Regs, Heads, Temps, Speedos and more
Got a problem with your stock H-D that your local dealer can’t fix? Well, put away that hammer, grab a pen, and let our resident pro get you back on the road! That’s right, frustrated ones. You can now get your perplexing problem answered with a simple snail mail or e-mail to AIM the #1 selling Harley magazine
www.aimag.com.
A busy edition of Hog Helpline this time around, starting with Vince Carroll and his 1999 Low Rider. Vince would like to add some more juice to his machine, and asks about changing regulators. Next up is Rick Kantor who’s head is spinning about the head color on his 2006 FLHX. Gary Bruno follows, writing in from Tucson with an inquiry about lowering his ’98 FLHRCI. The man with one name, Joseph, is concerned about switching switches on his 1994 FLHTCU. After Joseph, comes the man with no name, wondering about oil temps for his 2000 FLSTF. Into the home stretch, we have Bob in Corona explaining the possessed speedo on his 1994 Road King that he’s doing battle with, trumped by Billy the Kid and the howling from his 2007 CVO’s hindquarters. And finally, Joseph Kudelka seems to be in a fog about the lens fogginess he’s suffering with aboard his ’05 Heritage Classic.
Anyone wishing to submit a question to our H-D expert should send in as much info about the problem and bike as possible, which definitely includes the bike’s year, model, and mileage, to Hog Helpline, c/o American Iron Magazine, 1010 Summer Street, Stamford, CT 06905, or e-mail it to
ChrisM@AmericanIronMag.com. Ready for the disclaimer? Unfortunately, we can’t answer all of the questions that we receive or respond directly to the submitter, owing to volume. Select questions will be answered only through this monthly column.
Q: I have a 1999 Low Rider that I ride in the winter. I travel 35 miles to work (leaving in the dark) so I use my H-D passing lights, heated vest, and gloves. I’d like to up the output of my alternator; can I just change the magnets, or do I have to change the whole works? The ’99 has a different part number on the stator than later ones. Do I need a different regulator
Vincent Carroll
Via Internet
A: The stator was changed in 1999 for the 32 amp system that’s in your bike. It stayed the same until 2004 when H-D put the three-phase system from the Softail line into the Dynas. Crankcase changes won’t let you update your bike to that charging system. The magnets in the newer rotor aren’t phased correctly for your stator, so you can’t just swap that either. Harley does make a kit to upgrade your bike to a 45 amp system (#29928-01A). You may be able to use the accessories you mentioned without a problem.
Before you spend the money on a new charging system (the kit will cost you $400) check the total current draw with everything turned on and the engine not running. Compare that to the total current output of the charging system when the engine is running. The total output should be 2 or 3 amps more than what the bike and all the accessories are using. This is what keeps the battery charged when the bike is running and all the accessories are being used.
Q: In AIM’s September 2007 Techline, you said that the ’96 heads have an orange valve seal, while the 2002-06 heads have a black one. As I took the heads off my 2006 FLHX, I found orange seals. Is there any difference in these heads, or are they the same as the 2007?
Rick Kantor
Via Internet
A: Toward the end of August 2005, the valve guide seals in gasket and seal kits changed to an orange-colored rubber material to improve visual identification of the new, improved parts. Twin Cam 88/88B production engines started using these orange colored seals soon after that. Your ’06 model should have been built with the orange seals. Then, for 2006, the heads changed to accommodate the 46mm induction module. The ’06 heads are interchangeable with those for the ’07.
Q: I’m interested in lowering my 1998 FLHRCI about 1" or so in the rear to allow my wife to ride it comfortably. All the kits I've found lower everything except the Road King Classic. Do you have any suggestions besides changing the whole suspension? I also have a Shovelhead-FXR, and would like my wife to ride the RK so we could ride together. Sounds corny, but we like to have fun. Thanks for any help.
Gary Bruno
Tucson, Arizona
A: H-D makes rear shocks to lower the rear end of this model about 1” but nothing for the front. Progressive has a spring kit for a Road King Classic. Drag Specialties carries these, and also carries Race Tech kits that come with cartridge emulators. These kits will lower your FLHRCI 1”-2” and let you tune the damping characteristics of the front suspension. This can make the lowered forks ride as good as, or better than, the original. This makes for a fun ride. And by the way, Gary, I never thought having fun was corny.
Q: I have a 1994 FLHTCU (with 78,000 miles) that runs great. My problem is, the first VOES switch lasted nine years, but I’ve replaced four in the last three years. And I bought from different dealers. When I called H-D about this, I was told that they had nothing to do with this Genuine H-D part. My question is: can I run the bike without this switch? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Joseph
Via Internet
A: What’s exactly failing with the switch? They’re usually pretty foolproof. Have you actually tested the switches with a vacuum pump and an ohm meter? Is the hose going to it old and not making a good seal at either end, causing the switch not to close? Sometimes the silicon seal on the end of the switch will leak and cause erratic operation. You can do away with the switch by grounding the wire that’s attached to it. The ignition module will see this as a closed switch and keep the ignition advanced. I wouldn’t recommend doing this though. You’ll start going through starter drives from trying to start the engine with a fully advanced spark. The engine will also tend to ping when trying to climb hills, or when accelerating.
