SuzukiSavage.com - White Spacer Clarification

Joe Archambault

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White Spacer Clarification
07/15/05 at 11:06:55

I just picked up an 87 Savage last night, and I have been reading about them on this site. Lots of great info, and many thanks to all.

I have a question about this white spacer mod. I have it out right now, the spacer is on top of the e-ring correct? Mine has a metal washer just below the e-ring also, this stays in correct? I have a few #4 washers and will be trying that now, my goal is to get somewhere around 1/2 or less of the spacers thickness? Oh yeah, the bike has a pipe (not sure which one, but it is load as hell) and I believe the stock air intake. The plug has been drilled out already, and I am guessing anywhere between 1 and 2 turns out on the idle mixture from what I have read already. Any other things I am missing? Thank you very much for your time and expertise with this bike.

P.S. Now I have 4 thumpers! (2 honda xrs and a grizzly 600)

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Savage_Greg Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Don't go around your ass to reach your elbow... Posts: 7844 SW Washington State Gender:	Re: White Spacer Clarification Reply #1 - 07/15/05 at 11:16:47 Sounds like you should wander into the Technical Corner and have a look for the carb topic. You'll find schematics and pictures there.
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Joe Archambault

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Re: White Spacer Clarification
Reply #2 - 07/15/05 at 11:22:02

Savage_Greg wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:07:

Sounds like you should wander into the Technical Corner and have a look for the carb topic. You'll find schematics and pictures there.

I did that already, but just wanted to be sure about the metal washer under the e-ring as the previous owner has already been goofing around with the carb. They told me the spacer was removed, and I found it in there, so I am just trying to be certain. There is only 1 white spacer correct? Thanks ..Joe

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Savage_Greg Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Don't go around your ass to reach your elbow... Posts: 7844 SW Washington State Gender:	Re: White Spacer Clarification Reply #3 - 07/15/05 at 11:23:47 Joe Archambault wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:07: There is only 1 white spacer correct? Thanks ..Joe That is affirmative... 8)
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Joe Archambault Guest	Re: White Spacer Clarification Reply #4 - 07/15/05 at 11:28:07 Thank you very much. I am going out to install it now. What kind of bit does it take to adjust the air/fuel mixture screw? It looks like some kind of taper proof head on the screw? Thanks again.....Joe
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Savage_Greg

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Re: White Spacer Clarification
Reply #5 - 07/15/05 at 14:55:41

Joe Archambault wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:07:

Thank you very much. I am going out to install it now.

What kind of bit does it take to adjust the air/fuel mixture screw? It looks like some kind of taper proof head on the screw? Thanks again.....Joe

Normally the head on the screw is covered by a small plug with a hole in it. Might be a small dab of paint on it too. The plug has to be drilled out to adjust the screw...straight slot.

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CanadianSavage Guest	Re: White Spacer Clarification Reply #6 - 07/16/05 at 11:39:41 I am new to the savage world and I just finished the spacer modification as well. Where do the ends of the bowl vent tubes go when reinstalling the carb?
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Savage_Greg Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Don't go around your ass to reach your elbow... Posts: 7844 SW Washington State Gender:	Re: White Spacer Clarification Reply #7 - 07/16/05 at 12:04:24 I think there is a picture in the Technical Corner (no posts in there, though)... The vent tubes curve up forward and over the top of the carb. They fit on each side of that black module into a space in the frame backbone....which means the ends are at about the same height as the petc0ck under the tank.
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CanadianSavage Ex Member	Re: White Spacer Clarification Reply #8 - 07/16/05 at 12:47:50 Thanks Greg, I noticed in the tech section that some people said that the spacer was best at 1/3 of the original size. I just took my savage for a short ride and it felt and sounded good with the whole spacer removed. Should I bother trying the 1/3 adjustment or leave it as is?
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Savage_Greg

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Re: White Spacer Clarification
Reply #9 - 07/16/05 at 12:57:07

CanadianSavage wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:07:

Thanks Greg,

I noticed in the tech section that some people said that the spacer was best at 1/3 of the original size. I just took my savage for a short ride and it felt and sounded good with the whole spacer removed. Should I bother trying the 1/3 adjustment or leave it as is?

Well, personally, I don't know. I set mine with 1/2 spacer and it seems fine (of course, I'm the one that started the whole 1/2 spacer thing 4 years ago)

For your particular bike that may be fine for you. The best thing to do is a plug chop, or at least check the plug after the engine has gotten good and hot. There are a lot of things that can vary your results. Smell gas or see black smoke? Is the throttle response smooth from the bottom to the top?

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SavageDude Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Posts: 561 OC_California Gender:	Re: White Spacer Clarification Reply #10 - 07/16/05 at 20:11:37 Savage_Greg wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:07: For your particular bike that may be fine for you. The best thing to do is a plug chop I'm newbie so bear with me; what is a PLUG CHOP?
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Savage_Greg

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Re: White Spacer Clarification
Reply #11 - 07/16/05 at 20:23:00

SavageDude wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:07:

I'm newbie so bear with me; what is a PLUG CHOP?

I love it

That would be going "wide the hell open" on a good deserted stretch of road for about a mile, then pull in the clutch, close the throttle, and then hit the kill switch. You coast that puppy to a stop on the side of the road (no more gas), grab your spark plug socket and pull the plug.....that will tell you what your main jet is doing by the color of the plug.

You chopped the throttle and checked the plug.... 8)

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CanadianSavage Ex Member	Re: White Spacer Clarification Reply #12 - 07/18/05 at 08:39:10 Now that I've been running it without a spacer I would like to compare it to using 1/2 the spacer. What is the best way to get a good split?
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savage_joe

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Re: White Spacer Clarification
Reply #13 - 07/18/05 at 09:38:36

CanadianSavage wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:07:

Now that I've been running it without a spacer I would like to compare it to using 1/2 the spacer. What is the best way to get a good split?

If you have something to measure the thickness of the spacer with, then go buy a few 3mm flat washers (some say #4 washers, but I found that they do not fit down inside the bore in the piston valve, or slide whatever you call it without grinding them down, 3mm fit right in there.) Stack up enough 3mm washers to equal the thickness of half the spacer (I found it was about 2-3 washers), or whatever thickness you want to try, and use this washer stack instead of the white spacer.

This way you are not modifying the white spacer, just in case you ever need it as a reference or something.

Good Luck..Joe

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SavageDude

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Re: White Spacer Clarification
Reply #14 - 07/18/05 at 10:04:28

CanadianSavage wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:07:

Now that I've been running it without a spacer I would like to compare it to using 1/2 the spacer. What is the best way to get a good split?

You can do the 'el cheapo' way: find a rough concrete surface and grind it down to 1/2. On mine, I saw a thin line on the spacer left behind when it came out of the mold. That is the 1/2 mark. Happy grinding Grin

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2005 S40, debadged, Tkat FB, saddle bags, sissy bar, HD Sporter muff, Fly screen, white spacer mod, 150 main jet.....and sssslowly upgrading

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