Savage_Amusement wrote on 03/09/10 at 09:49:28:

OK, fess up, what did you do?
pilot jet size, main jet size, needle spacer?
Check that your main jet is tight and there's a washer under it.

"I have taken a little bit off the spacer but not a lot.  I can tell it is to rich in that first 1/4 of a twist though, it smokes and has turned my brake lever on the rear black. "

A bit rich eh?  1st guess would be to take the spacer back to stock thickness and probably go back 1 increment on the main jet.
The spacer should make it consistent throughout the throttle range.

While you're in there, check to see if you got a washer under the jet.

Alright today I broke it open.

Pilot: 55
Main: 150
Spacer:3/4

I turned in the mix screw a little and it helped some. After reading more about the start of this thread I'm going to drop back down to a 52.5 pilot, I think that is where I was to rich.

Hi Guys;
Love this forum. You're going to make a Suzuki lover out of me yet. I say that because my first Susuki was a 94 RM250 which broke down on me every ride.
Anyway, I picked up a cheap 86 Savage in most part because of the Positive review and tech tips available on this sight.
So thanks to all the Savage enthusiasts here!
That being said, my Little custom savage is nearing the limit I will take it and....I love it. I am so happy with it, my friends are predicting I won’t sell it as originally planned. They might be right, as long as I can come up with a convincing story for the wife...
So to my point...I do read alot about the Backfire, and oh boy does my Savage comply. So loud and sharp I not only scare the riders behind me, but myself too at times.
So the fix seems easy, Adjust the air Mixture screw, and then look to remove the white spacer and possibly re-jet.
My question: Before I dig into this carb, was the white spacer part of every year’s carb? I read in these blogs that it was emission control which might have been some time after 86. I also question that because I am certain the Air Mixture screw was not factory capped either.

Those don't sound wrong.
But simple testing will confirm.
On the idle jet, if the screw is out 3 turns or more, go up in size.
On the main jet, at full throttle accel, if you can back off an 1/8 turn and it seems to pick up, go 1 size up.

you'll never get rid of the snap crackle pop on decel (you lucky sob)
but shutdown pop and shift pop it can be done.

ok i did it - most of it - 52 & 152.5 - 1/2 turn CCW on the air fuel screw after removing the brass plug - idle screw remained in the same position - could not do the white spacer/washer mod - not comfortable digging that far in to the carb - has better more smooth acceleration - still crackles on decel - no shift pops - good mid range power - good 3 thru 5th gear accel - no bogging or hesitations in any gear but still BANGS on shut down ( is that the result of not doing the white spacer mod?)

more to it than i t6hought - had to take out the battery and remove the air box hose to get the carb out - could not see the slot on the 147 jet with the carb in the bike - did not want to booger it up so took the carb out to work on it.

there was a spacer on the 50 jet and i put it back on the 52 jet when i installed it.

glad i did it from a performance standpoint - would like the shut down BANG to go a way though.

does anyone have a picture of the spacer that is referred too?

how does one get a 1/2 spacer?

is the spacer located under the main jet?

my GF's savage has a bog just off the line in first gear, then it picks up.  I think it's a midrange circuit.....  seems to be rich enough on the bottom after adjusting the screw out to 3 turns.  suggestions?

thanks in advance!

Thanks a lot!!! This really helped me. THis have avaken the beast and doubled the force when over half throttle. I took out the carb today and expected a 145 main and a 52,5 pilot, but guess what!!! It had at 125 main and a 47,5 pilot!!!!!! Crazy. I guess it have been power restricted for a middle heavy class type motorsycle. A special system in norway where new and young drivers have only 30HP. This is the explanation for not responding at all before over half throttle. I made a speed record on the first small straight section I tested it.

I have a quite open mufflle (viper fish tail 22) and have installed a 44mm baffle to silence it a bit. I have stock air filter, but have removed the rubber intake wich I belive restrict the flow alot. I started out in the table in the first post with a 150-55-and 3whashers=1/2 spacer + 1/2 mixture. It worked excellent, but I had some shift pops and some pops on sudden shut down. Allso engine turn off poof. I looked in the table again and adjusted mix to 3/4. All pops anp poofs where gone. Even if I did my best to make them, there were no poofs.

This carb mod have really made the bike new. It runns so good that it is no need for moore power with such a frame ,sitting position dampers etc.

Thanks a lot for the help!!!!