Q: I have a 2000 FLSTF with performance mods. It has the following: big bore cylinders, stroker kit (113”), Dave Mackie Engineering "Megasphere" head mods with hemi heads, oversize valves, dished pistons which are ported and polished, .630” cams, a 48mm Mikuni barrel-slide carb, and the Screamin’ Eagle six-speed overdrive transmission. It's fast and smooth, but runs hot. I understand this has been a problem with the Twin-Cams since they first came out. During normal operation around town, the oil temp runs about 210-220 degrees. However, I take long rides at high speed. Most recently, I went from Washington, DC to Denver and back. In the sparsely populated areas of the Midwest the slow lane is going roughly 80 mph, so we were doing about 85-90 mph for hours on end. At those speeds, even though the weather was cold, the oil temp was 240-250 degrees. I'm running twin Wimmer billet oil coolers with no fork bag to impede airflow, and using Harley synthetic oil. My questions are: Is there anything else I can do with this engine to lower the oil temp? Even with synthetic oil, are those oil temps going to significantly reduce the longevity of the engine? Ideally, I'd like to have a 100,000-mile bike.
Anonymous
Via Internet
A: My question is why do you want to lower the oil temperature? Those temps are right on the money, and I wouldn’t worry about them at all. Your engine is a heat pump and has to reach the right temps to work at its best. If you can really ride that bike at 90 mph for hours on end, and it doesn’t get any hotter than 250 degrees, be happy. As for your 100,000-mile bike, don’t count on it. All those performance mods take their toll on longevity. Big pistons, long strokes, and big cams just don’t last as long as we’d like. Keep changing the oils and stay up with your service and your bike should last a long time, but I think 100K asking too much.
Q: I have a 1994 Road King stroker with an S&S bottom end, Screamin’ Eagle heads, and a Dyna 2000 ignition system. One morning, after cleaning it the previous night, I must have knocked the plug wire loose from the coil, and it was grounding out on the engine. The next thing I knew, the speedometer went crazy and hasn’t worked since. My turn signals don’t shut off automatically anymore either, and I can’t read the odometer. I changed the turn signal module and the speed sensor that takes a reading off the tranny gears. My repair manual said it might be the reed switch inside the speedometer that sends a signal to the turn signal module to cancel the turn signals. I went as far as buying a new Pro Cycle speedometer, but it doesn't work.
Bob
Corona, California
A: Does the backlighting on the speedometer work? If the lights are lit, and the odometer display isn’t working, there’s a good chance you’ll need to replace the speedometer head. The turn signal module gets its signal from the speedometer, so if it doesn’t work, the signals won’t cancel. If the backlights aren’t lit, you need to trace the power and ground circuits for the speedometer. The 1994 wiring was pretty simple. Look for 12 volts on the orange wire and the black wire should be a good ground. Lack of power to the speedometer would explain why the new one didn’t work either.
Q: I have a 2007 Road King Screamin’ Eagle CVO, with the following problem: At 30 mph and up, there’s a loud howling from the rear. I’ve had the bike to two Harley dealers, and was told both times that they heard the sound, but they don't know what it is. I called H-D, who gave the dealers a list of things to inspect, but to no avail. My bike was at the dealer for two weeks; when I picked it up, it was supposedly safe to ride, but the noise has not stopped. I like the bike, but it makes me nervous to ride at high speeds over 60 mph. Any suggestions?
William Kidd
Via Internet
A: Did either of your dealers change the rear tire? If they think that’s where the noise is coming from, it would be easy to swap in a good tire. Those wide tires tend to make some noise on the dyno, but I never noticed it on the road. Is it possible you have a bad wheel bearing? This can be checked while the wheel is off too. How about the belt? If the dealers don’t know what the noise is, maybe they should call the Motor Company for some help. I’ve always had good results dealing with the guys at Tech Service; all it takes is a call. Maybe dialing up Customer Service will get the ball rolling.
Q: I have a 2005 Heritage Classic with 23,000 miles. I keep it parked in my garage, and, after riding a couple of hours, there’s moisture buildup on the inside of the speedometer lens. Is this normal? What can I do to resolve this?
Joseph Kudelka
Illinois
A: How damp is the garage where you keep your bike? The water in the air inside the speedo will condense on the cool glass as heat from the engine gets up to it. The back of the speedometer has holes in it to let out the damp air. Sometimes the heat from the engine gets there before the moisture dries out. The moisture should evaporate completely after a little time.
May 2008 
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