SuzukiSavage.com - Making progress!

Bobster

Ex Member

Making progress!
03/02/06 at 19:16:27

I bought this 99 savage less than 2 weeks ago. It ran very rough. Barely start and ran rough. I just finished dipping the carb and installed a 155 main jet. Removed the filter box and installed a K&N pod. Replaced the leaking head plug and new spark plug. Adjusted the valves while i was there. Changed oil/filter. It came with a harley muffler. It starts, idles and runs excellent. I can only back out 3 turns on the mixture screw before it stops. I tried the suggested " back out til it idles highest". But she backfires terribly. Im sitting at 2 1/4 turn out now to where it backfires the least. But when i turn it off, it shoots a blue fire about 6-8" long. Any suggestions?

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Reelthing Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Fish or ride that is the question Posts: 5397 Houston,Tx Gender:	Re: Making progress! Reply #1 - 03/02/06 at 20:52:35 you have a really good seal on the head pipe both at the engine and the muffler - if it's sucking air there it will sure play like a 12 ga by the way how did you deal with the head breather hose?
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Bobster Ex Member	Re: Making progress! Reply #2 - 03/02/06 at 21:21:01 yea everything is sealed. Pipe is welded. I used a small K&N filter for crankcase breather. Thanks for trying.
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AussieSavage Ex Member	Re: Making progress! Reply #3 - 03/02/06 at 23:36:36 Hi Bobster Last year my Savage had a similiar problem. It ended up being the O ring that sits in with the needle valve. My bike would shoot out a blue flame when adjusting the mixture screw as well. You may have a different problem, but worth checking. Cheers AussieSavage
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Reelthing Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Fish or ride that is the question Posts: 5397 Houston,Tx Gender:	Re: Making progress! Reply #4 - 03/03/06 at 06:23:49 Bobster wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:03: yea everything is sealed. Pipe is welded. I used a small K&N filter for crankcase breather. Thanks for trying. Not trying to beat on this - did you replace the header pipe gasket? http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?board=RubberSideDown;action=display;n...
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Bobster Ex Member	Re: Making progress! Reply #5 - 03/03/06 at 06:40:13 Reelthing wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:03: Not trying to beat on this - did you replace the header pipe gasket? http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?board=RubberSideDown;action=display;n... no, i havent had it apart. It sounds quiet there.
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Jim_R Ex Member	Re: Making progress! Reply #6 - 03/03/06 at 06:40:29 wow built in flamethrower! Sounds like u need to upgrade the pilot jet to a 55 to get more of an adjustment range. As far as the blue flame goes if ur muffler and header are welded then I would check the gasket at the front of the header. Seems u already cleaned the carb.
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Bobster

Ex Member

Re: Making progress!
Reply #7 - 03/03/06 at 06:46:53

Jim_R wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:03:

wow built in flamethrower! Sounds like u need to upgrade the pilot jet to a 55 to get more of an adjustment range. As far as the blue flame goes if ur muffler and header are welded then I would check the gasket at the front of the header. Seems u already cleaned the carb.

How will that give me more adjustment? I dont think it effects the 3 turns out mixture screw. BTW, I tried to buy a 55 pilot jet but could only find the main jet. thanks

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Bobster

Ex Member

Re: Making progress!
Reply #8 - 03/03/06 at 06:48:42

AussieSavage wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:03:

Hi Bobster

Last year my Savage had a similiar problem. It ended up being the O ring that sits in with the needle valve.

My bike would shoot out a blue flame when adjusting the mixture screw as well. You may have a different problem, but worth checking.

Cheers
AussieSavage

I will look into that.

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Savage_Rob Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Mechanically Inclined Amateur Posts: 6972 Texas (Dallas area) Gender:	Re: Making progress! Reply #9 - 03/03/06 at 06:56:59 Bobster wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:03: BTW, I tried to buy a 55 pilot jet but could only find the main jet. http://www.carbparts.com/mikuni/mikuni_tuning.htm
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Bobster Ex Member	Re: Making progress! Reply #10 - 03/03/06 at 07:02:49 Savage_Rob wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:03: http://www.carbparts.com/mikuni/mikuni_tuning.htm does that sound like the problem to you Rob?
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Savage_Rob

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Re: Making progress!
Reply #11 - 03/03/06 at 07:13:13

Bobster wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:03:

does that sound like the problem to you Rob?

I was simply replying to your post on not seeing 55 pilot jets. However, after reading the whole thread, it could be a couple of things. Please read the Mid-Range Power & the White Spacer (Backfire) thread in the Tech Ref forum. The white spacer mod may help with the backfiring too. Since you've stated your exhaust is welded, I'd only suggest that you check/replace the gasket between the header and the engine. That caused me definite problems very similar to your description. My mixture screw only backed out 2 turns and locked up. I replaced the pilot jet with a 55 and that portion of the tuning was fine (I got lucky). It can't hurt for you to try it and it's inexpensive.

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Bobster

Ex Member

Re: Making progress!
Reply #12 - 03/03/06 at 07:20:54

Savage_Rob wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:03:

I was simply replying to your post on not seeing 55 pilot jets. However, after reading the whole thread, it could be a couple of things. Please read the Mid-Range Power & the White Spacer (Backfire) thread in the Tech Ref forum. The white spacer mod may help with the backfiring too. Since you've stated your exhaust is welded, I'd only suggest that you check/replace the gasket between the header and the engine. That caused me definite problems very similar to your description. My mixture screw only backed out 2 turns and locked up. I replaced the pilot jet with a 55 and that portion of the tuning was fine (I got lucky). It can't hurt for you to try it and it's inexpensive.

Yes i have read the spacer mod. I forgot to say so originally. But i also did the mod with 2 #4 brass washers. Anyway, I just thought i'd ask here. I will be fine.

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Savage_Rob

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Re: Making progress!
Reply #13 - 03/03/06 at 08:11:29

Ahh, okay. But just so far as being able to adjust your idle mixture, you upsize the pilot jet if backing out the screw fully wont get you there. I spent quite a long time trying to tune and retune my carb and finally found the problem to be that the gasket between the cylinder head and header was leaking. There was no soot or anything like that to indicate this but I ordered one since a couple of folks had advised it could be the problem and I figured it was cheap and wouldn't hurt to have a spare anyway. Once I got the new one and compared it to the old one, I could see how much more flattened the old one had become. I replaced it and 99% of my backfiring ceased.

Disclaimer: Please note the Mechanically Inclined Amateur text. I like to do my own work and am not stupid but my wrenching experience is limited compared to a lot of the other folks on this site.

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Bobster Ex Member	Re: Making progress! Reply #14 - 03/03/06 at 09:28:22 Yea i may order an exaust gasket. I just went for a ride. It had a stumble from low-mid rande. I took the screw back in to 1 1/2 turns. It seems much better. Now im going to the highway for a trial run.
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