Pilot screws question

[Guest]

i can't remember on the pilot screws on the front of the carbs which ways to turn for lean an richer

[Pat Kelly]

In for lean, out for a richer mixture.

[Guest]

Pilot

hey pat thanks this time I'am writing it down comes with age!!!

[rpgoerlich]

That sometimers is hell getting old!

[drooker56]

What is the stock setting for the pilot screws? When i took them out I counted 9 1/2 turns. What do you guys recommend?

[Ken Talbot]

9 1/2 turns - yikes! This varies a lot from bike to bike depending a lot of factors, but 3 turns would be a good place to start.

[Montreux_Blue]

What is the stock setting for the pilot screws? When i took them out I counted 9 1/2 turns. What do you guys recommend?

Do you have any "upgrades" like pod air filters, 4 into 1 exhaust, drilled air box, etc................

[CatatonicBug]

What is the stock setting for the pilot screws? When i took them out I counted 9 1/2 turns. What do you guys recommend?

Are you saying you began at wherever they were and you unscrewed them that many turns? The measurement needs to be taken by screwing them IN from wherever they are and counting how many turns it takes to hit bottom. That way, when you re-install, you screw them all the way in, and back them out the same number of turns. Usually 2.5 turns IIRC.

[drooker56]

9 1/2 was from where they were to all the way out. Yes I have pods and my exhaust is 4 into 2, headers only.

[DGXSER]

On my 81 special, the mixture screw only goes in about 10 to mayeb 10-1/2 turns from start to seated. So if I read your post correctly, you were 1/2 a turn form seated? That would be VERY lean. I think mine were at 3 turns out before I rebuilt the carbs, now about 2 turns out from seated.

Realizing your running open exhaust and pods, then all I know would go to hates in a hand basket quick.

[Montreux_Blue]

Before you get confused, turn the "idle mixture screws" (what you call pilot screws) all the way in gently until they stop, then turn them out about 3 turns to start. Warm up the bike and then drop it down to idle and see how it runs. I have pods and stock 4 into 2 exhaust. John and I were tuning mine last night and found that it ran best at about 5 turns out, so I will probably need to go up a size on the pilot jets and main jets to keep from running lean. Once you got it where you think it runs the best then sync the carbs.

[TopCatGr58]

Before you get confused, turn the "idle mixture screws" (what you call pilot screws) all the way in gently until they stop, then turn them out about 3 turns to start.

Hey Drooker,

"WE" can't say this strongly or often enough! PLEASE be very careful using just a couple of fingers on the screwdriver, and watch/feel for the pilot screw tip to start protruding thru the small port on the inside/underside of the engine side of the carb throat. The design of these screws lend them to getting STUCK very easily, even breaking off after getting stuck when trying to unscrew them! The Stock settings are 1.5 turns from seated, but as has been said, with your mods, a bit more will probably be needed. But it's been said that if it takes more than 5 turns out, you should go up 1 size on the jet.

Also...running straight headers without any kind of tuning pipe or muffler will probably contribute to worse performance than better!!! There have been several threads about this issue running open headers/pipes vs. mufflers or anything that can provide a bit of back pressure to help even out the exhaust pulses and such!
T.C.

[drooker56]

Thanks so much for your answers and help. I can't say that enough!

I have a new problem though. One of my carbs won't even take the screw in enough to put tension on the spring without bending the tip. There is not a tip broken off in the hole, it is clear. I wanted to tune them in today but i am at an impass. I have a couple more scres but would rather not break them as well without consulting the pros here. is it possible somone replaced one carb with a different model? they look identical and i haven't seen any numbers but i am going to go back out and look. I am lost and getting a little upset about this...


HELP ME!!!

[drooker56]

Please read the post above this. I have one screw that will only turn in about 5 turns so when I back it out two there is no tension on the spring. I tried turning it in gently but tough thinking thre was gunk in the thread but I bent a screw that way. I am lost.

[DGXSER]

Hey Drooker,

Did you have any trouble getting that screw out before? These are the older carbs with the exposed mixture screw right? (I've only worked on the newer ones.)

One thing I did to mine when I had thread troubles was to take some advice from Tarzan and use an old mixture screw (like the ones you bent already) cut the end off of it so it was only the threaded area, cut some vertical grooves through the threads with a hack saw, 2 or 3, and use it as a tap to recut the threads. Used plenty of PB Blaster as cutting oil also.