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1956 Panhead

Re: newbie

it just keeps turning over with a strong smell of gas. when i cleaned my carb last night i put new plugs in and fresh gas. plugs look great.
 
Re: newbie

well i got it started. but now when i give it gas it wants to die out on me. any ideas?
could it be the mixture

OK, so it does start, but dies when you give it any gas?

Did you adjust either the idle mixture screw or the throttle stop or both? Can you post pix of these?

TQ
 
Re: newbie

As a result of your cleaning the fuel system,it is quite possible that some debri broke loose and lodged itself in the carb.
 
i did adjust both screws. i think i got it back to normal just now, except now it backfires through the carb. I LOVE owning a vintage bike. there is nothing better than waking up at 7:00 AM to work on it.
 
i did adjust both screws. i think i got it back to normal just now, except now it backfires through the carb. I LOVE owning a vintage bike. there is nothing better than waking up at 7:00 AM to work on it.

Sounds like you are having a lot of fun, which is great. That is what these things are all about!!

Check the air cleaner to make sure it is not real dirty.

The idle mixture screw takes very fine (small) adjustments. Having said that, turn the screw all the way in counting the number of turns until you can feel the needle making contact with the seat. Be gentle since this is probably a very fine brass needle screw. Then take the screw out completely and spray out the orifice with carb cleaner. Use the little red tube and get the end of that right up there in the hole and really spray it out. Then reinstall the needle screw all the way in and then back it out the number of turns you counted (I would bet that was around 2 1/2 turns).

Crank the bike up and let it idle until warmed up. If you use the choke or enricher to start the bike, close that as soon as you can to let the bike run without it. Even if the idle is rough, let it warm up.

Once warmed up, adjust the idle mixture screw in very fine increments (1/8 to 1/4 turns) until the bike seems to be at the highest rpm sound (or gauge reading if you have one!!). Go in first until the engine starts to dog down, and then back it out until the engine is at highest rpm. You may have to go back and forth until you find the sweet spot. Then back it out another 1/8th. After the mixture is set, you can adjust your throttle stop screw to the recommended idle (probably around 1,000 rpm but check the book).

If the settings have been way off, you might have to repeat the setting steps above (not the cleaning) to get things right. Adjust the mixture and then the idle.

Have FUN!! It is not a rocket, only a bike. And as long as you have oil in the engine, you can't really hurt it.

TQ
 
Someone just came by and said he has been listening to me run my bike (I'm sure everybody on my block loves me now that i have a straight pipe bike) and said that it could be the timing is off. Could this be true. i messed around with the mixture screw and cleaned it out like you said and thought i found the "sweet spot" but still wants to backfire through the carb. maybe the "Sweet spot" is alot smaller than i thought.
 
Someone just came by and said he has been listening to me run my bike (I'm sure everybody on my block loves me now that i have a straight pipe bike) and said that it could be the timing is off. Could this be true. i messed around with the mixture screw and cleaned it out like you said and thought i found the "sweet spot" but still wants to backfire through the carb. maybe the "Sweet spot" is alot smaller than i thought.

Straight pipes! Excellent!!

The sweet spot will be about a quarter turn wide or so. When you think you have it, back the mixture screw out to the beginning of that 1/4 turn area (the book talks about "clicks"). A tiny bit of extra gas won't hurt and in fact is recommended in the book. Having read that now (this is a very good service manual!!), they also want you to go to full advance on the spark too when you are adjusting the idle mixture.

Your bike does have a distributor with points in it unless it has been changed over to an electronic ignition (hope not!). Read the section in the book on setting/adjusting the points and timing (starting around pg 206). You will probably need a timing light to do this, although I think they describe a static light way too. I would suggest replacing the points (does yours have dual points or single?) since this bike is new to you, but if you look at the contacts and they are solid (no pitting) and absolutely flat against each other, you might not need to. As it says in the book, take out the sparkplugs so the engine is easy to turn over by hand (rear wheel). The point gap needs to be 0.022" when the cam follower is on a high point.

Read that section carefully and then follow the procedure for setting the points and timing.

Keep at it. You will have her hummin' (although with those pipes it is a pretty loud hum!) in no time!!

TQ
 
thanks alot. you are pretty much helping me rebuild this bike. I was just looking at where you are located. i used to live in TX. i wish i had this bike when i lived ther .ther is some great riding there. i lived in New Braunfels. just outside of San Antonio. well i am off to get a new timing light. thanks for all your help TQ.

Panhead.
 
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