Needle shim washer size?

[becket]

Last thing keeping my bike running perfect after you guys helped me with the jetting, is that in neutral, when I try and blip the throttle, it is hesitating, and then it picks up fine. Stealer says I need a Dynojet kit, and I can't shim my stock needle. I don't believe him, sorry. IF I can shim my needle, and need it to get just a tad richer, what thickness shim washer and diameter do I use, and how many? The jets are fine in all other areas and the mixture screw won't solve it as I have tried everything between stumble, and three-and -half turns out on the #45 in it. I had the same problem though not as noticable with the original #48 jet I swapped out. Should I just get that one old cv needle some replace the stock one with, that is shimable? The needele # is on the forum somewhere...

[Folkie]

You might want to look at this thread. The washers you want are #4 (not M4 like that thread says). You can get them at an H-D dealer: # 6048W. Those ones are about 0.033" thick. If you can find some thinner washers (or one thicker one) you could go up to about 0.040"

Are you talking about the N65C needle? That's # 27094-88.

I'd try one thing or the other (at least to start off with); shim the needle you've got, or try a different needle.

[becket]

Thank you very much for the info, Do I need to loosen the throttle linkage to leave the carb on if I can,, or must I remove the carb from the bike instead to do the needle ( realise it will have to eventually come off to drill the vacume hole)?
Appreciate it, I thought I may have other options I wasn't told about, rather than buying a Dynojet kit; but the dealer is in the selling buisness, and I guess just helping don't pay the bills...

[milmat1]

Originally Posted by becket

Thank you very much for the info, Do I need to loosen the throttle linkage to leave the carb on if I can,, or must I remove the carb from the bike instead to do the needle ( realise it will have to eventually come off to drill the vacume hole)?
Appreciate it, I thought I may have other options I wasn't told about, rather than buying a Dynojet kit; but the dealer is in the selling buisness, and I guess just helping don't pay the bills...

For me its easier to remove the carb than to try to deal with it on the bike. And you can see what your doing much better. You have to be really carefull when reinstalling the top not to pinch or damage the diaphram.Shimming the needle is going to richen the midrange .......

[Bill2]

You don't have to remove the throttle linkage, just lay a towel on the motor below the carb and after you remove the a/c & support just work the carb up and down as your pulling out at the same time. The carb will come off real easy, then lay it on the towel with the throttle cables still attached. Its real easy to work on like that. I also would'nt drill the slide just shim the needle with 1 or 2 shims. Drilling your slide screws with the vacuum signal.

[Folkie]

I've found this article useful for putting the carb top cover back on.

[becket]

Thanks all. I thought the shimmed needle would help with the throttle blip hesitation, I think it needs to be richer right there to fine-tune the pilot and mixture adjustment, right? My midrange is fine, but a bit richer wouldn't hurt it in the mid-range since it is running so well there I don't think. I get conflicting views here, and on a web article I read, on drilling the vacuum hole, don't know if I should do that any more...

[Folkie]

As milmat1 says, shimming the needle will fatten the midrage.

[becket]

I get the mid-range thing now, the 30-ish guy at the local Harley/Buell parts counter (killer new owners and management, btw, for those familiar with the shop) mentioned that the mid-range on the throttle blip was probably a culprit.
But get this (Dealers and managers take notes here):
I tell the parts guy at the dealer I want the needle and washers. He has the needle, but no washers, so he digs around and finds me one in the back somewhere that would work. Then I tell him since I have the jets already installed, and know about drilling the vacuum hole, I just wanted to try this needle and shim before spending $75 on a dynojet kit that I will only use the needle from anyway. He says "Look man, I was a mechanic for nine years before this, and I have a bunch of Harley parts I accumulated over the years. I ride a (some hotshot rice-rocket), and won't need half that stuff anyway. So when I get home, I will dig out one of the dynojet adjustable needles I ended up with and just give it to you if this doesn't work, and you still want to try it."
So instead of forcing a $75 dynojet kit on me like the other guy wanted to, this guy actually cared enough to help me out another way, after hearing my situation. I live 40 miles north of Destination Daytona in Saint Augustine, and next time I am down there in Ormond (where its at, just 10 miles north of Daytona off I-95), and I see something I want, I am now going to hold off and check here locally first, and give THEM my $. All because one smiling guy was willing to go out of his way and help me out a little. The local place is going to make WAY more on me now than they ever would have on that one Dynojet kit. You other dealers and managers getting this down on paper? I hope so.

[misterT]

I used two of the metric M4 washers from a hardware store. They were about .015 thick they worked great in my carb. The local harley dealer said they never heard of shimming the needle. So good luck getting washers from a dealer.