Does anybody still mess with carburetor tuning/jetting?

[Eddo Rogue]

I am battling a float issue right now on a Mikuni CV style carb. This carb has all brand new parts and has never run right. Meanwhile the same but crappy beat up looking carb works perfect.

 

[sgtsandman]

Speaking of carbs, I need to look at the ine on the weed whacker. I think a hose to the primer is cracked. The primer bulb isn’t filling with fuel as it should and the engine doesn’t want to run correctly.

 

[19Walt93]

I run Holleys on my truck and Mustang. Years ago my son told me how great his Edelbog ran so we swapped carbs for a week, my Mustang felt doggy, the throttle response sucked, and it cost me 3 tenths in the quarter. Holleys are not hard to tune, you just need to pay attention to the way it runs after making changes. I bought the Holley on my Mustang in 1992 and haven't done much to it since I set it up, I've cleaned the air bleeds, replaced the secondary diaphragm when I changed the spring, and leaned out the jets a couple numbers after NH got rid of the MTBE in our gas. A stock 77 Mustang 302 turned a 17.7 at 78 mph in a magazine test and would get about 12 mpg. Mine runs 13.8@102 and gets 19-20 mpg with the Holley on a non stock engine.
We watched the whole Lucifer series, satan didn't seem like such a bad guy.

 

[rumblecloud]

Last time I messed with carbs was on my 65 Goat with trips. Something about sequential tuning is all I remember -- that and that it seemed to have an extra passing gear-- odd for 4-speed, but it sure pinned your ears back.

 

[1990RangerinSK]

They are much more simple and easy to understand then EFI

And there's something in the Bible about how the easy road is the road to Hell. Wide is the gate, and broad is the road that leads to destruction.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

And there's something in the Bible about how the easy road is the road to Hell. Wide is the gate, and broad is the road that leads to destruction.

That is good.

I will have to remember that line next time someone tries to say how easy EFI is...

 

[Eddo Rogue]

Speaking of carbs, I need to look at the ine on the weed whacker. I think a hose to the primer is cracked. The primer bulb isn’t filling with fuel as it should and the engine doesn’t want to run correctly.

I had to replace the primer bulb on mine. Hard to tell but it was cracked. Picked up a 3 pack on fleabay for a few bucks.

On my little stihl chainsaw the carb was bad...replaced the whole thing...I think it was $40 bucks for a brand new oem carb. The mower shop fixed that one.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I still have a set of jet gauges... jet reamers and a couple uni sync gauges. I was pretty handy with Dellorto and Weber carbs. Most carbs actually...

I haven't touched one in at least a decade.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

I still have a set of jet gauges... jet reamers and a couple uni sync gauges. I was pretty handy with Dellorto and Weber carbs. Most carbs actually...

I haven't touched one in at least a decade.

I usually brake cleaner and compress air blast to clean jets, sometimes sonic clean em.
Those jet reamers are always too big for the bike carbs. I have a jewels drill bit set with tiny little bits that squeeze through the bigger jets.

I look forward to not touching carbs. Right now I'm playing musical chairs cleaning em as things sit too long. The dirt bikes, mower, whacker,chain saws, mini bikes, log splitters, pressure washer, generator....Maybe I need more fuel injection in my life lol.

Started using ethanol free and stabilizer more vigilantly hoping this wont happen next spring mh.

 

[fastpakr]

At this point I can mostly avoid them outside of motorcycles. And for better or worse, I haven't had time to fool with a bike in a few years. I'm paying monthly to keep one in a storage unit and to have plates and insurance on it. Really should find time to reassemble the engine for it and get it back on the road.

 

[Uncle Gump]

My jet gauges are probably a bit big fir those applications.

I have reamers that go smaller then most pin vises I've ever seen.

 

[sgtsandman]

I had to replace the primer bulb on mine. Hard to tell but it was cracked. Picked up a 3 pack on fleabay for a few bucks.

On my little stihl chainsaw the carb was bad...replaced the whole thing...I think it was $40 bucks for a brand new oem carb. The mower shop fixed that one.

The bulb looks ok but I do know that the cracked bulb is a thing. I’ll keep that in mind when I get a chance to work on it. The bulb is a bit cloudy now, so the thought did cross my mind.

 

[bilbo]

I look forward to not touching carbs. Right now I'm playing musical chairs cleaning em as things sit too long. The dirt bikes, mower, whacker,chain saws, mini bikes, log splitters, pressure washer, generator....Maybe I need more fuel injection in my life lol.

This is how the snowmobiles always are. I have three of them and tried many different techniques for leaving them sit through the summer. No matter what at least one sled would always have issues. Usually it was the pilot jets. Or the needle valve would stick and not let fuel into one or more carbs. It seems random which machine acts up, but there is always at least one at the start of every season.

I've also got a Honda FG110 mini tiller that needs some carb work. It was used throughout the summer and winterized per the manual every year for about five years. Last spring it wouldn't run under load. The funny thing is I anger purchased this one after my "earthquake" brand one had carb issues, thinking it would be better being a four-stroke Honda. So much for that.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

This is how the snowmobiles always are. I have three of them and tried many different techniques for leaving them sit through the summer. No matter what at least one sled would always have issues. Usually it was the pilot jets. Or the needle valve would stick and not let fuel into one or more carbs. It seems random which machine acts up, but there is always at least one at the start of every season.

I've also got a Honda FG110 mini tiller that needs some carb work. It was used throughout the summer and winterized per the manual every year for about five years. Last spring it wouldn't run under load. The funny thing is I anger purchased this one after my "earthquake" brand one had carb issues, thinking it would be better being a four-stroke Honda. So much for that.

are they 4 cycle engine in the snow machines? I ask because I know they have 2 cycles as well, just like bikes.

My MX machine is a 2 stroke smoker and is usually the best about firing up after sitting a while...Probably has big jets...

Ive had amazing luck w/ the lil inverter HF genie...Although I use it often, so it probably just has't sat long enough to gunk up yet.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

Update:

I think one of my bike carbs is cursed. The seller threw it in a the original carb of the bike, which he modified to a bigger carb. Ended up needing it for another bike (same model) and for the life of me I cant get this thing to run.

I have thrown everything at this carb. Oem rebuild kit, messed with jettings, needles etc put it all back stock...Figured its the float and ordered a new one, making every part in the carb new. Bike still runs like crap. I'm starting to think something internal is busted idk....never had a problem like this before.

All the other carbs I cleaned half assed and they all work perfect lol.

Mikuni BSR36. I hate this carb.