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27th February 2008
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Biker
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 2
Reputation: 10
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Introduction and Air Cleaner Fire
Hello fellow Ironhead Owners. This is my 1st post here on the board. I've been registered for a while and really enjoy reading your posts and the wealth of info provided. I decided to post what happened to me just this weekend hoping someone else can learn from my situation.
First, I'm the recent owner of an 82' Ironhead. Picked it up over the summer and have really enjoyed owning it. I hope to post some pics soon.
Here's what happened. I purchased a new teardrop air cleaner of ebay. It's the typical S&S style just not with the hefty price tag. It was a nice kit and came with a foam filter. I own motocross bikes and know the importance of oiling the filter before use and the typical maintenance that goes with it. However, the weather has been miserable here in the Chicago area and working out in the cold garage is not much fun. Anyway I decided to just test fit the assembly to the bike and see how it looked and had intended to take it all apart, oil the filter, and re-assemble it later.
Well a week went by and we got our first day of decent weather over the weekend. I decided that it would be a good time to wake the bike up from its winter sleep. Well as I am cranking it over it backfires out the carb. Soon there is a steady stream of smoke coming from the air cleaner. Where there's smoke there's fire right? Absolutely. Fire erupts from the filter and there are flames shooting out from under it. I was in a panic but luckily I had a fire extinguisher handy. I doused it and the fire was out. What a mess...When I took it apart the foam filter had almost completely burned away leaving only the mesh. Also, my new cleaner was now burned and sooty. I haven't checked into the carb so I don't know if I caused any damage yet.
So, moral of the story. Theres a couple I guess... First always keep a fire extinguisher in your shop/garage. Second, don't be too hasty, you might forget something small that could lead to something disatrous.
Has this happened to anyone else?
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27th February 2008
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Banned
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Venetian Islands, Miami Beach
Posts: 3,923 Sportster/Buell Model: XLH/I.R.C. Special Sportster/Buell Year: 1974
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I singed one of the foam Uni-filter elements up pretty bad...
...a few years ago. Same thing as your situation, backfire from the carb and POOF! It's BBQ time!
That's one of the reasons I use only K&N filters. They may not be fire-proof, but they're a lot less flammable than foam.
As far as the AC cover goes, strip off the chrome and rattle-can it black. You're halfway there with the soot anyway.
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27th February 2008
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Greasemonkey
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 106 Sportster/Buell Model: 98 xl built to the hilt Sportster/Buell Year: 79
Reputation: 10
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it happened to me before i timed my motor, incorrect timing was making my bike backfire.
__________________
1998 883-1200. thunderstorm heads with 1.94" and 1.615" black diamond valves, ported, polished, decked, 150lb springs. lightened polished flywheel, polished rods, polished case, zippers windage tray, Zippers billet 4 stage oil pump, screamin eagle .497 cams, aluminum pushrods, 44mm CV carb, Screamin Eagle selectable nose cone ignition, stepped Force pipe, zippers anti rotation pins, hydrosolid lifters, crane roller rockers, barnet race clutch... oh man, dont let my wife see this list... fire it up up and shift at 7200!
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27th February 2008
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Rider Of The Iron Steed
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: London, ON Canada
Posts: 24,004 Sportster/Buell Model: XLH Sportster/Buell Year: 1978
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Welcome to the IronHead section of the XLForum! Sorry about your disaster. I suppose i could recount a couple of mine here, now. But hey, why steal your fire [heh heh]!
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27th February 2008
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Senior Chief Master Mechanic
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 988 Sportster/Buell Model: 883 Sportster/Buell Year: 05 Sportster/Buell Model #2: old ironhead . Sportster/Buell Year #2: ??? Other Motorcycle Model: 900 kaw z1 Other Motorcycle Year: 73
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you have to fire it up suck the flame out for real . if you dont have the tools to remove it . it will work. unless a carb floods. then will just flame under it. but the intake fire will suck in . cu gar
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27th February 2008
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Senior Chief Harley Engineer
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Detroit Red Wings Country
Posts: 1,018 Sportster/Buell Model: xlch Sportster/Buell Year: 70 Sportster/Buell Model #2: Softail Springer Sportster/Buell Year #2: 2006
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Welcome to the forum from Detroit, Michigan! By the way, you write like a novelist...
Sam
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28th February 2008
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Biker
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 2
Reputation: 10
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Thank you all for your responses. Makes me feel better that I'm not the only one this has happened to.
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28th February 2008
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I am the great Cornholio!
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Near Philly
Posts: 4,723 Sportster/Buell Model: 1200R Sportster/Buell Year: 2006 Other Motorcycle Model: Suzuki GT550 Other Motorcycle Year: 1974
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Welcome from Philly.
Sorry to hear about your fire. Gar is correct, starting the engine right away will suck the flames in. That's standard proceedure in an aircraft. However, I'm not sure what would happen if you also sucked in pieces of the element...
__________________
"I fly - I sail - I throw caution to the wind ..." -Jimmy Buffett
"The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live." -George Carlin
"So what else is on your mind besides hundred-proof women, 'n' ninety-proof whiskey, 'n' fourteen-carat gold?" Lee Marvin - "The Professionals"
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I require the same from them."
John Wayne - "The Shootist"
I wasn't selling moonshine. I was just holding a package for a man in exchange for $80 and didn't even know what was in it. - Daycare owner in Charlotte NC
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28th February 2008
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Senior Chief Master Mechanic
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 988 Sportster/Buell Model: 883 Sportster/Buell Year: 05 Sportster/Buell Model #2: old ironhead . Sportster/Buell Year #2: ??? Other Motorcycle Model: 900 kaw z1 Other Motorcycle Year: 73
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the foam will digest. and it usley around a wire screen. and a regular filter is hard to do that with. ???I had a fuel bike do that and was it fired fast and no flame. . AND they have been known to do that if not timed correct. AND if you look at a motor with a air cleaner removed there is a rooster tail of gas fog out the carb. normal. YOU see this a lots on snowmobiles and bikes that run no air cleaner.at low speed.cu gar
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28th February 2008
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XL FORUM LIFE MEMBER
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 13,175 Sportster/Buell Model: XL50 0596 Black Sportster/Buell Year: 2007 Other Motorcycle Model: E-Glide Other Motorcycle Year: 2003
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Hello from Pittsburgh and welcome to the forum. Riding in dirt the oiled filter would help but I never oil my filter. Never had a problem even after 14 years and 50,000 miles.
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Bob, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of bartenders and sinners!
Sportys tend to keep getting faster the longer you own them.
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