1988 1200 SPORTSTER..clutch cable is leaking and seems to be miss firing as well? any suggestions?

Question

..My CLUTCH CABLE IS LEAKING AND I DON'T KNOW WHY?.

Answer 1

Yep, sounds like a trip to a mechanic is in order.

Answer 2

Obviously you don't know what your doing, so I would suggest taking it to a qualified mechanic before you cause any damage.

Answer 3

There is an o-ring at the end of the clutch cable where it goes in to the primary cover. IIRC on the older Sportsters you need to remove the primary cover to undo the end of the cable from the clutch basket. While it is not hard to do it does take some mechanical knowledge to do it without messing things up. If you plan on doing any work on the bike get the manuals. While factory manuals are not cheap they are worth it in the long run. Another place to check out is http://www.sportster.org/. They are dedicated to Sportsters of all years.

Added: As far as the miss-firing how old is the gas in the tank? How long has it been since its had a tune-up? Miss-firing can be due to several things.

1.) Old fuel

2.) Worn spark plugs

3.) Bad plug wire

4.) Ignition sensor/points going bad

5.) Loose wire to ignition coil or coil going bad

I used to be a Harley mechanic (till I had to quit due to a military move) so if you have any other questions let me know.

Answer 4

Pictures of where it is leaking would help, my thought would be that the seal has just gone bad (after 10 years) and just needs a new one.  As for the miss firing, could be a host of things from fuel system to spark plugs -

If your son is not comfortable working on it please take the advice of the two people above and take it to a licensed mechanic.  Doesn't have to be a Harley shop, but any bike shop should do.

Good Luck!