Yes, it’s supposed to look brown or dark grey. If it’s black, you’ll end up with a lot of carbon build up on the pistons, which is not good. Yes, try to lean it a little with the mixture screw. I made a video on how to fine tune while idling. It might be helpful.

4mm metric

@@aronsgarage834 thanks bro I rewatched this and finally got it. Been working on rebuilding my carb and this helped me out so much.

I’m pleased it was helpful.

The bike I bought had been stored for 7 years took me 3 days to get it to fire finally was able to hear what was going on with it. Everything was upgraded but the carb.

These carbs are really well built and work awesome if they are set up properly.

I’d put a 45 slow in there and then adjust mixture screw when warmed up. I think your main is 165 stock. You can leave that in or bump it up to 180 (it won’t hurt)

Thank you. In some cases, during rebuild, some people end up installing the needle jet the wrong way around. That could cause issues like that. Or incorrect float level of course.

Thanks. Glad it’s helpful for you!

Glad it did!

Very true! Thanks for that 😀

@@aronsgarage834 No harm in the way you’re securing it. : )

Thanks for the feedback. I pulled some data, looks like yours had 42 slow and 170-185 main depending on model. I would try 42 and 180 combo, but if you’re over 4 turns out with the mixture screw (when running properly) you might want to bump it up to 45.

Thanks for your response and information. Regarding the needle, do you suggest I use the 3 x 6 x 0.3 shims too and how many? Also, where is the best place to source the jets you mentioned, please?

I think 2 of those shims would be enough for you. You can get jets from CV Performance (great quality) or genuine Keihin.

Sorry, it should read mixture screw 4 and 3/4 turns out.

No problem. Good luck with your upgrade.

Glad it worked 👍

Thanks! It was a lot of work filming the whole thing, but was all worth it.

Yeah I do. One of my friends had it. Sounded great, pretty much the same as on the Dyna. My only problem is that idle is really quiet, so I’ve since gone back to my Screaming Eagle with lollipops installed of course. But if I was to go on a long trip/touring, I’d put them back on.

@@aronsgarage834 Thanks for the reply.

Welcome:)

Route wherever you want

Glad, it’s helpful

Thanks. I’m sure you’d need a bit more juice, bigger jets, needle maybe lifted even more. I’ve never experimented with that so I’m only guessing though.

I hear you. Definitely a bulletproof Sportster, it’s on my list too..

...I used to own a 1986 Sportster,first year of the EVO motor....AND YES...BULLETPROOF BASICALLY !!!! Loved the 1200 Kit I put in too....LMAO 🤣.....Miss that Ol Sporty....but wanted Bigger Ride !!! LOVE DYNA'S and Softails!!!

I can imagine! Yeah, I love my Dyna too!!

Thanks!

Hey Michael, Sounds like you’ve done a great job! Feels so great when you work on your own bike. Yeah, so much easier with the allen screws in case you need to drop the float bowl on the side of the road. I also had to do it once. And thanks for your positive feedback!

Appreciate it.

Tried years ago. Was too rich.

Is it backfiring more while warming up from cold start up or more like when it’s fully warmed up?

@@aronsgarage834 mine 97 Evo road king is doing the same thing while warming up from cold engine start on 45 pilot and 180 main with sportster 88 " mid rich" needle, Big sucker air filter and V&H pipes. When engine is wormed up, runs quite ok 99% - accational carb bacfire. I did tried 48 pilot and spark plugs were to black running rich but did run much better when engine was cold and quite sluggish when engine was hot. Im constantly checking every time for intake leak with propane gas and brake cleaner but nothing to be certain for leak - i did changed the seals and new intake flanges. Maybe its an Evo warming up thing, since beeing my first evo...earlier i had 2000 TC 88 dyna never behaved like that while warming up. every time

Yeah 48 is too big even for TC88. How many turns out is your mixture screw at?

@@aronsgarage834 My thought to. using 45 and warm bike sputters on idle when 1/2 turn out so i have mixture screw on 3-3,5 turns out for now. after that is no efect at all or even worse - slugish on idle and acceleration. Becouse of that fact i would maybe try even 44 if i had it- afcourse expecting worse carb bacfire until engine is warmed up. When using pilot 48 i had 1,5-2,5 turns out but bike rans even with screw fully in without any efect on sputtering so i figured that 48 got to be to much becouse of that, thats why i insist trying with 45 and suspecting on some air leaks but cant find them. maybe 46 would be the magic number heheheh when i had TC88 dyna y2000 sparks looked totaly diferent and much more healthier , thats why im insisting in trying to achive that .... Something crossed my mind this moment - float setup? i do have it maybe a little on the rich side, couse i remember of trying to compensate or eliminate cold backfire with some "rich" fuel height in bowl ... do you think maybe the float hight couses rich efect on sparks - maybe efecting on emuslion tube and atomization of fuel in without wanted efect on backfire? damn, this is science heheh... maybe i should of get my masters from HD and carbs not chemistry hehehehehehehhe

