PanHead cold and warm start

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choppinmatte
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PanHead cold and warm start

#1

Post by choppinmatte »

hi,
i own a 1956FLE.
for cold start i use this method and i can say it's quite ok...not starting at first kick but after a while it goes on:

key off
three squirts
four kicks enrichener on
retard
key on
no enrichener
two squirts
quarter throttle
fire!!!

but when the bike is warm it's so difficult to start.
anyone can help me??

thanks,

matteo
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Re: PanHead cold and warm start

#2

Post by john HD »

matteo,

first welcome to the forum!

i assume you do not have a linkert on your bike by the mention of the "squirts". on the surface it sounds like it is taking a lot of gas to get it to start.

have you checked your bike to make sure you do not have a manifold leak?

my bike with a linkert takes 2 full choke prime kicks, one with ignition on, choke at one click when the bike is cold.

hot, the bike only needs the throttle open 1/4 and one easy kick to get it to start.

if you have air getting in behind the carb it will take extra fuel to get it to start.

good luck and let us know how it goes!

john
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Re: PanHead cold and warm start

#3

Post by Panshovevo »

Some of the other things to check are the basics, such as battery condition and charge, points and plugs condition and gap, ignition timing, accelerator pump function, float level, coil condition (check resistance cold and hot), plug wires, battery to switch wiring, the switch it self, switch to coil wire, and coil to timer wire.
When checking the wiring and switch, you are looking for anything that could cause increased resistance (voltage drop) in the circuit.
I had a cold and hot starting problem with my '50 which involved nearly all of the above. After replacing the primary circuit wiring, cleaning and gapping the plugs and points, replacing the condenser(nearly new aftermarket), making new plug wires, setting timing,adjusting float level and pump function, it would start easily cold, but was still a bitch when hot. The coil checked out fine when cold, but when hot, I was getting a weak spark. A new coil solved that problem.
My right leg developed considerably more muscle in the process.
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Re: PanHead cold and warm start

#4

Post by Ohio-Rider »

I ran an S&S for eight years and every time I had a problem with cold starts it was always a manifold leak caused by destructive fuel eating away at the rubber bands. I serviced the manifold rubbers five times in the past eight years.

This year I switch over to a Linkert and haven’t had a problem yet with hot starts the way I did with the S&S. I test my manifold for leaks before every season now because the fuel in my area is like acid. :(
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Re: PanHead cold and warm start

#5

Post by cole »

Question, What is with the squirt, Linkerts have no accel. pump and neither do S&S's unless you got a "Thunder Jet" installed. { which didn't work for sh#5t. cole
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Re: PanHead cold and warm start

#6

Post by partshunt »

Cole, I'm no authority on S&S carbs but I just finished setting up a S&S Super "E" with an accelerator pump on it. Probably he has one of those on his 56FL...Joe
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Re: PanHead cold and warm start

#7

Post by Panshovevo »

cole wrote:Question, What is with the squirt, Linkerts have no accel. pump and neither do S&S's unless you got a "Thunder Jet" installed. { which didn't work for sh#5t. cole
S&S B and (I think) D carbs had no accelerator pump as originally built. E and G carbs do.
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