The wrong pilot jets maybe?

[Guest]

Working on getting my GS 850 running correctly. It runs fairly well but had issues with carbs leaking. I pulled them off and reset the floats and they quit leaking. The bike has run rich since I've had it but blamed it on the high fuel level. After cleaning the bowls, setting fuel air screws and syncing the bike still seems to run rich. It starts without the choke and idles at about 1100 rpm's great. If you blip the throttle it settles right back down to 1100 quickly. Thats all great but if I ride it the bike stumbles a bit under 3500 rpms but after I get it hot (almost 10 miutes in 40-50 degree weather)that kind of goes away for the most part. Here is the real puzzling part. When you stop the bike will not idle at less than about 2200 rpm's. I have the air/fuel mix screw at 1.5 turns--I think that is the reccommended minimum. If I take it to 1 turn it starts having an issue idleing at all. Is it likely I have larger pilots installed previously? If so how do I tell the difference from stock to some other size?

[cowboyup3371]

Did you ever check the intake boots for tears or replace the intake orings? That is the most common reason for what you are describing. If you only cleaned the bowls then the carbs are not properly cleaned. You must dip them using the procedures Nessism put together in the article of Basscliff's site.

[Jamesp]

I have brand new boots between the air box and the carbs. The carbs were rebuilt about a year and a half ago (or so I was told) by one of the guys on the forum. I should have checked the intake rings while I had the carbs off and didn't. Just did the carbs on the 1100 and it runs great but am a little strapped for cash and thought I could get by with just resetting the the flosts to keep the cas from leaking so bad. Thanks for the advice. I will order some new o rings and get them in.

[Steve]

Try turning the mixture screws out another full turn.

About 1 1/2 turns might have been the factory setting, but the bikes ran like crap and took forever to warm up. Richening up the mixture screws will help that. Most bikes will work well in the 2 to 2 1/2 turn range, but some are different. Personally, when I rebuild a set of carbs, I start at three turns, then lean them down to where they run best.

By the way, your stock pilot fuel jets should be #45.

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