Trials and Tribulations of Carbeurations

Hi All!

It's been a while since I started any threads, and while this doesn't START with tractors, it's something that is very agricultural-like, and could just as easily happened with an Allis, or a Farmall, or any other carbeurated machine.

This implement, was my Harley-Davidson Sportster, 1979 model year.

It was dribbling gas out the overflow. So I rebuilt the carb... it went in the chem tank, then ultrasonic cleaner, carefully rooted out with fine guitar strings... checked mating surfaces for flat and clean gasket installed new float and float valve, valve seat, all seals, gaskets... everything was impeccable.

Still, it dribbled gas on my shoe.

I pulled the bowl off, lowered the float adjustment a wee bit... still dribbled. Ran great, but dribbled. Started perfect... but dribbled.   Idled beautifully... still dribbles.

Lowered it more. Yep, sluggish at the throttle, but running okay otherwise, and still danged dribbling on my flippin shoe!

It was getting late in the fall, so I winterized it, covered, wrapped it up.

Came back to it in spring (it's not my main motorcycle), tried again, still... float level is back to perfect, everything's set right, and it runs spectacular, but dribbles on my 2#!%#^% shoe... wets the bed everywhere it sleeps.

(frustrated... through the whole summer... good thing I have a Honda that just keeps goin'...)

Finally, had an offer to trade, and I struck a deal, so wheeled it out of the barn, and one last time, I pulled the bowl off... well, sixteen times to be exact... adjusting, trying, adjusting, trying, adjusting... dammit... still pees on my shoe...!@#$#%@#!% danged cocker-spaniel of a motorcycle... it's loud, smelly, rough riding, handles like a truck, all off balance to one side, knee in the air cleaner, ankle against the primary case, footpegs crooked (from the factory) clutch feels like a roto-tiller, and it shakes like one too... and still piddles on my shoe...

(you still laughing at me?)

So I'm sitting there, on the concrete of my driveway, enjoying the sunshine and breeze, after all, it's evaporating all the gasoline that's been whizzed on the ground, and on my shoe, and my hands... and I'm thinkin' to myself...

I raise the float, and fuel shuts off... I lower it, and it flows fine. It runs great at this point, but adjust it any way, and it falters, and no matter what, it dribbles out the overflow tube.

Then I realize... Aha...

The overflow tube extends from the exit port (at the bottom of the carb, straight up through the bowl, and ends slightly ABOVE the gasket surface.

That means, it should overflow anytime the fuel level rises OVER the gasket surface.

So I held the bowl horizintal, and poured in some fuel. Wasn't even to the top of the bowl, and it's dribbling out the tube.

The vertical tube... a brass tube with about a 1/16" hole in the top... had a tiny, tiny, tiny crack in it on the side... about 3/8" up from the bottom of the bowl. Not darn much of a crack, but just enough to weep gasoline through.

Now... this !@$#$%! problem vexed me for basically five years...

As I said, it could've happened on ANY OTHER machine. It just chose an Iron-head Sportster to hand me my arse.   

Have a great weekend!!!

Dave - great story and a good lesson for us all: when all else fails, look for the unexpected.

I took it for a ride, Ted- up the road and back, then changed my shoes and put a lid on, rode it down the road, onto the county blacktop, down the hill, and a half mile south to it's new home. The story behind it is long, arduous, and fraught with details of friendships and hardships. Long story short, is that I wound up with it, and because of the circumstances, and a sentimental attachment, I've held onto it for a long time. It's time for closure on it, I've found another friend who will give it a loving home, so I took it on a ride, and now it's his to care for and enjoy.   

My next steed will be driven right through your neighborhood in a couple weeks to mebbie a month, depending on when I can get a ride up to Lake City. I'll take the scenic route home, perhaps I'll swing through LaCrosse on my way.   

Edited by DaveKamp - 22 Apr 2017 at 11:21pm

But don't you love the feeling ov victory after you figure it out. We've all been there at some point. Good post