One thing after another

    • 1855 posts
    May 10, 2012 7:30 AM PDT
    Nothing  has changed.  I still have my SB and my WG for sale.  After getting my WG ready to ride a month ago I just now took it out for a spin before I would put it out for sale.  Returning home I visited the neighbor for a couple of hours.  On a whim I decided to check the oil in my WG only to discover there's gas in the oil.   So, I drain the oil, blow through the blow-by vacumn tube and it's not clear.  Somthing isn't happening in the carb. 

    Great!!!  Probably an easy fix but as I proceeded to remove the carb cover the dang bolt just turns and turns and turns and turns, only coming out so far but naturally not far enough to remove the carb cover.  So now what?   I put a pair of vice grips on the hex bolt, turning and pulling at the same time.  Nope, she's not coming out.  And there ya go; a simple task turning into a freakin' real chore.  And of course I'm an impatient sort but I quelled the urge to just rip the damn thing off.  Instead I grabbed a beer to drink about it  for awhile, lit a smoke, and then just totally walked away from the damn thing; pushed it back into the garage.  Now, as I've mentioned in the past I'm not mechanically inclined.  Oh, I can eventually do it but I'm just not inclined.  I really don't enjoy working on motorcycles, no matter how many times I've had to do so.  I get impatient.  I get frustrated going back and forth to the tool box for the "right" tool.  And I kick myself in the ass for not replacing something that I originally thought was a bad idea in the first place.  It's the kind of stufff that comes back to haunt me.

    It's going to end up being a mess to get to the carb.  I think I may have to just remove the intake and all.  Geeeeeeeeeeeeeesh!  O.K. done whinning.

    Peace
  • May 10, 2012 8:36 AM PDT
    OK bro here is what you do. First jump in the pickup go down to the closest watering hole. Drink 6 of them. Then ride over to the closest Bro's house have 6 more. Stop by the closest fillin station on the way to the house and pick up a case. get back to the house and procede to start throwing them back. THEN the next morning after you have had your first cup of joe go back out to the WG look it over and then try it again. The answer will come to ya. Has helped me in the past to clear my head and ask some advise at the same time with friends
  • May 10, 2012 8:50 AM PDT

    I know you are only joking mate but.....


    Drink 6?  Then drive to next stop and drink 6 more??? 
    Then stop off on the drive home and get a case?????


    The only case you will get is if a cop see's you after a dozen beers...
    Case number in Court the following morning is more likely!!!!! 



    Have a chat with these guys mate, The guy who runs it all is a friend of mine...
    His name is Danny...and if you cant find him in Chicago you will find him in
    Destination Daytona, Ormond Beach, Florida...

     

    • Moderator
    • 19067 posts
    May 10, 2012 9:03 AM PDT
    Jimmy, I had a problem with my 93 WG very similar. It was the vacuum fuel valve leaking and allowing gas to leak into the cylinders. It would liquid lock and jam the starter. Replaced the valve with a non vac type and problem was fixed. Maybe not your problem but something to think about.
  • May 10, 2012 9:27 AM PDT
    Sounds about right Rex...
    • 1855 posts
    May 10, 2012 11:02 AM PDT
    I can say that I've been getting excersise. I bought a case of 7 ounce corona's. By the time I get back to the bike I gotta hit the frig again.

    Thanks guys. Either way I gotta get that filter cover off.

    Peace
  • May 11, 2012 3:47 AM PDT
    Wow, that's just common now in the new bikes with the ALL INTO THE INTAKE set up... granted it's a lot more efficient with the advent of EFI. Sounds like you breather bolt is shot and may have been put in initially without the proper loctite compound and may have nobbed out the bolt, if it's not the intake bolt you're referring to maybe it's a breather cover bolt with a broken nut fixture that won't budge. Either way do what you can to get to it without causing further damage bro! :-)
    Alcohol can relax your stress but just walk away and ask around to other owners if they have experienced the same problem. You'll find an answer I'm sure! :-)
    • 1855 posts
    May 11, 2012 4:25 AM PDT
    It's the breather cover bolt....behind that is the air filter.... behind that a nipple on the backplate cover where the breather bolt screws into. . There are two screws, one on either top side of the backplate cover that goes directly into the heads. I can get to the backplate cover bolts but then there's the matter of the backplate screw which screws into the carb, which means I can't get the backplate cover off. I thought maybe I could take the back plate cover off, thereby not having to worry about the breather cover; i.e. take it all off together. But that ain't gonna work.

    My best bet is an easy out.
  • May 11, 2012 10:57 AM PDT
    I used to have a pile of bolts I had to use an easy on from taking bolts off and especially those stupid domed little hex bolts, goddamn I hate those things!
    • 1855 posts
    May 13, 2012 10:16 AM PDT
    Well, I got it. I burnt up a half dozen bits so I could use an easy out but being the impatent fk that I am; I ended up drilling a hole in the air filter cover just below the bolt. I angled it up into the backing plate nipple and pryed the ba#$d off. O.K. so I gotta get a new backing plate and new AF cover. I cleaned the carb and tomorrow I'll be putting in new fluids to see if I solved the gas in the oil problem. I think all is well. All the lines are clear at least. I fired her up for a couple minutes and she's purring but I'm ;going to do some more over haul to be on the safe side. I can't sell it if it ain't running good.

