HarleyTechTalk

I need a little advice on how to set up a carb after changes to the intake and exhaust. The bike is a 2003 wide glide, no engine modifications. I bought the bike back in December with a set of straight drag pipes and and a stock airbox. I have bought a set of Rush Crossover exhaust with 1.5" baffles and I already had a SE air kit that came off of a bike I traded off. With the airbox and exhaust I know I need to re-jet the carb. Carb is stock, never had the plug drilled out. I live at 500 ft above sea level, if that makes a difference. There's lots of information out there on the internet (too much). What would you change to make the bike run correctly, or what would be a good starting point at least.
I am going to try to do this myself, I've disassembled and cleaned carbs before, but this is the first time to try and change anything on one.

Sporters needle & 46 pilot jet & then re-set the afr idle screw...should end up about 2 turns

Quote from: 05FLHTC on February 22, 2012, 06:50:10 AM
Sporters needle & 46 pilot jet & then re-set the afr idle screw...should end up about 2 turns

27094-88 for your convenience. Other than that 

I did the rejetting thing to my 04 FLSTC ; I had never done it ; and just like you ; I had questions ; It's really quite easy ; you can even change the slow jet without even removing the carb. But since it's your first time ; I would recomend taking off the bike and see what makes it tick.  Google CV performance ; there is a web site that just sells carb kits ; they have a good selection ; I would recomend drilling the cover off the air idle screw and getting the kit that includes the knurled thumb screw ; and also you really only need to go 1 size larger slow jet ; leave the main just as it is....... hopr this helps.

at sea level most stock jets are OK from the factory with your mods. the issue is the needle so use the 88 sportster needle and about two turns out on the mix screw. good luck. if you decide to change jets do not pay the high price for a kit just order the next size jet. if your dealer doesn't have them go to a jap bike dealer. jest should not be more that 4-5 dollars a piece.

I went to a metric dealer for CV jets and they didn't have any that looked the same as mine.

If you need jets for a CV 40mm go to CV Performance. Ken has alll jets necessary and has Sportster needles as well. MOCO still supports the CV's as well.

Thanks guys, I took it apart and put in the sportster needle today. Went to the dealer and got a 46 pilot jet and the sportster needle, pilot jet I got was a different size (I guess I should have taken the 45 that was in it with me to match !)  I'm going to try it this weekend with the sportster jet and the 45, if I need to I can get the correct size 46 monday.
Appreciate the help, good thing to do on a slow day at work. There's a little brass ferrule that fits under the throttle cable bracket and sits on the carb top. It was my leftover part, drove me nuts for a while trying to figure where it went. So I got to take the carb apart and put it together twice. I'll let you know how it works after I hook it up this weekend and hopefully take alittle ride.
Phil

I bought a new cv carb on ebay and ran it on my project bike but it would not warm up and kept sneezing so I did some reacserch, bought a couple of jets and 2 washers for the needle took it apart drilled the vent hole in the slide and the plug for idle mixture screw. Put it together adjusted the screw and fired it up, it ran so nice. I was amazed.

Quote from: truck on February 23, 2012, 03:10:43 PM
I went to a metric dealer for CV jets and they didn't have any that looked the same as mine.

The 6 cylinder 1500 cc Goldwings (1988 to 1999 or so) and many other Hondas had Keihins that are nearly identical to the Harley Keihin CV. You could probably order the jets from the Honda dealer but I would imagine that the Harley dealers would have them .

Quote from: sundog1258 on February 24, 2012, 04:28:39 PM
Thanks guys, I took it apart and put in the sportster needle today. Went to the dealer and got a 46 pilot jet and the sportster needle, pilot jet I got was a different size (I guess I should have taken the 45 that was in it with me to match !)  I'm going to try it this weekend with the sportster jet and the 45, if I need to I can get the correct size 46 monday.
Appreciate the help, good thing to do on a slow day at work. There's a little brass ferrule that fits under the throttle cable bracket and sits on the carb top. It was my leftover part, drove me nuts for a while trying to figure where it went. So I got to take the carb apart and put it together twice. I'll let you know how it works after I hook it up this weekend and hopefully take alittle ride.
Phil

HD does not carry the 46 pilot jet, they have 45, 48, 50 (some smaller and some larger) but no 46 that I am aware of.

