[Dryicekills]

Hey everyone. I just picked up an 01 Superglide w/ 22k miles on it for $2500. This is my first big twin, and I want to make sure I’m looking after it well. I’m gonna do all fluids this week, and pop open the cam cover to check/replace the tensioner shoes, but it also needs some carb adjusting and I’m a little out of practice. When I bought it, it coughed and sputtered horribly. Luckily I’m pretty familiar with the CV from my Sportster days. I was able to spot right away that the accelerator pump diaphragm was torn, so I replaced that, cleaned the jets out and called it a day without doing any further carb rebuilding (I only had an incomplete kit leftover from a cleanout on my old bike). It’s running pretty strong, but still wants to die when cold unless its choked for awhile, and I dont want to foul the plugs leaving choked longer than 45sec or so. Still some coughing under low throttle, and some decel popping. The slow jet is a 50, and I have the mixture screw about 1.5 turns out. This morning, there was some gas pooling on top of the cam cover again, so something is still off in there. Bowl gasket didn’t have any leakage. I didn’t even check the float needle, the pin was really stuck in there to pull the float. I can’t tell where the overflow comes from on this carb. I swear my sporty carb had an overflow barb right on the bottom of the bowl, but there isn’t one on this carb. Could the gas be leaking out from the brass inserts around the accelerator pump? If anyone has pointers on tuning this up and finding my leak, I’d appreciate it.

 

[tall terry]

make sure the low speed jet passage in the carb body is clear,, and change from the 42 jet to a 44 or 45,, rhen back out the idle screw to about 3-3.5 turns out from lightly seated... the altitute where you live may affect these changes.

 

[Dryicekills]

make sure the low speed jet passage in the carb body is clear,, and change from the 42 jet to a 44 or 45,, rhen back out the idle screw to about 3-3.5 turns out from lightly seated... the altitute where you live may affect these changes.

Low speed passage is clear. Jet is already a 50. I’ve got the mixture 1.5 turns out from seated. Checked for intake leaks while idling with a little carb cleaner, seems solid. All in all, it’s running great. Maybe the actual mixture screw passage was clogged until my last few adjustments. The occasional cough hasn’t been enough to bother me terribly. I’ll report back if it acts up anymore.

 

[Brand'd]

Man that's a great deal! Congrats on that one. You'll prolly want to check the age of the tires along with the inside of the primary to see what type tensioner it has. The 1st generation automatic tensioners are pretty much junk. If it has a stock manual tensioner just check for wear and adjust if necessary. At that mileage it's time to check the cam tensioners anyways. Not that hard to do and presents an opportunity for new exhaust gaskets as well. Sounds like you'll get the carb dialed in. I'd go 2-1/2 to 3 turns out on the idle mixture screw too. Since you've already got a pretty fat slow speed jet you may want to check out the needle and slide diaphragm. It won't hurt it to ride it for the first few minutes with the enrichener slightly engaged until you can sort out the cough. Why can't we all find deals like this!

 

[Dryicekills]

Thanks man. Definitely very stoked on it. The guy bought the bike from his dad, probably for the same price. But he literally knew absolutely nothing about bikes and I think that was daunting when it came to selling it, so he didn’t try to make any money off it. I’ll be popping open that cam cover this week, and I will probably open the primary up as well just to check it out. As far as the carb problem, I can’t seem to trace where this leak is coming from. Every morning there is a little bit of gas collecting on the underside of the float bowl, but there is definitely no wetness anywhere up near the float bowl gasket. I think I’ll have to pull it off again just to see exactly what’s going on

 

[Don Dorfman]

Take it all apart and replace the seals and needle and seat. A 50 pilot is a little concerning. I suspect there is an air leak at the intake seals. I would just change them as preemptive measure.

 

[Dryicekills]

I’m not opposed to doing the intake seals just because it’s definitely overdue, but I don’t think there is a leak at the seal. I got all over them with the carb cleaner and there was no change in the idle. Not foolproof, I know. I guess I’ll buy the full kit to rebuild and do the float needle as well. Unless I’m mistaken, this carb has no overflow barb (due to the vacuum-operated petcock?). So where could this gas possibly come through the bowl? Thanks again, everyone.

 

[jammer45u]

Check these guys out, been good for me. Try the N65 needle, should clear up that low/mid range lean cough.
50 pilot is rich, try 44 or 46
Change the float needle and seat.
Good luck, nice bike.

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[rickey maxwell]

Thanks man. Definitely very stoked on it. The guy bought the bike from his dad, probably for the same price. But he literally knew absolutely nothing about bikes and I think that was daunting when it came to selling it, so he didn’t try to make any money off it. I’ll be popping open that cam cover this week, and I will probably open the primary up as well just to check it out. As far as the carb problem, I can’t seem to trace where this leak is coming from. Every morning there is a little bit of gas collecting on the underside of the float bowl, but there is definitely no wetness anywhere up near the float bowl gasket. I think I’ll have to pull it off again just to see exactly what’s going on

hello i have have just joined. if you are having a carb leak, i suggest you shut your fuel off when not in use. you really dont want gas washing down your cylinders. to state the obvious sounds like your float needle is not seating.

 

[Dryicekills]

hello i have have just joined. if you are having a carb leak, i suggest you shut your fuel off when not in use. you really dont want gas washing down your cylinders. to state the obvious sounds like your float needle is not seatingz

I never leave my fuel on. Whatever is happening, it is all happening internally in the carb.

 

[Fallguy]

Hey everyone. I just picked up an 01 Superglide w/ 22k miles on it for $2500. This is my first big twin, and I want to make sure I’m looking after it well. I’m gonna do all fluids this week, and pop open the cam cover to check/replace the tensioner shoes, but it also needs some carb adjusting and I’m a little out of practice. When I bought it, it coughed and sputtered horribly. Luckily I’m pretty familiar with the CV from my Sportster days. I was able to spot right away that the accelerator pump diaphragm was torn, so I replaced that, cleaned the jets out and called it a day without doing any further carb rebuilding (I only had an incomplete kit leftover from a cleanout on my old bike). It’s running pretty strong, but still wants to die when cold unless its choked for awhile, and I dont want to foul the plugs leaving choked longer than 45sec or so. Still some coughing under low throttle, and some decel popping. The slow jet is a 50, and I have the mixture screw about 1.5 turns out. This morning, there was some gas pooling on top of the cam cover again, so something is still off in there. Bowl gasket didn’t have any leakage. I didn’t even check the float needle, the pin was really stuck in there to pull the float. I can’t tell where the overflow comes from on this carb. I swear my sporty carb had an overflow barb right on the bottom of the bowl, but there isn’t one on this carb. Could the gas be leaking out from the brass inserts around the accelerator pump? If anyone has pointers on tuning this up and finding my leak, I’d appreciate it.

Hello, Ive been off forum for quite a while with many of lifes ----- things.. Ive got a 2003 FXD with 11k on it and have been researching about the TC88 tensioner issues for at least 3 months now seriously. Even though the mileage is low, I want to save any future problems.. My tech and I just opened up the camchest yesterday. The inner and outer tensioners looked very good still, but I decided to fix it now.. Checked crank runout and ordered an S&S 509G complete camchest upgrade.. If my crank runout had been above .003 I would have got same set, but hydraulic tensioners. The SGs are simple and fun bikes. I did the wideglide conversion with 12inch z-apes and a 21 x 3.5 front wheel for a 120/70 21 tire. Handles beautifully.