Sportster broken carb tube

[karljohn]

The bike I have is a 2001 1200c sportster

I bought the bike used, I am having a bad backfire out of the carb at different times when I ride and lose almost all power then resumes right away.

I was going to check and see if I had a manifold leak on the carb and when I took the gas tank off I noticed this broke piece of tubing. In my manual it looks like it is labeled as the vacuum fitting but I am unsure.


I am fairly sure it is broke and not supposed to be just hanging like it is. Can somebody help me identify what The broke tube is

[JBinNC]

The vacuum line goes from the back of the carb to the VOES and is teed to the vacuum petcock as well. There is another line going to the rear from under the fuel tank, to a check valve, for tank venting.

I can't tell from the pics what exactly you are looking at.

Jim

[JBinNC]

Best I can see, that looks like the hose to the vacuum fitting on the petcock. If you have a non-stock petcock, that hose should be plugged. (The factory vacuum petcocks are notorious for going bad.)

Jim

[7and7is]

That, is the vacuum tube that should be going to your petcock, stock petcock is vacuum assisted (Petcock will only pass fuel with a vacuum) it may have been replaced with a gravity feed petcock, if so cap that line off at the "Y" fitting, it is sucking in air which is making the bike run lean, if you still have stock petcock replace the hose (probably dry rotted) and hook it back to your petcock.

[karljohn]

the skinny open tube next to the petcock is the tube i am talking about. i have a stock petcock i believe i did buy the bike used but i think it is stock.

i hooked my tank back to the bike and the bike started fine but when i let it run for a minute then tried to pull the throttle the bike died. i tried this 3 different times. it sounded very weak.

when i took the tank off my bike the black clip in the 2nd photo fell off from somewhere i do not know and may have been pinching that line off preventing it from making the bike run too lean? does this sound like a possibility. i apologize for dumb questions, first harley, first time taking the tank off.

[JBinNC]

You have the stock vacuum petcock. The diaphragm housing is at the back of it, and there is a vacuum fitting for that hose. As noted above, that hose is in need of replacement. Vacuum line can be had at auto parts stores.

The bike won't run unless there is vacuum on the petcock diaphragm. You have run all the gas out of the float bowl in the carb. So, when you get this hooked back up, you may have to crank the motor a little while until gas starts flowing again.

Easy fix.

Jim

[JBinNC]

That clip originally held the rear plug wire to the top motor mount is my guess.

Jim

[karljohn]

Thank you for the help. I found the housing and the bike is running again. You were very helpful brother