S&S L series Carb - choke lever direction

30503 Views 88 Replies 19 Participants Last post by Dave B, Dec 30, 2015

Holydavidsen

Discussion Starter · Jan 23, 2012

Hi

I know not many use this carb anymore but i got one and was wondering which direction the choke lever is set to on or off.

the choke has three settings sliding all the way to the bottom towards the cement, then up one notch to the middle which is obviously half on then up all the way to the sky.

1 - 20 of 89 Posts

skajaquada

· #2 · Jan 23, 2012

Take off the air cleaner and look while you move the lever and I bet you answer your own question...

rockett

· #3 · Jan 23, 2012

Welcome to the forums.

thefrenchowl

· #4 · Jan 23, 2012

Down = "gravity" = no choke...

Holydavidsen

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jan 23, 2012

Thanks appreciate it, now all i have to do is figure out the best kick start sequence

skajaquada

· #6 · Jan 23, 2012

Now try an intro and using the search function on here...since I have been accused (likely rightfully) of being an asshole, here's one link on here that answers that. For the rest of your questions, please do us all a favor and try to find it yourself first because it's probably already been covered a dozen times.

http://www.jockeyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16074

Monte03

· #7 · Jan 24, 2012

Holydavidsen said:
Thanks appreciate it, now all i have to do is figure out the best kick start sequence

Hey Holy,
Remember that you are relying on the Vacuum of the motor to draw in fuel mixture, I have an 1 3/4" GBL on my 69 XLCH with a Magneto, I never even consider trying to cold start until I go thru my ritual
1) Full Choke, Petcock Open
2) Wide Open Throttle
3) Thumb on the kill button
4) 3 to 4 kicks to prime
5) open choke or 1/4 open in cold weather
6) thumb off the Kill
7) throttle closed or just off the stop partly open
8) On the Compression stroke you kick all the way thru (my bike has manual retard that helps)
* These are classic carbs that are now part of S&S history, this was the invention of George Smith Sr and with the help of Drag Racer Leo Payne, these carbs became a reality... every bike has it's own personality add to it the timming on each can be a bit off or spot on..

Good Luck
GBL #533
Monte

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splitboxes

· #8 · Jan 24, 2012

Exactly how i start mine, probably my fav carb.

Holydavidsen

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jan 24, 2012

skajaquada said:
Now try an intro and using the search function on here...since I have been accused (likely rightfully) of being an asshole, here's one link on here that answers that. For the rest of your questions, please do us all a favor and try to find it yourself first because it's probably already been covered a dozen times.

http://www.jockeyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16074

Hi no offence taken, that was actually one of the very first posts that i read, the starting sequence was more rhetorical as i've had success in the cold weather in varying temps with different combos.

Holydavidsen

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jan 24, 2012

Monte03 said:
Hey Holy,
Remember that you are relying on the Vacuum of the motor to draw in fuel mixture, I have an 1 3/4" GBL on my 69 XLCH with a Magneto, I never even consider trying to cold start until I go thru my ritual
1) Full Choke, Petcock Open
2) Wide Open Throttle
3) Thumb on the kill button
4) 3 to 4 kicks to prime
5) open choke or 1/4 open in cold weather
6) thumb off the Kill
7) throttle closed or just off the stop partly open
8) On the Compression stroke you kick all the way thru (my bike has manual retard that helps)
* These are classic carbs that are now part of S&S history, this was the invention of George Smith Sr and with the help of Drag Racer Leo Payne, these carbs became a reality... every bike has it's own personality add to it the timming on each can be a bit off or spot on..

Good Luck
GBL #533
Monte

Hi Monte,

Thanks for taking the time to outline your sequence, i just tried your sequence an hour ago and works like a charm!

only thing is i havent wired a kill switch yet and still trying to figure out the compression stroke not really knowing when its happening 100 percent of the time. This is my first kick start only bike and its quite a new direction for me.

cheers

Monte03

· #11 · Jan 24, 2012

Holy,

You will 'after awhile' feel that stroke in the bottom of your Boot, it will take time to learn your bike, I will also add that my GBL transformed my Bike into one that is consistent and has an awsome midrange as well, Eat Your Wheaties and enjoy...

Holydavidsen

Discussion Starter · #12 · Jan 26, 2012

Monte,

thanks for the advice, i've got the mgal myself, definitely not as cool or rare as your gbl tho, i'm hoping it will perform well for me as i love the look of it. Is your bike running on point or electronic ignition.