    I ordered a new Heritage too. No takers on the Switchback yet but it doesn't matter...sell or trade in I'll at least be rid of it. I gotta say thought, she runs real sweet and strong. It's just the inherent vibrations I can't deal with on the long haul.

    Peace
  • May 14, 2012 7:23 PM PDT
    It's a Dyna, they vibrate, and when you pile more stuff on em you notice more vibration... if you put an FL front end on the wide glide, same result. I don't mind the vibrations, all Harleys vibrate and here's the kicker, the new softail motors have a counter balancer I will NEVER own a bike with a counter balancer! That's a horsepower killer.. you can only add so much to it before you have to go in put in a nice set of trued S&S flywheels, timken bearing to go along with any big engine mods... this is what makes the Dynas and touring bikes unique, but the Dyna over all wins out... it's not slung with a lot of extra weight therefore making it the best platform for performance.

    I can slap in some nice mild upgrades and eat a 'radically' upgraded softail and not even spend half the money getting the performance. Call me crazy but if you're going to have a bike for any kind of go fast in the Harley V-Twin line, Dyna is your only real hope.
    • 1855 posts
    May 16, 2012 3:10 AM PDT
    As I've said, I've owned a Dyna for years. My FXDWG has been a great motorcycle. I know what to expect from the Dynas. I know they vibrated but I didn't think the heavier front end was going to transfer all the vibes to a single area. I've also ridden shovelheads for years and they are by far my favorite. As for the "go fast" scenario; been there, done that and I don't need to do that anymore.

  • May 16, 2012 10:06 AM PDT

    Dont know how much you can see on this as it is, maybe I should just do a few close ups on various bits...but this is a Dyna Low Rider, for better road handling I changed the whole front end to a Wide Glide front end with pull back risers and bull bars/cow horns? pull back bars like on a HONDA...lol..., The motor was a 1340 Evo but is now a 1402 (apparently, I dont personally do the rebore-or measure the results), with regard to vibration -MINE DOESN'T!!!  The Battery you can see on the side there is the 'original' one that the bike was 'originally' sold with, the drive belt to the back wheel is also the 'original' one it was sold with.....I personally think the reason why they have lasted and are still in full condition is that unlike most Harley owners I dont want mine saying "POTATO POTATO POTATO" and running at around 600rpm, mine runs at around 800 to 850rpm and that takes away ALL the excess vibration and takes all the stress off the mounts, the frame, the bearings, all other parts that have had to have rubber mounts fitted, and not forgetting the alternator from sucking power from the battery as the revs are way too low and instead mine is on full charging like any other regular motor...but as I am sure you all know, alternators need power to run and to be able to charge the battery, but when you run it too slow it does not charge the battery at all and causes sudden changes in battery input that will eventually crap out your battery within a year or two, this one was fitted in 1996 when the bike was knew.....just an increase in revs to around 800 or so rpm stops the crap and vibrations .....

    I guess what I have been extremely long winded in saying is.....Make the bike fit you, I didn't want a rattley old Harley, I didn't want a POTATO, so I changed everything to be my mobile armchair...I can ride 3 tanks without having to stretch my legs, I can do it all without the vibration shaking my arms and legs...so what I am saying is ...re-jet, take the rpm's a bit higher, and oh sure, it runs a bit hotter and burns those nice shiny pipes...lol...but take it out in the rain as well, it aint going to just fall apart and rust where its standing will it? But I am forgetting, the rain and snow and frostings it has had has peeled the chrome (never did like too much chrome, so no great loss there...lol...)  Oh yeah, its a Harley, its supposed to only have dry miles - CRAP!  Mine does just as many miles in rain as it does in the dry, the only "Special Care" it gets is at the start of winter, I soak the underside of all surfaces and around the swing arm with WD-40 or GT-85 to protect it from the salt in winter.....BUT THATS IT!!!   ITS a BIKE, if it dont ride all year it aint going to be in MY stable... and why would I want a bike that vibrates?????


    Oh and dont worry girls...it still has the deceleration vibration when coming down through the gears from high speeds...lol...
    • 1855 posts
    May 17, 2012 12:23 AM PDT

    Here's my '98 FXDWG. I agree with all you've said Jetman.  This bike "fits".  It's been a great motorcycle.  I now have to put in a new oil pan; certainly a more reliable approach than a helicoil or oversize plug.  I do have the bike up for sale but I'm not pushing it by any means.  It's a part of me that I really don't want to let go of.  

     
     The Wideglide
    • 1855 posts
    May 20, 2012 2:22 AM PDT
    Update on the ups and downs of my mechanical impotence.............I tapped out the oil pan (one size over) and all is well in Denmark; no leaks, no gas in oil. She's runnin' a helluva lot better than that SB piece of sheite. BTW, I looked for the recall on the SB and didn't find anything.

    Peace ya'll