J&P cycles has a full selection. That is where i purchased mine.

The different size thing may be due to you looking at the main vs the pilot?? all the pilots jets look alike.
Emulsion tubes and main jets are vary based on manufacturer.

Pilot jet selection,   http://www.jpcycles.com/product/400-861

Main jet selection (link is to 180 but your carb should have a 195-200 if you look at additional choices you will find what you need)    http://www.jpcycles.com/product/400-873

DO NOT DRILL THE VACUUM SLIDE what ever you do!!!!!!! that is for specifically modified motors!!

Got the 46 at the dealer, was't a packaged HD part, maybe that's why it was the wrong size (physical size not #wise).  Anyway, put the 45 back in and with the sportster needle and a good cleaning decided to try it out last night. Runs much better, no coughing, no backfires, think I'll leave it like it is. Thanks guys, it's good to learn something new and have it work.
Phil

Be sure to remove the idle air screw plug and readjust the mixture. It will make the idle and off-idle a bit smoother and more responsive.
Bob

Quote from: FLTRI on February 25, 2012, 10:22:50 AM
Be sure to remove the idle air screw plug and readjust the mixture. It will make the idle and off-idle a bit smoother and more responsive.
Bob

Somewhere about 2.5 turns seems to be the sweet spot. Got in about 80 miles this afternoon in mid 60 degree weather, bike runs fine with me.  Smooth and well mannered from right off idle all the way to redline. I get a couple of de-cell pops after a 3rd gear run to redline and then let off to a closed throttle. It's like I have to make it act up now.
Thanks,
Phil

The big Kaw  Vtwins use the same carb and jets

A friend has a '05 fxd w/ stock carb. She bought it with a free flow air cleaner and supertraps. I do believe she needs the above needle and 46 jet. I looked in her dyna manual and I don't see where the plug/afr adjustment is. Anyone got's a picture or exploded view?
I am much better with the easy to adj SnS carbs.
Thanxs in advance.   

Quote from: BKACHE on March 21, 2012, 06:41:46 AM
A friend has a '05 fxd w/ stock carb. She bought it with a free flow air cleaner and supertraps. I do believe she needs the above needle and 46 jet. I looked in her dyna manual and I don't see where the plug/afr adjustment is. Anyone got's a picture or exploded view?
I am much better with the easy to adj SnS carbs.
Thanxs in advance.   

There is a small aluminum plug on the idle jet boss on the underside of the CV carburetor. These can be removed by drilling a pilot hole through the plug (don't drill too deep!) and then by placing a sheet metal screw in the hole, you can remove the plug to access the idle jet. Sorry, I don't have a picture.

I'm one who thinks that the stock CV it the best motorcycle carburetor ever made. I've seen all sorts of modifications to them from cutting the spring, to drilling a larger hole in the very expensive, now increasingly hard to find, slide/diaphragm unit. This is not necessary.

I know that many will change the needle to a Sportster needle and install oversized jets and that's fine as long and not too many other changes are done. It's important to remember that most of the carbs could use maybe one size larger in a mid jet but certainly not any more. The stock main jet is fine because the only time that is used is a WFO throttle settings. I seldom do that so a stock jet was fine for me. The carburetor runls on the idle and mid jets for 90% of its operation.

Good luck.

Google Joe Minton, he's the guru of the CV carb. I followed his instructions for my 05 WG and never looked back. The Sportster neddle is all that you will need.

here's the info on joe minton's rejetting the cv carb!
 

Rejetting the CV Carb
Joe Minton
American Rider 

Email this article to a friend!

We continue to get letters and emails with questions about tuning the stock Harley CV carburetor. I have written about this before, but reader interest warrants a revisit.

The Keihin constant-velocity carburetor was stock on Harleys for more than two decades. It has, for EPA reasons, always been too lean in the lower one-third of the throttle range.

The solution is simple, normally requiring only one new part and one re-adjustment. A couple of simple changes can make the stock carburetor sing like a bird, and I mean a canary, not a crow. You do not need, nor do I recommend, any non-Harley parts.