Been pondering putting in an ultima single fire EI this month

Monte03

· #13 · Jan 26, 2012 (Edited)

Holydavidsen said:
Monte,

thanks for the advice, i've got the mgal myself, definitely not as cool or rare as your gbl tho, i'm hoping it will perform well for me as i love the look of it. Is your bike running on point or electronic ignition.

Been pondering putting in an ultima single fire EI this month

NOT!! Any 'L' Series Carb is Extremly Cool, they stopped making them in the late 70s but I know what you meant, to clarify the GBL @ 1 3/4" was the smaller throat carb that better suited a stock 900cc or stock shovelhead, the GAL, MGAL, MG were all 1 7/8" throat, Mr George Smith Sr. must have been a Very Smart Man as the GBL was designed right at the Time Harley riders were bitching about the Tillotson Carb that was a PITA to keep tuned... I have a Magneto on my 69 CH with the GBL,(on par with a John Deere Tractor) I am building a bike now that will be 75" and will run a MGAL, also think of these carbs as a 'roll open throttle' carb meaning that is does not always have that snappy wack open response as a carb with an accelorator pump but once you get moving hold on to a very strong midrange and top end, I agree Holy that the L carb is the best looking Carb ever installed on a Harley

GBL on left MGAL on right

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Skibo

· #14 · Jan 26, 2012

3

Monte03 said:
Mr George Smith Sr. must have been a Very Smart Man as the GBL was designed right at the Time Harley riders were bitching about the Tillotson Carb that was a PITA to keep tuned...

Actually, it doesn't take an absolute genius to scale up a DC linkert by 30% or so. Not to take anything away from Geo Smith or Leo Payne or any of those guys. Definitely a cool carb though. I'm running a GBL on my 74" pan. It's really cool if you reverse engineer the carb sequence you can see how they got to the MGAL (M74B -> DC Linkert -> DC linkert with the 9X butterfly -> MG -> MGBL -> MGAL. Of course, there was an FAL too which had jets that look like soda straws in it.

PS- you've got the later top-fed bowl on that GBL. I think they originally came with the bottom feed (mine has one) though they're interchangeable.

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Monte03

· #15 · Jan 27, 2012

Skibo,
Nice Pan first of all! No Genuis I Guess but personally I Love the Simplicity and operation and the Beauty of the Carb, yes the S&S L is a copy cat and G. Smith created the right product at the right time, I did not mention to Holy that the Drag Version was the G and the F series prior to the carbs pictured, for those like myself with Magneto XLCH Bikes to be able to pull the float bowl off in minutes with a long neck screwdriver is priceless, the only rubber part is that of the Manifold O Ring and with todays crappy Gas that is even a bigger Plus.. to me it also Looks Bad Ass and I grew up with a Love of Drag Bikes that ran a side bowl carb...
GBL Float Bowl, I have seen them both ways, Top or Bottom Inlet... they ran from 72 to 1975

Holydavidsen

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jan 27, 2012

skibo, monte

you guys got some clean ass looking parts, lol i was going to post up some pics of my bike but i'm thinking i better get on rejuvenating it before i snap any pics.

Holydavidsen

Discussion Starter · #17 · Jan 27, 2012

skibo, monte

you guys got some clean ass looking parts, lol i was going to post up some pics of my bike but i'm thinking i better get on rejuvenating it before i snap any pics.

thefrenchowl

· #18 · Jan 27, 2012

Hi all,

I love the side bowl S&S carbs...

...but still think the DC Linkert is a better street proposition!!!

Patrick

Skibo

· #19 · Jan 27, 2012

thefrenchowl said:
Hi all, I love the side bowl S&S carbs...but still think the DC Linkert is a better street proposition!!! Patrick

I'll agree, albeit conditionally. To their credit, the S&S L-series was never intended for the street. Would you care to quantify your statement? Which do you run?

Monte03

· #20 · Jan 27, 2012

Skibo said:
I'll agree, albeit conditionally. To their credit, the S&S L-series was never intended for the street. Would you care to quantify your statement? Which do you run?

Not to Speak For Patrick but it was Lessons Learned from Drag Racers that led Smith and Leo Payne to design the L (from what I have learned) right here in New Jersey a Racer and Machinist from years back by the name of Maynard Price - Custom Cycle Engineering - Paterson NJ use to Bore Out DC Linkerts and machine Bowl Spacers for more gas capacity and this story came from a phone call with Vito Sabato that just in October 11 had a gas Ironhead that went into the high 8's.. Mayne did the case machining on my XLCH 25 years ago and was a Humble but Super Talented Man..
So this was an era of experimental parts, trial and error.. and I guess that is what I dig about the Old Timers and those 60's 70's Sportsters..

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