Harleys are Always Fun
October 11th, 2009Needle Valve Crud
I’m not sure I’m cut out for riding motorcycles.
I used to let the bikes sit for long periods. I finally learned to use Sta-Bil and make sure I got on the road once in a while. That saved me from replacing the Harley’s slow jet every time I wanted to ride.
Then last year I found gas pouring out of the Harley when I tried to start it. That required a Golan petcock. The Harley unit is complete garbage, almost intended to fail.
Today I tried to start the Harley, and black gas ran out through the air cleaner. This was new. I won’t mention the fact that I had to charge the battery in order to get this far. One month of down time killed it.
I took the carb out, stuck a new slow jet in, checked the float, checked the needle valve, and put it all back together. Miserable job. Then I realized I had left the ignition on, which means the headlight was burning. I had to attach the charger again. Now I’m waiting.
For future Googlers, here is the answer I found. Crud can get into your needle valve, holding it open and flooding the carb. Then the excess pours out onto your pipes. Call me crazy, but I think this is unsafe.
I don’t know if I fixed it or not.
I was hoping to ride to church to pick up my Pyrex. I left it up there last night.
Hope she fires up this time.
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Now it looks like I ruined the carb float by using a fuel additive. Oh, well. At least I got to enjoy taking the carb apart several times, for no good reason.
Harley-Davidson won’t put a part finder online. If you want to buy parts, you need the part numbers. Guess what they do to help you find the numbers? They charge $48 for a manual. I’m serious. They omit the numbers from the service manual, so you have to spend more money.
I can’t find a new float online anywhere, so I posted a message on a forum. Hopefully someone will save me.
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Harley-Davidson part number 27576-92 (40mm Keihin CV carb float for 2001 FLSTC). Hope someone else finds this useful.
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The fuel gauge is dead. And the sender has a float on it.
I think I see a pattern here.
October 11th, 2009 at 6:16 PM
My gosh, did you pit Sta Bil in the tank or pure acetone? Failed floats used to be common back in the day of early plastic use, I like the soldered brass floats, those could be repaired. Have not owned a LBC or Bike in some time, but it sounds like things have not changed much.
October 11th, 2009 at 6:52 PM
Sta-bil did all that?
October 11th, 2009 at 8:28 PM
From a woman’s point of view, my only thought is, “What were you thinking by planning to carry pyrex ware on a Harley?” Just asking…
October 11th, 2009 at 11:43 PM
I’ve got a PDF file of the service manual for a 2007 HD softtail. Would you be able to get any useful info from that?
October 12th, 2009 at 12:02 AM
Motorcycles, boats, lawnmowers…all need gas stabilizer because they sit for long periods of time. What was the Harley designers thinking making parts that can’t stand up to a little aftermarket additive?
October 12th, 2009 at 1:38 AM
Ruth
That would be part of Step 2, which is irrelevant until Step 1 is accomplished.
Step 1, of course, is “Start the Harley”.
Cheers
October 12th, 2009 at 8:25 AM
I find it hard to believe Sta-bil did that, though I’ve never used it in a motorcycle. Help the thread by citing your authority for your conclusion.
October 12th, 2009 at 8:27 AM
I didn’t say Sta-Bil did it. I’ve used several things. I’m not sure which is the problem, but something is obviously eating my floats. I’m wondering if the awful alcohol-tainted gasoline I buy did it. Ethanol has a history of wrecking carb floats.
October 12th, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Bet it was the ethanol.
October 12th, 2009 at 4:59 PM
I agree with blindshooter. Ethanol is almost certainly the culprit. This stuff is so corrosive it has to be trucked around because it would eat through the pipelines which carry gasoline. I have heard that the fuel injection systems in older cars are leaking from corrosion. Another good argument for going Diesel.