81 LH carb confusion

[Rasputin]

So okay I am having a bit o' trouble with my 81LH carbs. Where the pilot jet goes in are there rubber plugs or screws that are supposed to be in there after? I have searched and found so far that the rubber plugs seem to be on the 80 carbs that had the passage between the main and the pilot. There were no rubber plugs when I cleaned these carbs and I can not seem to get it to idle properly. I am wondering if that is part of the reason the PO's could not get it running as well. I can have it run at about 1500 rpm but if I try to get the idle down it simply dies. I am thinking maybe part number 54 on the parts fiche is missing but maybe I am mistaken on which part that actually is. I will take them off again tomorrow night but am wondering if anyone can shed some light on this for me. Thanks

[bikerphil]

Look for the passage between the main and pilot jet tower. If there is a passage, use the rubber plugs, no passage, no plugs. The 81's should have no passage.

[81xsproject]

If they are really 81 carbs, those rubber plugs should not be installed. There were some bastard 80 carbs that they were meant for. To check if you need them, there would be a hole drilled to connect the main jet tower and the pilot jet tower. If you don't have the hole, you don't need the plugs.

...oops. Maybe I should have read Phil's post first

[DGXSER]

As we all know, sometimes the carbs on the bike were not put there by the factory. As Phil and Jesse covered well, the crossover between the towers is the tell tale if you need the plugs.

I have seen and worked on one set of those bastard 80 carbs. Unfortunatley the bike went up in a fire before we could get it running right. The one thing that always had me confused or questioning on it was we put the 120 mains in the carbs, and the plugs. Seems to me if you use that plug, you want the 137.5 mains to go with it. FWIW.

[fredintoon]

So okay I am having a bit o' trouble with my 81LH carbs. Where the pilot jet goes in are there rubber plugs or screws that are supposed to be in there after? - - -

Hi Doug,
you just got this machine, eh? Maybe it don't have it's original carbs any more?
Like they said, if there's a slanty hole from above the main jet to below the pilot jet the pilot jet sucks from the main jet and you need the 137.5 main jets and the rubber plugs.
If there ain't a slanty hole the pilot jet sucks out of the float bowl and installing the plugs will block it.