I have stock muffler, 145 jet, no soot, last check of the spark plug was tan and white insulator, black on the inside and bottom.  No starting issue except on real cold mornings (CA how cold can that be?) and I think that was the battery as I replaced battery and don't have issue anymore.  50+mpg.

My complaint? slow idle in the morn, fast idle in the evening.  1200 vs 1500.

Mornings are start with choke, choke in one click and idle for awhile.  If its idling slow, adjust.  Drive a mile and push choke in.  Stop get gas restart check idle speed.

Evenings I don't need any choke.  But need to idle down.  Especially on a hot afternoon.  

barry68v10 wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:04:

I'm not sure...I don't know what the inner working of the exhaust might have been like.  Has anyone measured one?  I've got the numbers for a '00.

BUT (and I feel this is a very big point)...if you look at the specs for the '86 - '88 carb,  EVERYTHING was different.  From the LARGER throttle valve to BOTH of the pilot air jets.  Even the jet needle had a different taper.  It might have said BS40 on the outside, but the insides were really different.

So, with that in mind, why would anyone think that changing one jet on a later model would make them equal?

For a comparison, there is a jetting list in the Tech section.  I put it there a couple years ago.

barry68v10 wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:04:

That's all I try to get people to realize.

And it would be interesting if anyone has a stock '86 muffler, and see what size "orifices" it has...

The stock '01 muffler outlet is .800" or 20.32 mm

When changing stuff around that may require a jetting change I work my way one jet size at a time, checking throttle response in the appropriate ranges and then checking the plug and muffler.  I try to do 3 or 4 test runs before making one jet change to be sure...time allowing.
For the main jet, WOT in 3rd or 4th gear will tell you if it is too rich by bogging down.