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Could this be a coil problem?

hyfax

Member
I bought a 1999 Heritage Softail Classic about 2 months ago. I won't call it a basket case, but definetly was in need of some attention. I bought it from a kid who inherited it from his uncle, and knew nothing about it. He rode it for a while and said that he couldn't go for more than about 30 minutes without the bike stalling. He said it would start again in about 10 minutes and run fine. I figured it was vapor lock and replaced the vented gas caps. I didn't have any problem for the first 6 weeks of riding, until I took my wife for a ride on a hot day. We went for about 30 miles, then it left us stranded. It started again after about 30 minutes and ran fine. I've riden it since, alone and on cooler days and didn't have a problem.

Could this be my coil arcing over or going bad? If so, would a high performance coil do the trick?
 
I haven't checked for spark because it hasn't happened again. If it does, I will. And yes, it did sit for over a year before I bought it, but I thought any bad fuel issues would have happened sooner. I've been on it for a couple months now.

Thanks for your help.
 
I haven't checked for spark because it hasn't happened again. If it does, I will. And yes, it did sit for over a year before I bought it, but I thought any bad fuel issues would have happened sooner. I've been on it for a couple months now.

Thanks for your help.

check the coil and plug wires also.
 
Thanks. I was talking to a friend about this site last night and the suggestions you guys have been making. He thought that it might be important to let you guys know that the bike has an S & S carb and an edlebrock intake. Judging by some of the cobble jobs on this bike, I'm geussing the previous owner never had it dyno'ed.
 
I agree with glider, I'd check for intake leaks as well.
Also might want to look at your spark plugs and see how the are reading.
 
Sounds good. I'll do it. Looks like I've got lots of inexpensive options before I go out and buy a new coil. The coil that's on it now is a dyna, and seems to be a quality part (from what I've read).
 
I would also get a small flashlight and your eyeball down in your tank and see if there is a layer of water in the bottom. Open up the float bowl dump on the carb if it has one and catch a half a cup or so from the drain hose in a glass jar. See what that looks like especially at the bottom of the jar. Any stuff there (like water)?

If you have a water problem, close the valve out of the tank and pull the hose off. Route another one to a gas can, open the valve and drain the tank. Going in from the top, try and syphon out any water you can see. After you have as much out of the tank as you can get, cut the cross hose and try to make sure both sides of the tank are empty. You might want to raise the back of the bike at this point to shift fluid forward, or just pull the tank off. However you do it, pour some alcohol in the tank and wallow it around. Try to hit both sides of the tank. Syphon out everything again and eyeball it again. Look good? Then replace the hoses and fill it back up with new clean 93 octane. Use the old stuff in your lawn mower.

TQ
 
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