I'll stay with my original suggestion. Assuming you didn't "adjust" the carb while it was apart you've got an air leak. If a head gasket was blown bad enough to cause a rough idle, in my experience it would be visbly pushing oil or air. But getting those little rubber donuts for your intake right is not easy. I'd invest in a new set of o-rings for sure. If you haven't got three hands a little water soluble surgical lube (K-Y jelly) will hold them in place while you get the clamps on.

During my Shovelhead days I liked high compression 5" motors. Lots of blown head gaskets until I started coating the gaskets with copper coat and letting them sit overnight.

Anyone looking for a really nice Big Bore / Long Stroke Shovel?

 

You really should replace the gaskets,I would do the entire top end gaskets as the kits are quite cheap but a compression check (leak down test) and adjust the valves may get you thru depends on whether you moved the gaskets at all from original location and how brittle they are (old).FYI once you take the slack out of the pushrod (can still spin)tighten 4 full turns and allow lifter to bleed then back off 2.5 turns and lock in place.

 

widowmaker, those four full turns to bleed the lifters is only fop hydraulic lifters, right? Because mine are solid.

I am going to be spending some time tomorrow trying some of these tips. I will let y'all know how I do. Thanks.

 

yes, sorry bout that.! goodluck

 

Okay. I pull the heads back off. I used new gaskets and new rubber bands for the intake.

I started the bike and it started to idle and run really well. Now, though, each time I start her up she runs worse. I can not get a good rythmic idle at all, and eventually it will shut off if I leave it to idle. Something is fishy.

Some things that I noticed: 1) When I pull the head off of the back cylinder, the carbon on the piston was cleaned off with a small pile of it left just sitting on the piston. I appeared that the piston also had small coating of gas and oil. I thought that maybe, since I used an old gasket, that some oil was being sucked through where the cylinder and head meet. The gasket also kind of supported this because there was a little oil surrounding the insie edge of the gasket. I suppose that the issue could be my rings, and maybe this is why it is running strange.
2) There is usually some wetness on the rear plug when ever I pull it.
3) It appears that my plugs are always fouled. I never have pulled them and had them look like they should.

Does anyone have a video, or can you take a video clip and send it to me of a good running shovel, so I know what one sounds like. Just so I have something to compare mine to.