AIH help please!

JuggernautMC

New Member
First off, Hello all, long time stalker, new forum member. Been working on all kinds of bikes part time out of my home garage for several years. Mainly for friends and a few "customers". With that out of the way, I hope you can help with an AIH I'm working on here's the lo down:
1997 American Ironhorse equiped with an S&S 107 and super G carb. The bike has been sitting and not run for about 2 years. I am attempting to get it running again. The bike will start and then die if I put a little cab fluid in the throttle body but wont fire at all with just the gas. I have new, 93 octane in it.

I have cleaned the tank, replaced the petcock, new fuel lines, new Deka ETX20L battery, and spark plugs with a .035 gap. Changed the oil and filter and before I attempted to fire it up, I put misted a little Marvel Mystery oil in through the plug holes to soak the pistons a bit.
I have rebuilt the carb and have now checked my work about 5 times by the 20 something page S&S carb manual. I have the idle mixture screw, idle speed screw and accelerator pump screw set according to the carb quick guide checked and tripple checked. I replaced the needle and float and set the new float 1/8" below gasket surface. The float/needle are moving fine.
I checked the plugs for fire and both are getting a nice blue/white consistent spark.
The carb seems to be getting plenty of gas and emits a nice stream when I pull the throttle. I've taken off the new petcock and cant see any issues or o-ring pinch or anything.

The bike was running when parked as far as I know with the owner saying he had a little trouble with the rear cylinder getting hot and shutting down from time to time. Nothing as far as carb jets or anything else has been changed, by me at least.

If the bike does start with just the current set up, the carb will quickly cough and spit gas from the port in the throttle body that leads to the enrichment device. Everything is telling me this is a gas leanness issue and there is something simple that I'm missing cause I'm tired of this bike and want to get back to building my shovels. Any ideas?
 

Th3InfamousI

Administrator
Staff member
First off, Hello all, long time stalker, new forum member. Been working on all kinds of bikes part time out of my home garage for several years. Mainly for friends and a few "customers". With that out of the way, I hope you can help with an AIH I'm working on here's the lo down:
1997 American Ironhorse equiped with an S&S 107 and super G carb. The bike has been sitting and not run for about 2 years. I am attempting to get it running again. The bike will start and then die if I put a little cab fluid in the throttle body but wont fire at all with just the gas. I have new, 93 octane in it.

I have cleaned the tank, replaced the petcock, new fuel lines, new Deka ETX20L battery, and spark plugs with a .035 gap. Changed the oil and filter and before I attempted to fire it up, I put misted a little Marvel Mystery oil in through the plug holes to soak the pistons a bit.
I have rebuilt the carb and have now checked my work about 5 times by the 20 something page S&S carb manual. I have the idle mixture screw, idle speed screw and accelerator pump screw set according to the carb quick guide checked and tripple checked. I replaced the needle and float and set the new float 1/8" below gasket surface. The float/needle are moving fine.
I checked the plugs for fire and both are getting a nice blue/white consistent spark.
The carb seems to be getting plenty of gas and emits a nice stream when I pull the throttle. I've taken off the new petcock and cant see any issues or o-ring pinch or anything.

The bike was running when parked as far as I know with the owner saying he had a little trouble with the rear cylinder getting hot and shutting down from time to time. Nothing as far as carb jets or anything else has been changed, by me at least.

If the bike does start with just the current set up, the carb will quickly cough and spit gas from the port in the throttle body that leads to the enrichment device. Everything is telling me this is a gas leanness issue and there is something simple that I'm missing cause I'm tired of this bike and want to get back to building my shovels. Any ideas?
You got Fuel, and Spark what about compression?

Timing?
 
The bike will start and then die if I put a little cab fluid in the throttle body but wont fire at all with just the gas.
If this quote is correct, you have a carb issue. I'm sure you did your best to get it set up right, but something has to be off. If there was a spark or compression issue, it wouldn't fire on carb cleaner either.
 

Nukeranger

Nukeranger
You got Fuel, and Spark what about compression?

Timing?
X2

I did everything flawless on a 1968 BSA 650 Twin once! Kicked over and started on the second kick. Only after a stray comment from my good friends looking on talking to our local British motorcycle guru about a reverse rotating crank. Oops, instead of 34 degrees advanced I was 34 degrees retarded. Boy, did I feel humble but thankful. Note to self - kick starter will kick the crap out of you. High fives for everyone that day.

So check your timing if you have fuel, spark and compression.
 

ChoppaNoob

Active Member
FWIW i had an 07 AIH with the Gill Ignition system. They were known to have issues. I ended up replacing mine with a Daytona Twintec and she ran strong ever since. In my case, I lost a cylinder so that may not apply to you..

Do you have an inline fuel filter ? I've seen those gum up and cause problems.
 

JuggernautMC

New Member
If this quote is correct, you have a carb issue. I'm sure you did your best to get it set up right, but something has to be off. If there was a spark or compression issue, it wouldn't fire on carb cleaner either.
This is exactly what I'm thinking. Just cant seem to figure out what I did wrong in the carb. Going to take it apart again today. If I figure it out, I'll post an update. Thanks for all the help
 

JuggernautMC

New Member
Update! So, after going through the carb again and convincing myself I had done everything I possibly could correctly, I started thinking about the gas itself. I looked back at the gas and found it to be a brown almost rum color. I flushed the tank and checked the petcock for debris again and cleaned the carb once more. I then refilled the tank with new gas and hit the start button. It fired right up!! The previous tank of gas was fresh when I put it in and only 3 weeks old at this point and I had been trying to start this B%$^ since I first put it in. I was so happy and angry at the same time to finally have this issue knocked out. I have spent three weeks going through the carb, checking and double checking my work and looking at coil, ignition and service manual diagrams just for it to be bad gas. Never again. I know that ethanol gas is terrible but never thought it would be that bad fresh from the gas station. I will now put that info in my tool box for future reference. Long lesson to learn. I should have thought about it way sooner. Thanks for all the help.
 

Raywood

The Pirate
Staff member
Calendar Participant
Troop Supporter
I won't admit I took my bike once to the dealer cause it woun't start and the only problem was it had no gas in it!!!!!!!!

We all learn the hard way :)
 

cwcrash

Member
nice your problem was solved. look for gas station that has ethanol free on their supreme fuel. our local coop farm store uses ethanol free in their high octane.I use it in all my motors if possible.
 

Nukeranger

Nukeranger
I have been screwed recently when the only local non-ethanol supplier sold out to an ethanol dealer and I am pissed. Now, I use additives.
 
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