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"Basic" ATV Carburetor Jetting
- Article submitted by: Scribner
Air/Fuel Mixture
If you are having idling issues or poor throttle response, the first thing to check is your air/fuel mixture. The air/fuel mixture controls from idle to 1/4 throttle. The best way I have found to check it is to let the bike warm up to operating temperature. Let the bike idle in neutral and give it wide open throttle. If the bike has a hesitation your mixture is off. If the bike bogs down and then revs up fast it will be lean. An up and down or "rolling" idle is another symptom of a lean mixture. If the bike idles rough and kind of low, it will be rich. The best place to start with your settings is about 2 turns out. Tighten the screw lightly until it seats and then back out and count slowly.
Pilot Jet
If you get more than 3 full turns out on your air/fuel mixture, you will need to step up on your pilot jet size. If you get under 1 full turn then you will need to step down one size on your pilot jet.
Next Is Your Needle
Your needle will control 1/4 through 3/4 throttle positions. If your bike is "popping" or "missing" at a constant speed, your needle will need to be adjusted. If you give your bike full throttle from a constant speed and experience a hesitation, you are lean on your needle. You will need to lower the clip on the needle (this raises the needle), allowing for more fuel flow through your needle tube (dump tube). If the bike is trying to "load up" at a constant throttle position, your needle setting is to rich. Raise the clip on your needle (this lowers the needle), which will restrict the amount of fuel coming through your needle tube.
Needle Tube
Your main jet screws into a brass tube in your carburetor called the needle tube (dump tube). If you run out of adjustment on your needle then you will need to replace it, although very few times have I seen that this needed to be replaced. The only time that I have seen it need to be replaced is when running methanol.
Main Jet
Your main jet controls 3/4 to full throttle. If you are at wide open throttle and the bike is revving up but not really pulling, you will be lean. If the bike is slow to rev, then you are rich. The best way to check your main jet settings is to do a spark plug reading. Run the bike at full throttle until top speed is reached, then shut it off using the kill switch. Keep the throttle wide open until you come to a full stop. Pull the plug and look at the porcelain down in the plug. The all around best color is a light chocolate color on the plug. If you run the bike at full throttle all the time you might want to run one step bigger on the main jet, to keep the motor from burning up. If you run short distances at full throttle (ie. racing) you can run one step smaller on the main jet for maximum power, but keep the full throttle distances short.
Super Sprint Dirt Track Racing
