I bought my 1997 Sportster used last year and introduced myself to the world of Harley Davidson. I've since been tinkering with my bike trying to get it to run properly but just thought it was the Harley's were supposed to run. Rough idle, popping and cracking all the time, real jerking ride and LOUD!

In and effort to get my bike to run a little better I decided that I would go into the carb today and put in a 45 pilot jet and leave the stock 160 main to see if I could get better throttle response and such. Once I got everthing apart, low and behold, my bike had a 46 pilot jet installed and a 180 main jet, in a dynowhatever, emulsion tube.... so. Stock 883 with drag pipes, a 46/180 jet. I don't think that is a recipe for good performance.

I have now installed a 45 pilot jet and have a stock emultion tube and 160 main jet ordered. Maybe that will help with my rough low end takeoff. I'm also looking to get some stock pipes so I will regain the crossover pipe and then put some slip ons on the bike.

I just hope nothing was changed in the top of the carb, but I have a strange feeling it probably was

 

I think you will find the 160 is going to be way lean. What kind of A/C do you have on the bike? If it's stock you probably should change it.

 

I have the stock air cleaner with a 'somewhat' new stock paper air filter. I was going to buy the SE air cleaner but I don't want to deal with the oil all over the place and then have to put in some type of filter system for it.

I just want the bike to run good..

 

A stock A/C with drag pipes is really not a good combination IMO. I am guessing based on the jet sizes, that the bike, before you bought it, had a higher performance A/C installed. Going back to stock header pipes with some slipons is a good idea, but since the carb has appearantly been reworked with a dynojet kit, I would go ahead and replace the A/C. A Big Sucker A/C isn't too expensive and then you will be headed in the right direction, with probably something around a 45/180 jet combo. Just my .02.

 

drag pipes are only for drags and noise, get a pair of slipons,and tune from there, bike will run better, drag pipes especially non baffled are a nusiance and make poor power except up top, do you ride at 4000 rpm and up!!!!!

 

Ok, I went through my carb and I have found that it had been worked on before. It had some really short spring in the top and an ajustable needle, but it is the same color as stock. I don't know what kit that must have been. My brother says he thinks that it was a dynojet kit. Also on the bottom it did have a 46 low jet and 180 main, in some non-stock emultion tube. OH and the kicker. The vacuum port has been drilled out LARGER than 1/8" I used a micrometer and it is about .003 larger than 1/8. The drill bit would fit into the hole and wiggle just slightly.

Now I have installed an 88B SE A/C, with the K&N air filter. I installed a REV 1 Yost powertube kit. On the bottom I have the power tube emulsion tube with a 175 main jet and a 45 slow jet. In the top I have the Yost spring and the blue needle with the washer set to the middle setting. The vacuum port is still drilled out too big, but I'm going to order a new throttle slide. I also still have the drags installed but I'm currently sourcing out a set of stock pipes with the crossover tube. Once I get them I'm going to get some slip-ons for the stock pipes.

I have the idle mixture screw out 3.5 turns and it is doing good on the low end, so I think I need about a 48 jet on the low, yes/no? I have a 46 I could use. It pulls like a **** on top end about 4k, but honestly, I had to push it to get there because I just don't drive fast...

Big question is what is the results from drilling out that vacuum port out too large? Should I get a new throttle slide and leave it stock? The yost kit says to drill it out to 7/64 for small bikes and 1/8 for large bikes. I think in my case once I get where I want to be. That is stock crossover head pipes with slip ons and the SE A/C then a stock slide should be okay. What do you guys think?

Thanks for any help.