New update

Hey there Harley,

I'm going to try that tomorrow. I was thinking of trying a 50 to see what happend, thinking it's at least a cheap try.

10 turns and still running, let alone in the threads. But barely in the threads. I didn't run with it like that, just trying to find the outbound cough, but nothing.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was running fine at 3 turns, since the EZ is longer. But 4 seems high and 5 even idles smoother.

Hey Yachtman,
Isn't the EZ a little longer on the needle end? That may be why you need more turns out. As long as the EZ is holding tight I wouldn't worry about it being 5 turns out, every bike is a little different is why there is adjustment built into the screw. Make sure you have the idle adjustment screw (right side top, cable length adjustment) turned up to a fast idle then adjust the air mixture screw. Even up to around 1200 to 1500 rpm's isn't to fast to set the air mixture screw. Then once you get it set, just slow the idle down a few hundred rpm's.

Okay, I'll try the high rpm adjustment tomorrow. I definately didn't go that high on the rpms. That's an interesting way to try it, and makes sense to me.

I'll let you know!

Thanks again, Harley

Harley,

While we're discussing 10 turns out. How come it's not starting to stumble, let alone shut off. Maybe the 48 is too large??? Should I try 46?

Y

Another small update. Or two.

I installed the original adjustment needle and it seems to be idling fine at around 2.5 -2.75 turns out. I used the 1200 - 1500 rpm suggestion by Harley to set/adjust it and that helped. I then readjusted the idle down.

But! It stumbles at one turn out, but still doesn't stumble as I unscrew it. Even past 5 turns out. So I'm confused about that. I took a short ride around the block to verify that 2.5ish turns out runs okay. No coughing. I'll be riding some over the weekend and will recheck then.

Another But! I just filled the tank for the second time since installing the stage 1 and both times I'm down to 33 mph. I was at 40 mph, so is this usual for these kits?

I'm hoping to hear from Ken on some of the above issues.

Thanks,

Yachtman

It’s not unusual for the idle not to change as you screw it out, some do some don’t.
as for the gas mileage, you’ve been messing with trying to make it run, your best bet is to go for a nice normal ride and see how it does, you need to go at least a few hundred miles to get a good reading.

YEP - What HarleysLR said !

Hello all!

Well I've started to think I'm as dialed in as it's going to get. 3.5 turns min, with 4.25 probably the smoothest. I replaced the EZ with the stock needle and it was at 2.75 turns out min. So I put the EZ back in and also installed the V-Ductor. After 5 tanks of gas, at around 125 miles per tank, I'm down to 33 mpg. One tank was 31, blah. The V has only been on for the last two full tanks of gas and it hasn't really changed the mileage at all. The carb feels pretty good, very snappy at the throttle. Maybe too much for slow speed handling. I finally got on the highway today, which I don't do much of, and the winds where gusting to 15 so 70mph was my limit. Carb seemed smooth but I was dead into the wind.

So overall my big concern is the serious drop in mileage, which at 35 miles lost per tank, isn't good.

Any thoughts about increasing the mileage? And before I hear about twisting the throttle too much after the install, I'm not hard on any equipment/cars/boats/bikes I own. I'm riding the same as prior to the install, maybe even easier since I'm trying to up the mpg.

Yachtman,
Thanks for the update. I don’t know what tell you about the mileage. I get 50 plus miles per gallon with almost every tank full of gas and I have pretty much the same set up as you right down to the v-ductor. My wife on the other hand gets closer to 55 mpg but she don’t twist the throttle like I do. Her bike is stock except for Screamin’ Eagle slip on mufflers and a CV Performance complete carb from Ken, which I have had on 2 other bikes before this one. I have over 50,000 miles on my bike to. Both are Fatboys. Hers an 02 & mine 05. I run’em both a little rich 45 pilot and 190 main. Don’t remember where the air adjuster screw is set, but it works.

Harley,

Thanks for the reply.

Here are the parameters of this 7 mpg loss.

48 and 195 jets as per the recommended instructions. Started at 2 turns out. Bike stalls. After going to 3 turns, she runs but not well. Going in she stalls at 1turn out. After 3 turns, it smooths out a little around 3.5 and seems steady at 4 - 5. If you keep going nothing changes at all. Even after 8 turns out.

I have checked everything there is to check and have changed the intake and exhaust gaskets. The intakes and carb seals twice.

So maybe a 46? A 35 mile loss per tank seams a terrible price to pay.

Ken, any suggestions?

I don’t remember what jets you had in before you started all the carburetor work. Nothing you have done should have changed the need for different jetting.
Jetting is hard to get just perfect and very seldom is perfect.
I wouldn’t worry about how many turns out the EZ Adjust is set at, it is a little different than the stock air adjustment screw, 4 or 5 maybe the same as 2.5 or 3 with the stock adjustment screw.
Try the 46 and see how it runs.

I'm trying to wrap my head around this very long post. There seems to be a lot of variance between post 45 and 50. One day 2.5-2.75 runs fine. and the next it needs 3.5 and as much as 4-5 turns from bottom to run. Don't make sense. Could it be variance between temp and humidity. But I though the cv was suppose to handle that. back to that later.