First: The idle-air mixture screw

The factory's idle-air mixture screw setting is too lean for best performance and it should be adjusted. This is true for all stock as well as altered engines. Here's how to do it:

1. Remove the soft aluminum plug at the bottom of the carburetor that covers the air mixture screw. You will need to remove the carburetor to do this.

2. Turn the air screw all the way in until it lightly—and only lightly—bottoms. Turn the screw out one turn as a starting position.

3. After re-installing the carb, and with the engine warm and idling, use a small screwdriver to turn the screw slowly out until the engine begins to run unevenly.

4. Now turn the screw inward counting the turns, until the engine runs unevenly.

5. Finally, back the screw out halfway between these two "uneven" points. It's likely to end up between one and two turns out from the original stock position.

Second: The jet needle

The most important change, and the only item normally needing replacement, is the jet needle. Use one from an early Evo Sportster (H-D part no. 27094-88). It has a very slightly smaller diameter (0.0004") in the straight section above the beginning of the taper.

The new needle slightly richens the part-throttle mixture and is responsible for nearly all the improved running qualities this procedure provides. Mileage may lessen by one or two mpg in a stock engine. Modified engines often improve by a like amount.

Also, the stock slow-speed (idle) jet that is accessed from the float-bowl chamber should be correct and rarely needs replacing. Poor idling is almost always a consequence of the factory's lean mixture- screw adjustment. Do not consider replacing the jet until after you have re-adjusted the mixture screw, changed the jet needle, and thoroughly tested those alterations on the road.

If the engine continues to run lean at or just off idle (hesitates or "pops" into the air cleaner), you might need to replace the stock slow jet with the next larger one.

Street bikes seldom run on the main-jet circuit. The main jet has no function or effect below 3/4-throttle and then only in the upper half of the rpm range. Since the stock main jet is overly rich to begin with (by one or two sizes) it is seldom necessary to change it. Really—hardly ever.

Quote from: freddie_ray on March 21, 2012, 07:36:11 AM
Google Joe Minton, he's the guru of the CV carb. I followed his instructions for my 05 WG and never looked back. The Sportster neddle is all that you will need.

Your funny, My Hippo powered wideglide has the 46 slow 195 main & 2 washers under the needle.. runs perfect, never a pop on decel, & yes i hold it wide open sometimes ..  it halls a$$.  my buddies say when i get on it its like i just got shot out of a Cannon.. 

Quote from: dakota224 on March 21, 2012, 08:57:42 AM

Quote from: freddie_ray on March 21, 2012, 07:36:11 AM
Google Joe Minton, he's the guru of the CV carb. I followed his instructions for my 05 WG and never looked back. The Sportster neddle is all that you will need.

Your funny, My Hippo powered wideglide has the 46 slow 195 main & 2 washers under the needle.. runs perfect, never a pop on decel, & yes i hold it wide open sometimes ..  it halls a$$.  my buddies say when i get on it its like i just got shot out of a Cannon.. 

What's funny? Joe Minton is a very respectable HD expert. His advice about how and what to do for the DIY'er is top shelf IMO.
The fact you have jacked up the stock needle with washers to make the entire range richer rather than use a Sportster needle to do the same thing is fine...just not necessary IME. Not quite as good as a Sportster needle but good enough for the majority of riders. As long as you don't ride a bike with the Sportster needle instead of the washers, what you have is the best you know.

Now addressing the comment:

Quotemy buddies say when i get on it its like i just got shot out of a Cannon..

Have your buddies seen or been near a Dyna or FXD with a 120r or SS124 run? Now that's getting shot out of a cannon!
As always, JMHO,
Bob
PS - Just pulling on ya a bit.

Thanx all. After waiting 2+ weeks for the backordered 65 needle, it was just as y'all described.
The idle now is nice and smooth and the takeoff is good and strong.
Tammy wanted to do the stuff her self and wanted me to say it is easy enough even for a girl to do.
Thanx again
Dan 

with that age on it, pull carb. and replace seals, go 1 size on the main, 1 on the slow jet, put a thunder slide in it. have a good dyno tune put to it

will a 46 slow jet & needle change work???

I've heard U need to rejet when U install a hypercharger & dual exhaust. If this is true, can anyone tell me what size jets??