Question on Pilot settings jet sizes and idle response

[muaymendez1]

So My problem was noticed last winter. The bike would take forever to warm up which made my short ride to work unpleasant. I just read an article on shadow wherethe same problem existed. Long warm ups. Choking when goosingthe throttle and poor off idle preformance.

Before getting into changing jets the article spoke of raising the idle needles by adding shims.Also turning the pilots out 1/2 to a full turn to enrichen idle.

I dont mind trying out a few options but I was hoping someone had info tested and tried options so I didnt have to be the test dummy.

The bike has khrome werks turn out exhaust which is louder but the carbs jets seem to be sock from previous owner. I get slight popping on decel and power is great. Only idle preformance is bugging me.

[V7Goose]

You probably do not need to do anything more than simply clean the pilot jets. Most of yours are probably totally clogged.

Goose

[muaymendez1]

It is a possibility but I cleaned the carbs a week aftyer purchasing bike in february anditsbeen doing this since purchase date. All jets were visibly clean. Carb clean didnt show much varnish anywhere.

 

it is a 96 with 30k miles so u may be correct. what about float levels should they be readjusted

[muaymendez1]

I would like a pic of where the pilot screws are located and see if they have been drilled out yet

[V7Goose]

I have never opened the carbs on the '90s Royal Stars, so I do not know if they are like the 1st gens, 2nd gens, or some completely different animal. Because of that, I cannot advise you on specific locations of various parts.

 

And I understand that many things could have been changed or messed up by prior owners on a 15 year old bike. But the symptoms you described fit absolutely perfectly with plugged pilot jets (or any other problem that restricts fuel through the pilot circuits in a CV carb). The jets may have been cleaned by somebody in an attempt to fix the problem, but maybe the carb passages are fouled? Did you try to spray carb cleaner through the pilot jet passage and get a strong stream out into the carb throat below the butterfly?

 

I doubt that float levels could cause the symptoms you describe. Generally a carb will run pretty well on a wide range of float settings. If they are WAY too low, the engine would still run very good until it starved for fuel under hard acceleration. If they are way too high, you would be running rich - very different than your symptoms.

 

The most simple test of pilot circuits is to just turn the mixture screws in to hear the idle speed drop. If it does not drop from any carb before the screw seats, then that carb is not providing any fuel from the pilot circuit.

Goose