Table of Contents

IH: Carburetor, Intake Manifold & Exhaust - Sub-01Q



Rebuilding the Keihin Butterfly Carb


See also in the Sportsterpedia.

Disassembly

This rig works well to get the carb off to fit the heat block (if applicable) without having to take off the horn and ignition switch brackets.
1/2“ deep socket, 3/8” drive, universal joint and 6“ extension.
2)

Cleaning

A gallon of carburetor cleaner is very useful in cleaning parts.
It is especially useful for soaking stuck gaskets between parts and loosen the joint between them for dis-assembly.
Depending on how old or how 'stuck' the parts are, soaking for a couple hours may help to separate the old gasket in between.
Make sure to remove any rubber or plastic parts before soaking. Also check the label for safety precautions.
Parts that have been sitting for years may have to be soaked for about 24 hours or even days.

Carburetor Cleaner 7)

Carb Stand

Making a carb stand is not very difficult especially if made from aluminum flat stock.
It makes float settings as well as detail cleaning easier.
In the pic below, the carb is mounted to the top of the stand but you can also mount it lower on the stand to make it easier to flip over.

This setup works better than putting the carb (pre-CV) directly into the vice.
The carb is set upright as 'in use' making adjustments more straight forward.
8) 9)

Rebuild Kit

You can purchase individual parts or a rebuild kit.
The kits will not have needles, jets or the spring, washer & o-ring for the Idle Mixture Screw.
It's best to get the rebuild kit with Viton rubber because it doesn't swell due to modern gas.
The HD rebuild kit is part# 27006-92T.
V-Twin Viton Rebuild Kit: #35-9176.
V-Twin Rebuild Kit: 35-9172.
J&P Cycles Rebuild Kit: #4000050.
Guenuine James Rebuild Kit: JGI-27006-76.

If you get a kit, do not discard any of your original parts especially the needle valve. The ones in the kits have a very bad reputation. 10)
Assembling the carburetor is basically the reverse order of disassembly with the exception of setting the float level. See below.

Float Valve:
The 3-sided valve (left below) 'may' sit cock-eyed in the seat sometimes and cause a leak. 11) The four sided (right below) valve is 'supposed' to be an improved design.
Also check new float valves for manufacturing errors. The glue holding the rubber on has been known to have spilled onto the rubber causing a bad seat.
12) 13)

The float needle should just kiss the seat with no extra pressure. Aftermarket float valves have a spring loaded pin under the float tab. So when the valve tip closes onto the seat, you can still push the valve down further. The valve should 'just' close when measuring the float level. Pushing further in from there will not close the valve any further. But it will cause you to set the float level wrong. The valve should be a light seat when measuring. Some aftermarket float needles with the spring loaded pin also have a defective neoprene tip on the other end (which does not seal even when set right). 14) Since the tip on the needle on aftermarket ones don't work well, some would use the old original one (solid pin) to get a better measurement. 15) Beats assembling the carb only to have it sit there and flood with gas. Also make sure you have the float valve for the correct type of Keihin carb. The aftermarket valves are a little taller.
16) 17)

Bowl Gasket:

Float Level Adjustment.

Check the float level using the specs in the FSM for setting the float level.
And check it every time you dismantle the carb (as the last thing before putting it back together). After checking the float level, then carefully put it back together.
Replace the screws:
It's best to replace the original Phillips screws for the bowl with stainless steel socket head screws.

The measurements in the FSM are a reference point that will keep the OEM float within a fully open and fully closed position.
Using aftermarket parts, you may have to adjust some.
With carb in bike, you can put a small catch tin under it and turn on the gas and move the float until the flow of gas actually stops.
(with no smoking or flames of course)

Procedure:

76-78 Sportster carbs

Two positions of the float valve must be set; The valve fully closed and The valve fully open.
Setting the closed position lower will tend to make the carb act lean at low speed.
Setting it higher can cause rich running, flooding and dribbles out the overflow line.
Equally important is to set the wide open float setting by bending the other metal tag on the float by the pivot.
This makes sure the float needle fully opens at full throttle openings and allows full fuel flow without starvation.
It also stops the float hitting the bottom of the float bowl and possibly getting damaged.
If the gas level is too far off, you will not be able to tune the carb. 18)