I left the 195 but went to a 50. Cleaned the carb and it ran better with no backfiring for a few hundred miles again. Mixture screw is 1.5. Now it is leaking out through the plunger boot so I am going to replace the float needle and accelerator pump diaphragm. I set the float at the correct position on the bench at 15degrees. To me none of this makes sense if it was running perfect for 2200 miles and then all of a sudden it starts back firing. Nothing internally changed so it must be a leak but no leaks. Similar elevation as IN but way less humidity. I am at a loss!!!!

Great job! 👍

I’m glad it was helpful 👍

Yes, sure. If lean you’ll have a lot of popping on decel, and if you blip the throttle it won’t drop properly (hangs a bit). Also, after a cold start it will take ages to get it to idle without stalling, rough idling, spark plugs will be very light greyish. If rich, performance will drop once properly warmed up (it’ll be sluggish), black plugs, may smell unburned fuel when idling,

Appreciate the feedback!

Absolutely. Let me know what you find in there. Hopefully nothing serious.. 🤞

Thanks

Hi there, you don’t need to change your jets. What you could do though, is giving your carb a good clean inside, check float level etc. new gaskets, and fine tune it with your mixture screw. Worth checking your spark plugs as well.

@@aronsgarage834 I'l do!!! thx bro

No probs, brother:)

Thanks!

Yeah, I might have gotten lucky! Just measured mine for you. It’s a M6 fine 0.75 pitch. Not sure if yours is the same but if it’s a Keihin, it’s like to be. Hope it helps.

Thanks. M6x0.5 on mine, they're mikuni. Hopefully I can save the thread or I'll have to make an insert 😬

Good luck! 🤞

No problem. I’m glad the videos are useful. One thing with these Harley carbs is that it’s always best to refurbish your original Keihin carb. No aftermarket replicas can beat them.

When you get it to the spot where it’s idling smooth with the highest rpm. Blip the throttle should drop back down easily. If it hangs a bit, too lean. If it drops quickly below your idle and then slowly recovers to the right rpm, too rich. Other than that, test ride it. Check how it responds, rides cold/warmed up and make further fine adjustments 1/4 turn each time until feels/ rides perfectly.

I just put back in the carburetor it had redone I got it all in and I reved it avd it choked out

@@aronsgarage834 ok thanks

Yes, of course. They both work :)

No problem. Good luck with your project.

Question: when I turned mine all the way in it seemed to make no difference. I thought it should cut fuel. Spark plugs looked rich (not sure though iridium) I down sized to 42 pilot jet. Had stock 45. Haven't tried to tune again yet due to fixing oil leak but will it be too lean?

Assuming yours is also a Twincam 88, 45 slow (stock from 2000) should work nicely, allowing you to tune it perfectly to a set of open pipes and high flow air cleaner. 42 pilot jet which was in the 1999 models only is too small). If it didn’t stall turning it all the way in, then it would be worth taking a look at your pilot screw. (Maybe the tip is damaged or someone enlarged the hole), check your float height (level might be too high so extra raw fuel is coming through), check your jet needle (it might have been replaced to a high performance one with notches).

@@susandavis5833 Update on my end. I received the rebuild kit and have the carb back on. I also can't get the engine to quit by fully seating the pilot needle. Also, it does NOT want to accelerate and dies unless I pump the throttle.

Timing chains need to have tensioners. Not only do they control timing stability, but they also improve resistance to wear. Yes, you might be able to run your bike without the tensioners for a while, but your chain and sprockets will wear out much faster due to the slack (tensioners absorb shock and vibration as well), and eventually it can jump having the piston and valves collide with each other.

@@aronsgarage834 Muted

Yes of course. You can use your old one, too. You just need to pull the wires into that cavity behind the small timing cover. I just did that actually, so it’s all cleaned up properly.

Awesome

Sorry bud, I shipped it to someone already quite a while back.

Hi, yeah that’s normal. It’s just the little valve (steel ball) in there. Cv Performance inlet is very good.

It doesn’t have to be at the end. I also installed it in my screaming eagle where the baffle is secured with a screw.

Appreciate the feedback!