Starting issues: solved

[Kuda]

A quick recap: '49 panhead, stock 74" with 8.5 - 1 KB pistons and an FLH cam and springs, solid lifters, late model o-ring head inserts, and an S&S E (later a CV) carb. It was a stone BITCH to start some times, sometimes it was easy as pie. Did the pressure test thing 4-5 times, reset the timing, losened the pushrods, checked compression, everything I could think of...

Well, I finally figured it out: it was a bad magneto and an almost undetectable leak at the screw-in head fitting. Mind you, I'd sent the heads out once before to fix that leak, and was assured that it was fixed. Tested it anyway and it was fine up as high as 15 PSI. What I didn't know was that the O-ring clamps partially sealed the leak, making it harder to detect. The real kicker was finding out that my brand new $1300 magneto was no good. I'd sent it down to an "authorized" Morris facility to have it diassembled and powder coated black, then reassembled and tested. Was assured that it tested fine. But when talking to a friend about it, he offered to lend me a G-5 he had for another project. Tossed it on, timed it per instructions, and she fired first kick. And again. And again, etc. Hot or cold, 1 or two kicks and she's alive. Even after the dreaded "hot soak," one kick, or sometimes one kick to clear the air and one kick to go. Morris said they've never seen anything like it, they think the guy baked it with the magnets still in it, which messed up the polarity or something. But regardless, it's running great now...

-Kuda (happy again)
'49 panchop

[51Hog]

Glad you found the problem--It is no fun when they start intermittently.

[PanPal]

Nice to hear you found the Problem Kuda. You had me wondering if I should just put my Circuit breaker in mine after hearing about the starting problem you were having.