  1. Fully closed measurement: Tip the carb upside down so the float assembly is facing up.
    Measure from outside surface of the float to flat mounting surface of the carb body casting.
    Measurement: 9/16” to 5/8” (14mm-16mm). 19)
  2. Fully open measurement: Next turn the carb over (right side up).
    Measure from the same surfaces as above (outside surface of the float to flat mounting surface of the carb body casting).
    Measurement: 1-3/32“-1-3/16” (28mm-30mm). 20)

The MoCo sold a float level gauge (94752-77) for measuring or you can use a ruler or caliper.
The actual adjustments are made by carefully bending the two tabs of the metal clip on the float assembly until these two dimensions are achieved.

Setting 'fully closed' position. 21)Setting 'fully open' position. 22)

79-87 Sportster carbs

There is only one measurement to set with these.
Turn the carb body sideways as shown below.
The valve should be fully closed with a measurement of .63“-.67” (16mm-17mm) from the top of the float to the bowl mounting surface. 23)

24)

Servicing the Carb

See also Keihin Carb Upgrades - Butterfly and CV Types in the REF section of the Sportsterpedia.

Carb body and float bowl

Check the mounting flanges / mating surfaces for war-page. Set the flange on a flat surface such as a plate of glass or window. 25)
Use a feeler gauge to check for war-page. File or sand flat if necessary.
If warp-age exists, it may leak air and drive you nuts trying to find the source of the leak.

Choke Shaft

29)

Low speed mixture screw

A service bulletin was issued in Dec. of 1976 regarding a possible air leak at the low speed mixture hole. 30)
To seal the hole and keep the mixture screw in place, it was suggested to remove the screw, install a gasket (27355-76) over it and re-install it.
Enlarge the hole in the gasket to permit a snug fit on the screw and install it between the spring and the carb body.
When resetting the screw, turn it in until lightly seated, then back it out 7/8 turn.
(this was a change from the original suggestion for FL and FX models in December, 1975 of 1-1/2 turns) 31)
The change was made after the Sportster began using the Keihin carburetor so this would've affected the L76 and E77 carbs.

Idle Transfer Ports

These are four holes (as viewed from the upper inside of the venture from the engine side).

Jets

32)

77 and up (disregard for the L76 Sportster carb):
The black rubber plug is installed in 77-up Sportster Keihin butterfly carbs over the slow jet.
There is a drilled passage between the slow jet and main jet wells and that's how the slow jet is fed.
Blow this hole out with compressed air and make sure it is unobstructed or it'll cause a lean condition.
Check to make sure current or replacement plugs are not too long or that will also cause a lean condition.
Correct it by either cutting the end to .20” (5mm) long from shoulder to tip or replacing the plug (27385-76). 33)
Check to see that the hole does exist between the wells for verification that you do need the rubber plug installed.
Read more about the function of the rubber plug (or bung) Here in the Sportsterpedia.

34) 35)

All year Keihin jet locations:
36)

Float disassembly / assembly

The general appearance of the inside of the carb is not necessarily a good indication of its condition.
It can look spotless and have clogged jets, or look cruddy and have clear jets.
It's good to clean each individual part rather than soak or boil the whole carb in carb cleaner.
But either way is good. Do not allow any solvents to contact any rubber parts (tip of needle, O-ring seal for bowl).

37) 38)

Guide the bowl so to not bend or damage the overflow tube when removing or installing it.
39) 40) 41)

Accelerator pump

46) 47)

While installing the accelerator pump, the diaphragm goes on first, then spring, then cover.
The spring sits between the bottom of the diaphragm and the housing. It pushes the diaphragm back up after the rod pushes it down.
There are two short screws and one long one that hold the pump housing to the float bowl. 48)

49)

76-78 OEM accel pumps have 2 O-rings

Make sure to use both and that they are squarely in place and in good condition.
Else, gas will leak out there instead of getting squirted into your engine.
One O-ring goes in the carb body pocket and the other one goes in the accel pump pocket.
50)

79-up OEM accel pumps have 1 O-ring

Again, make sure the O-ring is squarely in place and not squished to allow a leak or to stop up the passage.
Also check to see if your carb and pump housing has been upgraded to a dual chamber pump that would require two O-rings.
In that case, you'll notice 2 thru holes from the pump to the carb body as well as in the pump housing.

