Running rich

[Young and Reckless]

I'm running extremely rich. I don't have access to my clymer
Which screw is to adjust the the fuel ?
Also I just added k&n pods do I need to rejet?
It was running rich before this change
After I changed the plugs it ran smooth
For one night. Today fouled out again.

[Big T]

There is no simple answer here

What throttle openings are rich?

Why do you think it is rich?

What do your plugs look like?

What jets sizes do you have?

Where are your needles set?

Where is the fuel screw set? (this controls idle only)

Where is the air screw set?

Yes, you need to rejet for pods

[OldVet66]

K&N pods require re-jetting, and would normally make the bike run extremely lean. If it is fouling out the plugs something else is really wrong. I would highly recommend putting your stock air box back on, rebuilding your carbs replacing O-Rings and adjusting valves. Get it running right before throwing a major re-jet into the mix. Welcome to the forum. If Basscliff hasn't given you his Mega welcome and links to tons of information you need to know to get these bikes running right, he will be along shortly. Until then, here is a link to his site to get you started: http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/

[allojohn]

Dude, you need to slow down and think about what you're doing. Don't touch the bike for a few days and start reading about it. You need to educate yourself with the wealth of info on the BassCliff site and get to know your machine.

If you don't you will never get this thing running right, you'll get frustrated and dump it in the barn.

[Young and Reckless]

The plugs are black. Idk about the other settings
With the original air box on I had the same problem.
I am learning about this motorcycle that is why I am asking
If there was some screw to turn to even out the mixture.
I didn't know there were so many condescending GS owners
I will never give up on this bike. I love it.
Pods are very common. It's not a big deal. I am not going
In reverse. I already knew it was rich. All
I'm asking, is there a way to lean out the fuel mixture ?
Please save all the attitude for someone who cares.

[cowboyup3371]

If you don't know the answers than it will be very hard to give you the right kind of help. No one on here is being condescending but remember this is the Internet and without detailed information and help from you we can only guess at what could be wrong.

Provide the answers to the basics and we can go from there. Also, were your carbs PROPERLY dipped and cleaned with orings replaced?

[OldVet66]

The plugs are black. Idk about the other settings
With the original air box on I had the same problem.
I am learning about this motorcycle that is why I am asking
If there was some screw to turn to even out the mixture.
I didn't know there were so many condescending GS owners
I will never give up on this bike. I love it.
Pods are very common. It's not a big deal. I am not going
In reverse. I already knew it was rich. All
I'm asking, is there a way to lean out the fuel mixture ?
Please save all the attitude for someone who cares.

If trying to help is condescending then perhaps you are not listening. No adjustment screw is going to compensate for the increase in air flow from pods. If it was already too rich with the stock air box, you have problems that go way beyond an adjustment screw. Having jumped into re-jetting for modified pipes and pods from the beginning, before learning how to rebuild or tune my carburetors, I know how much work that will cost you. If you start working from a well running system, then the other modifications are a lot easier and tail chasing is reduced to a minimum.

[Young and Reckless]

some of that was not directed to you. the few times i have posted on gs resources i have gotten some screw you, your dumb answers. the only thing i have done is put the pods on. no other mods. and i thought that might help lean it out. thank you for your insight. there are definitely problems i need to address before i go any farther. but thats why i ride a 79. to learn about bikes, and how to fix them. i could have bought a new ride but i want to learn. again thanks for your help. i apologize for the inconsiderate comment though it was not directed to you.

[cowboyup3371]

some of that was not directed to you. the few times i have posted on gs resources i have gotten some screw you, your dumb answers. the only thing i have done is put the pods on. no other mods. and i thought that might help lean it out. thank you for your insight. there are definitely problems i need to address before i go any farther. but thats why i ride a 79. to learn about bikes, and how to fix them. i could have bought a new ride but i want to learn. again thanks for your help. i apologize for the inconsiderate comment though it was not directed to you.

I went back and reread the post you are referring to and honestly, yea, you brought that on yourself. Learning to work on these bikes means taking things slow and asking LOTS of questions BEFORE doing something if you don't understand it. Cutting electrical wires without understanding what's there was not something smart and honestly, you should be called on it. Asking questions without providing answers to follow-up questions designed to understand the situation also doesn't help matters.

If you want to learn, ask the questions and provide the information needed to help us teach you. This was also my first bike (I'm 40) and if I went at things like you have so far, then yea my butt would have been handed to me too.

As far as this is concerned, pods are common but to get them to work correctly, your bike has to have a good baseline. Based on what I've read, it doesn't have that. So, how about the answers to the questions asked so we can figure out how to help from here.

[OldVet66]

It appears you are thinking in the right direction. Carb rebuild on these bikes are a must. I take it that you have vm carbs on the bike. It could be that someone raised the needles before you got it for some reason or the floats are adjusted way too high. There are tiny passages in these carbs that get plugged up and require soaking in carb dip to clean them out. Spray cleaner does not do the job. You might get some through there, but the passage still looks like the Roto Rooter commercial with all the crud in the pipe and a small hole through the middle of it. There is plenty of rebuild info on the links you got to Basscliff's site and O-Rings and gaskets are about all the parts you need to rebuild with. One thing these bikes will do is beat you to death if you don't do the years of neglected maintenance they require. Once that is done they are about as fun as any bike I have ever ridden. Being patient is one of the hardest lessons to learn.

[Young and Reckless]

Thank you gentleman for humbling me. yea im still sore about the speedo question. honestly if you can unplug it then why does it matter if i cut it? the speedo is trash. next time ill give even less info as to what i did and just ask the question. thats besides the point. all i know is that when i replace the plugs she runs faster than i have ever known but then the plugs foul out. with in weeks. when it was in the shop it was supposed to have the carbs rebuilt and cleaned. idk what actually happened. all i can say is that its getting way too much gas, forget about the pods. they are irrelavent. basic question why am i getting too much gas and how can i solve the issue? not to sound defensive but i dont need bs just ideas.
thank you oldvet66. cowboyup i dont know the answers to those questions. and im no electrician but i still wire up lights in my house. get my drift. my apologies for any disrespect. i am just trying to make it clear
about the info that i know.

[OldVet66]

Try this on for size. I spent over $450.00 to get my carbs rebuilt by a so called expert. I ended up having to learn to rebuild them myself and put another $100.00 into the proper jet kit and buy a Morgan carb tune tool to boot. You don't take these old bikes to a shop. If you do it yourself, you know what has or hasn't been done, and you have also learned some important skills along the way. Never meant to humble anyone, just trying to pass on some hard won experience.

[Big T]

[QUOTE=Young and Reckless;1598144]. basic question why am i getting too much gas and how can i solve the issue?

not to sound defensive but i dont need bs just ideas. [QUOTE]

Without answering my simple questions, there are no simple answers

I don't know how you expect to learn when you just want a simple answer to a complex question. We're trying to teach you something. Cram the attitude and answer the questions

If you don't know what the questions mean, then start reading up on your carbs and how they work.

Simple answer - NO

Basic question - petcock, floats, main jets,pilot jets, air screw, fuel screw (look familiar)

I can tell it's springtime- a new wave GS owners with a big chip on their shoulders

[Young and Reckless]

Let me rephrase my original question.
What would cause a bike to run rich?
Forget I even have a motorcycle.
And if u don't know don't post a response

[OldVet66]

Easy Big T, I remember being young and reckless, but back then the main focus was getting out of Vietnam alive. Today with the Facebook generation and living in a glass house so to speak, they actually take what is said on the internet personally. I still have a hard time figuring that one out.