ArcaMax

A trick you can try with the jets and also the small cast-in orifices and passages in the carb body itself is to take the insulation off a section of ordinary automotive/bike electrical wiring and separate the individual strands of wiring and used them to gently poke the various holes, to confirm (or deny) flow. These wire strands are super small diameter and not heavy enough to do any damage (unlike thicker wire, which might). You can use PB Blaster or carb cleaner to verify flow, too. Shoot (or dribble) the stuff in one end of the tube/orifice and see whether it comes out the other end. Do this until it does.

Once I was certain the carb was cleaned out, I set it per the book (you have a book for your bike, right?) meaning chiefly the float level and idle air screw, which I left a little rich to help the bike start easier. A set of new intake manifold boots really helped, too - given the originals on the bike were more shredded than an '80s rock star's jeans. Vacuum leaks can make you nuts. New intake boots are cheap and needful, like a handful of aspirin and a greasy burger the day after a fun Friday night.

Setting points and static timing on an Ironhead sporty isn't tough... if you can rotate the engine. Hard to do that when the clutch/primary are seized up because all the gear oil drip-drained out of the bunged-up/cross-threaded drain hole years ago and then time and moisture did their evil work. An oversize drain plug with o-rings and some semi-flexible HondaBond (yeah, yeah) gasket maker fixed the leak, Frankenstein-style. Then some patience, lots of Rotella T and manually rotating the assembly (ass end jacked up, as Ironhead people know all about) plus some adjustment of the clutch cable and got the primary loose and turning. Static timing set, new points installed (plus a set of new plugs) and the primary case filled with fresh HD oil.

It was almost ready to run. But not to ride. Because brakes. There weren't any. Unless you count the locked up rear brake - which did kinda slow it down. Or at least, made it hard to push.

I removed the seized rear caliper, took it apart on the workbench and tossed the parts in the bucket with the carb parts. Maybe it could be salvaged. In the master cylinder I found what looked like tapioca pudding, except it was sort of greenish yellow. This is the chemical reaction love child of DOT 3 and DOT 5 (silicon) brake fluid, which someone had mixed together. Never do this. Unless you hate your Hog.

I ordered a rebuild kit - Five rebuild kits (three calipers, two master cylinders) - from the local Harley store. Where I'd become a "regular." (Have you seen the new Fat Boy? It's my Divorce Special, if that comes to pass.)

The front brakes (dual discs on this bike) had no fluid in the lines at all. Which was maybe good, as far as salvaging the major parts - this being a budget resurrection. I guess the ghost of Arthur Davidson was smiling down from above, as all three calipers turned out to be salvageable. The master cylinders, too. Probably, I should have replaced all the lines - which are likely rusting from the inside out. But this is FrankenHarley - and a thorough flush and fill will have to do.

Right now, the bike is awaiting tires and that's about it. The moment is nearly at hand. After all these years inert, the Sporty will soon be roadworthy again. I feel my inner Dr. Frankenstein, the joy of that second birth arising. It's alive! It's alive!

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www.ericpetersautos.com or EPeters952@aol.com for comments.