S&S Super E (Lean?) 1991 FLHTC
#11
07-09-2015, 10:19 AM
Your Super E has a larger throat ID than stock and should get more air through the motor. You said it is not coughing and I don't read that it is backfiring so you must be close. Just curious, what color is the chrome on your head pipes? Gold is lean and blue is rich, I prefer blue over gold.
It takes time to do this without a dyno and O2 sense but it was done that way for years so it can be done. Just be patient and document your opinions for each jet change. All the fuel goes through the main jet 1st. If you don't get the main jet right the rest hardly matters. I would pull the bowl and remove your main jet, right down the jet size stamped then purchase a couple jets above and below that baseline. When you get your new jets, install the next bigger, tune and ride it. You will know when you went too big when it starts backfiring through the exhaust at WOT. You can do the same going smaller and when you get too lean it will start sneezing or coughing through the air cleaner.
It takes time to do this without a dyno and O2 sense but it was done that way for years so it can be done. Just be patient and document your opinions for each jet change. All the fuel goes through the main jet 1st. If you don't get the main jet right the rest hardly matters. I would pull the bowl and remove your main jet, right down the jet size stamped then purchase a couple jets above and below that baseline. When you get your new jets, install the next bigger, tune and ride it. You will know when you went too big when it starts backfiring through the exhaust at WOT. You can do the same going smaller and when you get too lean it will start sneezing or coughing through the air cleaner.
#12
07-09-2015, 10:36 AM
Stellar HDF Member
Every S&S carb I ever purchased new came setup for the "Average" year and size bike. Our motors are air pumps, pipes and air cleaners affect flow so each is a little different which is why you need to re-jet with every change. i would suggest the carb has that generic main jet and intermediate air bleed setup. The intermediate only works off idle to maybe 2500 RPM and I believe you are saying it runs well there. The idle doesn't care what main you have as it is simply pulling a little fuel through the main for the idle screw as adjusted.
I would pull the bowl and jet and record what you have. You may want to pull the intermediate bleed and record that too. From what i just read on S&S there is only 0.012" difference between too rich and too lean. We don't know where you are in there but following their direction 0.004" increments would suggest 6 jets max irregardless of where you currently are.
I would purchase main jets as required your build and I would purchase a couple extra bowl gaskets if you can get them. I usually have a drawer of left overs from kits that you wont have and I usually use 1 with every tune. They are basically a formed O-Ring and for some reason they seem to shrink when you pull the bowl off. Anyway it is nice to put a new 1 on after you are done playing.
I would pull the bowl and jet and record what you have. You may want to pull the intermediate bleed and record that too. From what i just read on S&S there is only 0.012" difference between too rich and too lean. We don't know where you are in there but following their direction 0.004" increments would suggest 6 jets max irregardless of where you currently are.
I would purchase main jets as required your build and I would purchase a couple extra bowl gaskets if you can get them. I usually have a drawer of left overs from kits that you wont have and I usually use 1 with every tune. They are basically a formed O-Ring and for some reason they seem to shrink when you pull the bowl off. Anyway it is nice to put a new 1 on after you are done playing.
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BombshellZ (08-24-2016)
#13
07-09-2015, 02:20 PM
Every S&S carb I ever purchased new came setup for the "Average" year and size bike. Our motors are air pumps, pipes and air cleaners affect flow so each is a little different which is why you need to re-jet with every change. i would suggest the carb has that generic main jet and intermediate air bleed setup. The intermediate only works off idle to maybe 2500 RPM and I believe you are saying it runs well there. The idle doesn't care what main you have as it is simply pulling a little fuel through the main for the idle screw as adjusted.
I would pull the bowl and jet and record what you have. You may want to pull the intermediate bleed and record that too. From what i just read on S&S there is only 0.012" difference between too rich and too lean. We don't know where you are in there but following their direction 0.004" increments would suggest 6 jets max irregardless of where you currently are.
I would purchase main jets as required your build and I would purchase a couple extra bowl gaskets if you can get them. I usually have a drawer of left overs from kits that you wont have and I usually use 1 with every tune. They are basically a formed O-Ring and for some reason they seem to shrink when you pull the bowl off. Anyway it is nice to put a new 1 on after you are done playing.
I would pull the bowl and jet and record what you have. You may want to pull the intermediate bleed and record that too. From what i just read on S&S there is only 0.012" difference between too rich and too lean. We don't know where you are in there but following their direction 0.004" increments would suggest 6 jets max irregardless of where you currently are.
I would purchase main jets as required your build and I would purchase a couple extra bowl gaskets if you can get them. I usually have a drawer of left overs from kits that you wont have and I usually use 1 with every tune. They are basically a formed O-Ring and for some reason they seem to shrink when you pull the bowl off. Anyway it is nice to put a new 1 on after you are done playing.
Ever have issues rebuilding an older carb? To the point where you wish you would have just put on a new carb? I can get a new Super E for about $265. I am tempted to do so simply for the fact that the rebuild kit was $65 and the jet kit was another $75, already half way to a new carb there. But I suppose I would need the jet kit anyways. I can get a high side jet kit for $35 though. But if for some reason I am running rich already that kit will be useless and I really won't know it until I start tuning it with different jets. Sure wish I had a buddy with a few jets on hand to mess with instead of dropping the $80 on a kit I may only need 1 jet out of. I haven't been able to find single jets for purchase. Any recommendations on that?
#14
07-09-2015, 03:22 PM
Stellar HDF Member
Once you get it right for your build you won't have to touch it again. I wasted a couple years on an AMF Keihin for a Shovel then another couple years on an Evo Keihin. S&S simply solved the problems both cases. FYI the Evo was changed over to S&S Super E around year 6 or 7 and was on it when I sold it 13 years later. You are not wasting your time with that old carb. You will find the S&S Super is about the easiest carb to rebuild and can be done with 1 tool, a flat blade screwdriver.
#17
08-01-2016, 07:23 PM
Another thing I didn't see mentioned, is that the engine will tend to run hotter than normal.
If jetted correctly, the gas will cool the engine somewhat (not a whole lot) under normal operating conditions.
Whereas, if it's lean, it doesn't have that extra gas to 'cool it down', so it will tend to run a tad hotter than normal.
If jetted correctly, the gas will cool the engine somewhat (not a whole lot) under normal operating conditions.
Whereas, if it's lean, it doesn't have that extra gas to 'cool it down', so it will tend to run a tad hotter than normal.
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