Below is an accelerator pump on 1981-Early 1982 27469-81A (B83F). There is only 1 thru hole from the pump to carb body.
The one hole acts as both a fuel filler and accelerator discharge by way of a check ball in the bowl to pump passage.
51) 52) 53)

Testing the Accelerator Pump Off the Carb

It's good to test the accelerator pump function before installing the carb on the bike. Else, you'll just have to take it back off if it doesn't work.

Accelerator Pump Rod Length

The accelerator pump rod length was mentioned in a service bulletin in November of 1975. 56)
Apparently, some early carbs were assembled with the accel pump rod being too long, eliminating any free play and causing an over-rich condition.
Since only 10% of the early production carbs may have been affected, a spacer was made available to fit over the pump lever.
This spacer would fit over the pump lever to keep it away from the throttle lever thus raising the rod to produce the necessary free play. The spacer had two different spacing thicknesses on opposite sides to flip as needed to shim.
This shouldn't have affected the Sportster carb as the first production was in L76 but may be found in older Keihin BT carbs.
The original pump rod is part# (27310-76).
The updated pump rod for is part# (27373-76), length 2.34“ (59.5mm). 57) 58)
An alternative to the spacer or the updated pump rod was to shorten the longer rod (if equipped).
Remove the pump housing, spring and diaphragm.
With the idle adjusting screw backed off, the rod should extend into the pump well from the bottom surface no more than .040”.
If it projects too far, disassemble the rod and grind off the required amount from the straight end.

Joe Minton wrote a popular magazine article in which he describes this as well. 59) 60)
According to the article, filing the end off the accelerator pump rod is another important modification to aid smooth idle.
This stops it resting on the pump diaphragm at idle and jiggling it up and down, pumping minute amounts of fuel into the carb throat.
(which dribbles along the bottom of the throat and is not properly mixed with air so it makes the bike run rough}
The actual length is hard to measure because the end is not square. But it still sticks out beyond the carb body at idle and pushes on the diaphragm.

The carb 'trouble shooting chart' in the manual lists “accelerator pump pushrod incorrectly adjusted” as one cause of rough idle. 61)
But it does not offer any information on how to adjust it.
The TSB mentioned above sets the depth at .040” so we have that plus the measurement in the parts catalogs.
Make sure to check this length on used carbs and replacement rods also.
You can use a file to cut down any extra length off the straight end of the pump rod if sticks out past the end of the hole it sits in at idle.
While assembling the pump, check that you can grab the pump rod with a pair of long nose pliers and feel that it has some up and down shake when in the idle position.
You'd think this might cause a slight delay when cranking the throttle from idle, while the slack is taken up.
But it has been done and on the road with no detectable delay. The gap is tiny.
In the second pic below where the right-angle end of the accelerator pump pushrod fits, the bottom straight end is the end to file down very slightly.

Note:
If the accelerator pump rod is too long, it will be spurting fuel at steady throttle. 62) 63)
Check by removing the air cleaner cover and see if any fuel is leaking or spitting from the accel pump nozzle.
If it is spitting, you will be able to see it doing so. Correct by removing the rod and shortening it to 2.34“ (59.5mm).
Do not shorten it under any other circumstances. Filing it too short will affect pump action and cause poor acceleration. 64)

Measure the rod length. 65)File bottom straight end. 66)Pump rod flush to body with throttle closed. 67)

Add'l Info & Pics -

Accelerator Nozzle, Check Valve, Float Seat - http://xlforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1624208
Accelerator Nozzle & Check Valve - http://xlforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1775068

Idle Mixture Screw

If you still have the factory plug over the mixture screw, you'll need to drill it out to access the screw.
To keep from drilling too far into the plug, you can use some electrical tape around the drill bit to mark the depth to drill.
Then pry the plug out using a pick or you could twist a small sheet metal screw into the hole to pull the plug out.
With the plug removed clean the area around the mixture screw so no metal fragments remain.
68) Circled area is where you drill out the plug. 69)

Some have cut the idle mixture screw tower down for easier access to the screw when adjusting.
Be sure to stuff some material (pantyhose etc.) in the hole beforehand and blow out the hole and passages with compressed air afterwards.
You can also just buy a longer thumbscrew. See more on the EZjust screw below.