1. you cant compair harleyslr setup and yours. He's at 6-7k altitude. If I ran his setup with a 45 jet, I would be really lean. Yach is at sea level.

2. I dont know yach's setup, he states in is avitar that he has true duels and a stage 1 carb, can I assume that the stage 1 carb means a stage 1 A/C?

3. I think 48 and 195 is a good start if yachtman has a stage 1 A/C, but I think 190 would be good to. based on that he should be 2.5 -2.75 turns out. But why isnt he?

4. in theory if he stumbles or has an rpm change at 1 turn from bottom, then .25 turns -.5 turns out should stable it and then .25 turns for good measure which would put him at around 2 turns out should be good. That tells me he's a tad rich yet. however, he's saying he needs 4-5 turns out from bottom. Why?

5. also, what fuel is he running? ethanol will kill your mpg. around here all we can get anymore is 10 percent ethanol and it kills our mpg.

6. I would check that the jets are tight, and check the cv boot for tears and the vacuum piston assembly for operation to rule that out. I just don't know why one day 2.75 runs good and then the next post he needs 3.5 -5 turns out to run good. There's no consistency.

I'm no guru

A quick reply as I'm on the road. The difference from 2.5 is that the 2.5 is with the stock needle. The EZ is 3.5 ish

personally I would stick with the stock mixture adjustment screw. I tried the EZ mixture screw and I was not impressed. It was very loose as some here have found. So I've went back with the stock screw. I have stock A/C, stock pipes for the most part. Have 46 pilot, 190 main. Because I couldn't get it to stumble with the idle set at 1000 rpm, I've tried the HarleysRL technique of setting idle speed at 1500. It dropped 100 rpm at 1 turn from bottom, and as you found out, I also couldn't get it to run rough no matter how many turns I turned it out. So I set it at 3 turns out, however I feel that is a bit rich so I'm still playing around with turning it in .25 turns at a time every ride I go out on and see how it performs. I'm having a bit of trouble finding a clear cut sweet spot too, but I feel I will end up around 2 to 2.5 turns out.

Tomcat,

That's what's happening, almost exactly as yours except for the pipes. I have a K&N filter with the Rinehart TDs, which I believe is what most call the Stage 1. The bike started to run poorly, the gas started to drop and etc.... So after researching the CV Perf kit, and my dealer saying he would probably try a Dyno Kit (?), I figured I'd try my hand at the carb rebuild. It was also suggested that the poor running might be from a intake leak. So I rebuilt the carb and replaced the intake seals. The jets were already 48/190 so I replaced the old with the new as the instructions recommended. And since then it's been a struggle.

But I'm in agreement with you on the EZ screw and how many screws in vs out. Today the wife and I rode our bikes up I95 for 80 miles and back 80 miles. Up had the 10 knot wind at out backs and I only got 42 mpg, and coming home we were dead into 10 knots, and will fill up tomorrow. I used to get 40 to 42 city and 50 hwy until the kit went in. Problem 2 is that the bike is now settling in to this new kit and running better than when it was first installed. But 33 mpg? After all that struggle with basically rebuilding the carb twice, I'm not happy with the results. And I haven't had much in the way of mfr support either. And for me that's as bad as the crappy mileage. If you call you get a machine and I've never had a call back to help.

Moral of the story is that I'll probably rebuild it again with the old stuff, or maybe mix and match stuff. I'd think the mfr has had these issues crop up before and might have suggestions themselves, not just an agreement with someone elses suggestion. I'm not a tech/carb minded person and it's the first time Ive ever attempted this type of work on the bike.

I guess it's just money, eh!?!?

Here's a similar setup as yours and what they ended up doing froma post on another forum.

2000 Fatboy- 03 Tins
SE Stage one
Rhinehart 2/2, BCT's
HD 80 Spokes

The bike is running GREAT so thanks for your input. I went to 48 slow, 190 main, and 2.5 turns. Did not even have to adjust idle and does not change from upright to kickstand. Might have to tweak in warm weather but running like bat outta h$ll now.

Well 2.5 or 4 turns, no matter. Poor fuel mileage is the issue. I want my 35 mpg back!!

But I do have a new question: does it matter if the bike is on the kickstand or upright? I've never noticed my idle change when leaned over. Has anyone else ever noticed this?

I knew I should of left that part out of that post. That person I took that quote from also had a float level issue to start with along with too large of a pilot jet (he orig. had a 50) so disregard that part.

I think if you go back to a 48 pilot and 190 main, and set the mixture screw properly your mileage will come back. Most get in the low to mid 40's.

Tom, I'm already at a 48!! And the mileage sucks! The 195 isn't in the mileage cards.

And the tilt thing was funny.

Maybe Ken has a suggestion?

If your idle mixture is set too rich (ie. too many turns out) it will effect mileage. If you have a 195 main jet in and it really should be a 190...it will effect your high speed mileage.

CV Carburetor Modifications