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Message started by Brewbrother on 10/25/06 at 16:58:28

Title: winter carb adjustments.
Post by Brewbrother on 10/25/06 at 16:58:28

Starting to get a drop in temp on the Gulf coast. My bike had been performing quite well with only some minor pops on decel, today I had two minor farts on shut down and actual backfires on decel. Does anyone else have to adjust the carb for colder weather??

Title: Re: winter carb adjustments.
Post by steelwolf on 10/25/06 at 17:01:58

I'm not sure if it really made a difference but I turned my mix screw a little to lean it out some about 2 weeks ago and my bike has really been very responsive since. But then again the colder weather hit around the same time as well. I haven't had any pops or backfires though. Before or after the change.

Title: Re: winter carb adjustments.
Post by sluggo on 10/25/06 at 17:07:59

nope, never done that, just need to use the choke a little longer.

Title: Re: winter carb adjustments.
Post by spike on 10/26/06 at 03:12:31

I know mine sounded a little funny 2wks ago. I had a class for work and took the bike. It was 32deg at 0615 when I left. It was 90mi to the class and I only had enough time to get there so i was running 70-75 the whole way. It just seemed as though the engine was running cold the whole time.
As far as the chock after my service end of Jul begining of Aug, which they adjusted to carb ( they said to get rid of the backfire which it didn't). I've had to chock it every since.
I know I never adjusted the carb on my other bikes before for the cooler temps, but I kind of wonder the same thing. I'm in Pa and it cools down around here alittle sometimes, not yet but soon.

Title: Re: winter carb adjustments.
Post by lancer on 10/26/06 at 05:03:26

As the air temp drops the air density increases ... more oxygen per unit volume of air. More oxygen ... same amount of fuel = leaner mixture.

Richen your mix slightly, probably just the pilot air adjusting screw is all that will be needed. There should not be enough change to warrant a needle or main jet adjustment.
On the occasion if the air temp goes WAY DOWN into the frigid area a main jet change may help top end, but if you are not going wide open then it will not make a difference.

Title: Re: winter carb adjustments.
Post by DianeS. on 10/26/06 at 19:51:14

When I started off to work today, it was just above the freezing point: +1 celcuis. I had the choke on for a few minutes, but then the bike was fine. I ride 80 kms each way to work, and most of that was at speeds of 80 - 100 km/hr.

Last winter I rode the bike every few weeks when the roads were dry, just to keep the battery charged etc. Not sure if that was a good idea or not? My garage stays above freezing, so other than putting Stabil in the tank, and draining the carb etc., I just rode it enough to keep it running.

DianeS.

Title: Re: winter carb adjustments.
Post by Brewbrother on 10/27/06 at 15:08:24

lancer wrote:

As usual you were correct. It needed somewhere between an 1/8 and 1/4 turn on the screw. Thanks for the heads up.

Title: Re: winter carb adjustments.
Post by Brewbrother on 10/27/06 at 15:09:17

spike wrote:

Were you runninung better with the choke out??

Title: Re: winter carb adjustments.
Post by spike on 10/27/06 at 15:22:45

I didn't ride it with the chock on. I shut that off before I took off.

Title: Re: winter carb adjustments.
Post by DianeS. on 10/27/06 at 17:56:58

I tend to pull the choke fully out for a few minutes and let the bike idle, and then I push the choke about halfway in when the engine starts to struggle - too much gas at that point. If it's really cold, I leave the choke halfway out for the first bit of riding on my road, or else my bike tends to sputter a bit. Then, I shut the choke off fully. Someone told me that it's not good to ride a bike with the choke on for any length of time???

I had a shop re-jet the bike in the spring, and the backfire was reduced, but not totally gone. They told me that with my jardine muffler, and the baffles that they could only jet it so far. Anyway, lately in the colder temps it is doing more of a pop on shut-off, and it still backfires when I throttle off quickly to shift into the next gear - but I can like with that. Kind of gives my bike some character. ;D

DianeS

Title: Re: winter carb adjustments.
Post by lancer on 10/30/06 at 06:43:42

I do not know if this apply's to your situation, but I have found fairly regularly that when a shop says they cannot jet the bike any farther, they are usually refering to the pilot air adjusting screw. They have not taken the time to change the pilot jet itself.
There is no limit (practically speaking) to jetting a carb.
The main jet on a Savage carb us usually a #150, #152.5, #155 etc, but you can go all the way up to #180. Or you can switch over to the hex head jets and go up to #720 if you wanted. The pilot jet is the same, the stock type go up to #60, and you can switch over to the VM style and go up to #120.
How about the needle? If you really want an adjustable needle it can be arranged. Use the white spacer, use tiny washers, cut additional grooves into the stock needle, put a different needle in it (there are a bunch in the parts book and surely there is a least a few that would work in the carb. Heck, the needle jet could be bored out to provide more fuel flow.

LOTS OF STUFF CAN BE DONE ... it just takes a little thought, measurments, planning & a few tools.

THERE IS NO LIMIT TO JETTING A CARB