EZ-Just Mixture Screws

70)
The EZ-Just mixture screw (for L76-87 models) 71) ) can be purchased with an extended screw head for hand tuning.
You can buy packing from CVP also in case yours has been damaged or is not functioning properly.
But, check your local regulations before changing this out to an aftermarket part.
You can also find, buy or barter for used parts.
(“Please note: it is a violation of federal law to tamper with or disable any emission or noise control device. That is your PSA for the day”). 72)

The EZ-Just mixture screw must be threaded in completely (lightly seated) prior to backing out and making final adjustments.
Typically between 10-12 full rotations of the screw to seat.
If you can see more than 1-2 threads after seating the screw, the screw is not screwed in completely.
This could result in the screw falling out during operation.
If you have trouble fully threading the EZ-Just, this indicates the inside threads of the carburetor need cleaning or have a damaged thread inside.
Working the screw in/out with light machine oil (3-In-1 or other) will often help work past any carbon build up inside the carburetor threads.

The packing for the EZ-Just is the same as OEM: (screw→ spring→ washer→ O-ring).

Stock idle mixture screw 73) Stock mixture screw (top) compared to the
E-Z-Just mixture screw (bottom) 74)
As installed on top of carb. 75)

Welch plug

Links to Welch plug sites:

Remove the old filler material to expose the plug. This is a L76-78 style carb.
As a precautionary measure to eliminate possible air leaks, apply an adhesive type sealer to the two welch plugs in the top of the carb. 81)
Apply a minimal amount only to the joints between the edges of the plugs and casting.
82) 83) 84)

Fuel inlet fitting

Check the plastic fuel inlet for cracks or breaks.
Time will make the plastic brittle. You can be proactive and just replace it with a brass 90 elbow.
See Replacing the Plastic Fuel Inlet Fitting with a Brass 90 Degree Fitting in the Keihin carb upgrade article in the REF section of the Sportsterpedia.
The brass replacement elbow part number (27371-76a).
The CVP brass elbow fits Harley CV40 carburetors 1988-2006 and Harley Keihin “butterfly” carburetors 1981-1989. 85)

Or you can just break the plastic off the brass ferule with a pliers. 86)
Then file down the serrations underneath and plumb in some gas line to clamp straight onto it then connect to an elbow.

87) 88) 89)

Broken flange repair

For a broken flange, you can try milling some slots in the flange and drill and tap the holes for screws.
You can use some JB Weld in there to insure a good seal.

90) 91) 92)

Choke Rod / Cable

The old factory steel choke wire and the steel bracket works best.
When the bike backfires, it resists slapping the choke shut.
The cable type ones allow more flex at the bracket and subsequently the choke plate.

High Altitude Modification Kit

Note, any motorcycle modified for high altitude operation must be converted back to standard if operated at altitudes below 4000 feet.
An overly lean condition can cause engine damage.

Helpful Links

Video:
Here are some excellent videos of servicing the pre-CV Keihin Butterfly carbs:94)



7)
photos by Hippysmack
17) , 70)
photo by Hippysmack
18) , 25) , 60)
Joe Minton Article “Tuning HD's Keihin Carburetors
19) , 20)
1970-1978 HD Sportster FSM pg 3-63
23)
1979-1985 HD Sportster FSM pg 4-8
29)
photo by Hopper of the XLFORUM, annotated by Hippysmack
30) , 33) , 57) , 64) , 81)
HD TSB #M707 dated December 1, 1976
31) , 56)
HD TSB #694 dated November 7, 1975
49)
photos cropped - annotated by Hippysmack
58)
1954-1977 HD Sportster Parts Catalog Supplement 99451-77A
67)
photo by sifty of the XLFORUM
69)
photo by popgadget of the XLFORUM, annotated by Hippysmack
72)
XLForum member - chrishajer
76) , 79)
HD Service Bulletin #518 dated September 10, 1965 pg OC-189
77) , 80)
1959-1969 HD Sportster FSM
93)
HD Service Blletin #M-730 dated June 15, 1978