Plugs Fouling

First the stats, last year I brought an 04 sportser only 500 miles on it. I put an additional 5000 on it last season and it ran great. Over the winter I change the air cleaner and put on the SE1 free flowing air cleaner. I also changed the pipes to V&H Straightshots (which by the way sound great)and rejetted the carb up one size on each the pilot and main. I did nothing with the air/fuel mixture.I also changed the plugs, old plugs had a nice chocolate brown color. After putting 200 miles on it with new plugs I noticed going up hill it tended to feel slugglish. I pulled a plug and they are a little black, not bad but not the tan color I should be seeing. So after all that my question to you is should I go larger jets or first start by adjusting air/fuel mix? Thanks.

Thanks! I'll put the orignal main jet back in it and take it out for a ride. Heading to Dover De for the NASCAR race this weekend so that'll be a nice 150 mile ride on the highway.

Thanks again, It idles fine and the only time it pops is when it is cold. Once it warms up it runs fine.

Damn Wish I going to Dover this weekend.

Yo Namato1, not sure if I already asked but whereabouts in NJ you from? I'm about 140 from Dover myself.

Hey Namato...you might want to check out the Harley Performance web page. Lot of good info there on re-jetting. It says you should perform the fine tuning of the air fuel mixture before re-jetting. Go to harley-performance.com, good luck.

Ringo - I read that article and it was very helpful, I even had a copy of it next to me while I rejetted. However, after speaking to a number of people they all agreed that I should leave the air/fuel mixture alone for now and see how it ran after the rejet. I am going to put the main back to the orignal and ride the hell out of it this weekend with new plugs. Pull them on Monday and see what I got. Like I said in the beginning it is not really bad, the plugs are black but not totally fouled out.

VooDoo - I am up in Flanders, Morris county.

Sorry Namato1, I did ask you that before. (too many drugs in my younger days I guess) I remember now. Have fun at Dover. Good luck with the bike.

OK, First thanks for the advice but I could use a little more! so there I am getting ready to put the orignal main jet back in and I go to take off the 4 screws holding the bowl on the bottom of the carb and I round one of the screws!! Any tips on how the hell to get that loose now or do I need to just go ahead and drill it out?

I use a dremmel to take off the head off the screw if cutting the slot in the top does not work. Then take a pair of visegrips to remove the stud after you get the bowl off.

One thing that may have been mentioned is have you checked your intake for oil puking over from the head breathers? I'm not very experienced with Sportsters but thought I read about a problem with that?

Cracker

Namato1, they also make extractors that fit over the screw head. I don't know if they will work in this situation, because of where it is and the size of them. I think Cracker has the best advice, use a dremel tool and grind off the head, then pull the bowl and unscrew the "stud". It should unscrew by hand. Good luck, and BTW, that sh*t is normal, if it didn't happen I would think something was wrong.

Thanks for all tha advice, looks like I have a few options to try tomorrow, I'll let you know how it all works out. I called the Stealership for the hell of it to see what they wanted to fix it. $150!!!! They have to be kidding me.

You can do it. you'll be glad you did. take the 150.00 and spend it on the bike

Hey forgot to add take the phillips head screws to your local hardware store & match them up with some SS allan head screws then throw them fricken sh*t phillips screws in the garbage. I don't recall the allan head thread pitch you need just be sure the old ones match the new.

Cracker

Remove the carb
Put it on a bench bowl side up.
Put the tip of a good screw driver in the slot. Tap the head of the screwdriver while gently turning the handle. This acts like a hand held impact wrench. Course, if you have one of those use it instead .
If this does not work, get a pair of needle nosed vice grips and lock them on sideways to the screw and turn gently.

Ken has stainless steel screws to replace the stock crap.