibley be electrical problem. I haven't picked up all new hoses yet.

How familiar are you with this bike? Your's since 2002 or just acquired? Are you using the choke/enrichener properly?

When you start it and it only runs a briefly, how quick can you restart it and get the same symptoms?

Yes, but that is still least likely...and by a lot. Wish I were there to T/S (troubleshoot) with ya. The symptoms seem more like a fuel or air problem, but you have to figure out whether is is too much of one or too little of one. Here are some things to check right away, in the order I'd do it:
- Hoses. Replace 'em. Cheap, relatively easy and eliminates them from the T/S equation. They're likely 14 years old, so worth the effort.
- Is fuel getting to the carb? I'd pull the fuel line output of the petcock and check the rate of flow while draining to a cup or can. Just 'cuz it was cleaned once don't mean it stayed that way. A clogged filter can still let gas through for a start-up, just not at a fast enough rate to keep running.
- Does it run without the new air cleaner? If so, check for obstruction or just put the old one back on.
- OK, now it is time to check the electrical. You do have a tech manual, right? I believe (but do not know- the Sporty in my stable is a 2009 fuel injected 1200 Custom) that you're ride can give trouble code info, if you know how to extract it. If you can't do this, and everything else is good, you may need to get it to a shop to find out whether is some freak ECM problem, unless you've a bud who'll let you swap out units.

I know, my thoughts exactly! Vacuum hoses? I never had that problem. Do you think with the rejetting now it shows?

Bought it in Sept. and put approx 300 Mls on her . She'd start right up with choke all the way out and 10 mins later I'd take off and 2 - 3 mis after that chock off and running good

After she Boggs out I start it right up and again 5 - 10 seconds later bogs out and will not start again

Yeah, that is in the 90% range of insufficient fuel. What happens is the carb fills up slowly, then you start it and it runs until it has insufficient gas and shuts down...but it has just enough left to build up fumes enough to do a brief restart, then that gas is gone even quicker and more completely and so now ya gotta wait.

If you think the tank and petcock filter are good, pull that fuel line and get a q-tip up in it, and/or blast it with carb cleaner.

ill give it a try. im just gonna pick up some E-10 rated fuel line and install that. .

what size fuel line do I have on that stock cv carb

Can't tell your line size from here, just bring it in to any auto parts store and they can match it. Same goes for your vacuum and any other hoses. Get more length than you need, as it don't hurt to have extra, but sucks not to have enough. Cost is pretty cheap, and unless you live next door to a auto store, can save you extra trips later.

thanks I thought I'd stop on my dinner hr at work and buy some

Ok...picked up 3/8 " I.D. fuel line and I'll install it in the morn and see if that works