[alexxai]

Last night I took the carbs off my 1983 KZ550 (I just bought this bike a month ago) to clean them and found something surprising- the main jets on the middle two carbs were unscrewed fully (just sitting there loose on their seats) and the main jets on the outside two were screwed in fully. I cleaned everything, screwed all four jets down to hand-tight, and put the carbs back on the bike. I started the bike and it seems like my warm up time has greatly decreased, but now it runs very rich - it idles around 4K and I have the idle screw fully out. I also hear gas exploding in the exhaust. How tight are the main jets supposed to be? I'm tempted to just put them back how I found them but it didn't look right... My book doesn't give a good explanation but the picture looks like they should all be screwed in fully. How can I adjust the gas/air mixture to make the bike run more lean? Thanks!

 

[woundwort]

OK I am somewhat confused.

Your main jets are inside the bowl area. It wouldn't run with these loose...

I assume you are speaking of idle air screws. ????? Which in the US are plugged so the rider can't adjust easily. If they have been rebuilt before the caps are drilled out and never replaced...... and the manual never gives US specs for adjustments cause for proper adjustments a shop should do the work

Mine are all 2 turns out though

Good luck and buy a clymers manual dude. Not that it would help a lot in this case

 

[alexxai]

I am talking about the main jets - it was surprising that they were out but it did run with them completely unscrewed. Anyway I started messing with the idle air screws (they were all set between 4 and 5 1/2 turns out to start with - is that too far out?) - After trying a few setting, I set them all to 2 1/2 turns and it seems to run much better - no gas is burning in the exhaust. The bike is still idleing really high - 3-4K with the idle screw completely out. After I give it gas the revs go down slowly too... about 5 seconds to get back to 4K.

Before I started messing with it it seemed to run ok - but it got really bad gas mileage and took a really long time to warm up. I thought I'd just clean the carbs but seem to have uncovered greater problems...

Do you know anything that could cause the high idleing?

 

[woundwort]

did you disassemble the carbs compleately and dip them or use carb cleaner in the can?

The dip is the BEST method but the spray can will work in a pinch. A gallon can of Berryman's carb and parts cleaner is available at the auto store for $15 and well worth it. read the directions on the can.

I used the dip and canned cleaner to blow the passages clean afterwards. Compressed air is the tool of choice though for blowing the passages clean after a dip cleaning.


Your choke isn't coming on is it? check this as it starts to idle high????
If you use the dip method follow these simple rules

USE GOOD SREW DRIVERS

tear down 1 carb at a time.

remove ALL rubber from carbs CAREFULLY, You want to buy as little as possible unless you have compleate kits handy &&&& the fuel inlet seat usually has an o-ring.

DON'T mess with the nuts and bolts that are in the linkage between the carbs.

NO WIRE BRUSHES. plastic is ok though.

usually you count the turns it takes to seat the idle air screws GENTLY and write it down per carb.

take your time and NO DRINKING WHILE DOING THIS......
or smoking,,,,,, cause that stuff is nasty bad fire hazard.

I on the other hand am gonna drink till I am drunk now and smoke a Macanudo cigar,,,,, a cheap one but still tasty


Good luck

 

[MagicNinja]

A hanging idle means its running too lean. Check for leaks around the carb vacuum tubes and airbox boots.

 

[northernman]

A hanging idle means its running too lean. Check for leaks around the carb vacuum tubes and airbox boots.

true wht he said, a bike that overly rich would flood and stall itself.

And were the main jets actually just laying in the float bowls then ?

 

[Fairwind]

Does EACH SLIDE have an idle speed screw to set it's lower limit? Or do all four carbs have a COMMON idle speed setting point? In either case, all four carbs need to be synchronized so the slides are set the same and they begin to lift at EXACTLY the same time..The main jets should all be screwed in tight. If you found crusty deposits in the bottom of the float bowls, then all four carbs need to be COMPLETELY disassembled and cleaned..

 

[StarGate]

Do you guys realize you're trying to solve a problem that was posted 5 years ago?

 

[northernman]

Do you guys realize you're trying to solve a problem that was posted 5 years ago?

:shock:










:wink:

 

[MagicNinja]

Still valid information.