Hey Neal,
I'm not trying to dissuade you from upgrading your carb. Buy it if you want it. If the prob with your bike is in the carb then buying a new one may solve all your troubles.

However, if the prob is not in your carb then, by replacing it with an unknown one...you may be adding to your troubles. Secondly, 'custom jets' are for 'custom' applications (cams, exhaust) or unusual situations (high altitudes) and you may have to re-jet the new carb to match your bike...which will be very difficult if there is another tuning issue.
The bike can run well....even with an old Keihin.

s

 

First rule of troubleshooting is to try and isolate to one component, if possible.

 

Mine does...

 

I turned up with an 81 ironhead in a trade. A little rough around the edges but runs good. Had to replace springs in shifter pawl and new tophats as well as the primary adjustment shoe but it shifts like new. The p.o. was trying to bobb it and i think he got scared when tranny wouldn't come back to neutral. It has a bad spray bomb paint job and a set of 16" bars with 4" risers and an aftermarket softail seat with some saddle bags of of who knows what, but it has potential. Was told it sat for 15 years before he got it and then i ended up with it 5 months later. He had 60weight oil in the motor and i'm wondering if that's too heavy for 30 degree weather, and what, if any, problems will i encounter if i use 20/50 Amsoil like my other 3 bikes.

 

Bodean: When you say 30 degree weather are you talking F or C?
if F then yes it is too heavy and I'd shift to a 20W50
if C then 60W is ok if you ride in tough conditions (ie traffic, stop and go, or if 30C is the low) if you are riding open roads with daytime highs of 30C then a straight 50W is prob. heavy enough. I run 60W in the hottest two months of the summer but I get into the city a fair bit so the motor gets hot sometimes.

Amsoil synthetic 20W50 is fine if you are a fair weather rider riding in open road conditions but I'd use a straight 50 for the hot temps at least.

 

It's F. I changed my 01 Ultra to the 20-50 Amsoil on it's third oil change and ride it down to 10 F and have never had a problem even in temps as high as 110 F. What i'm wondering, since i don't know much of the history of this ironhead, would i be better off leaving the 60 in or will using a lighter oil cause it to start bypassing the rings and start using oil? This one is for sale so won't be ridden much in lower than 40 degrees F. Just don't want to do any damage before it leaves.

 

Oh...ok.
Switching to a synthetic oil when the bike has unknown wear may cause it to start leaking if it has been using dino oil.

60W oil will be slow to circulate at 40F and damage may result...I would drop it to 20W50 and then straight 50W once the temps get up to 60F or better.

s

 

I agree with both statements. I run 20w50 in the winter and straight 50wt (or 60wt) in warmer weather. I tried synthetic once and my engine was more noisy and leaked all over.

 

I very much believe that the problem is only a carb, i am not however sure that what i call a problem is actually a problem. examples.

1- I am driving and everything is normal, 1 2 3 4 gear the traffic slows a bit but am keeping up, then it speeds up am in fourth and it cough farts out the carb.
2- Am accelerating on fourth at about 50 MPH then i let off the throtle, when i accelerate again its almost like turbo lag, there is an area there of no power the it catches up, but the motor dint die.
3- I rev her up stopped, only to about 2,000 2,500 RPM showing of my sounding pipes, when she gets to low rpm a little backfire, now i know from my engine tuning eperience that all that is is running a little rich and a little unburnt fuel on the pipes.

Look i want technology in that it idles where i want it to idle and stay there, for it to accelerate and decelerate without bullshit in bethween, i dont want cantankerous nature, yes i will stay true and save the carb on the cabinet with air cleaner, but i want my cake and eat it too.

That is my argument to convince me of changing the carb.

By the way 83XLX IS THE FINISH ON YOUR ROCKER COVERS, ENGINE COVERS AND EVEN THE SHOCKS a powdercoat, or a sandblast, i think it looks good.

Neal in Houston

 

congrats on the beautiful machine!!!!