Basic Carb Tuning Tests

VMAX  Forum

Help Support VMAX Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

[email protected]

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2008
Messages
6,499
Reaction score
232
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
I found this info in one of Mark's old posts. Great stuff here. I was curious though....Somewhere, I can't remember where, I saw a whole page of info, very similar to this, dedicated to carb tuning that explained how to test the main, needle, pilots, what rpms do what, when they overlap, and which way to adjust based on what the bike was doing. Anyone have a clue what I'm talking about? I can't remember for the life of me where I saw that. I know it was a max specific site. May have even been here. For some reason, i'm thinking it was the "angelfire" hosted site which I can no longer view. If anyone knows what i'm talking about and can post a link or whatever, that would be great.

Thanks,
Mike

You should probably be able to accept WOT in any gear above 2K w/o any bucking or complaint.

Do the following tests.

1) Cruise at 4K in 5th gear .. hold RPM steady (count to 5) and then whack it WOT as quickly as you can. You shouldn't feel the slightest delay or hesitation. If you do, too rich. This does not work at 3.5K or 4.5K, only at 4K because the slides will start to retract at 4.5K even at the lightest throttle angle. 4K sets us up on the threshold and gives us a big jump when we whack it. there is no other RPM to do this where you will get as big a slide jump when rapidly moving to WOT.
This tests for too rich of needle.

2) Verify that starting cold .. that the engine is weak .. and will complain if you try to hold the RPM at 1800 rpms. Within 1-2 min or no later than when the temp needle touches the first mark you should be able to hold the engine between 1500 and 2K w/o complaint or popping back through the carbs. At the least you should be able to do this by the time the engine is fully warmed up but if you are more than 1/2 way between the dot and cold on the temp gauge your pilots are plugged or too lean... (clean or reduce the PAJ2). If you can hold 1.5-2K as soon as you start cold then your pilots are set too rich and you will suffer rich symptoms when it comes to operating temp (clean or enlarge the PAJ2). ONly change PAJ2 bigger/smaller if you mixture screws are out or in too far already.
This is how you set your pilot mixture.

3) Do a hard WOT pull in 2nd or 3rd gear from below 3K. Look for a smooth pull all the way up. If it seems to lag in the 4-5K range then too much needle. If we sputter going past 4.5K you don't have enough needle.
This tests for needle richness and leaness.

4) Verify you can cruise "nice and deliberate" at 5K .. if you stumble around and are OK everywhere else you don't have enough pilot.
Another pilot mixture test.

As for your mains, I'd at least go to 147.5's. General rule is to subtract main jet size by 1% for every 1000 feet above sea level. So, need to decrease main jet size
 

Wow. Lots of reading to do in a couple of these. Thanks for the links Mark. Now I just need to find some time to read and understand all this! My new Mark's pipes SHOULD be here by tomorrow. At least I really hope so! I feel like a kid on Christmas but not sure if xmas is gonna be tommorrow or friday, or early next week. I also ordered the jet kit from Sean, not sure when that is coming though. Just want to get some ideas on what I am going to have to do to get this all working together and running at its best. Since I'm a total noob to carbs I'm a bit nervous on tearing apart my perfectly fine running 06 that i've had for less than a year.

I think I'm going to revive VmaxinID's muscle jet kit thread. Lots of good info in there and it might be good to have others see all that in one spot covering more than one application.
 
Well, I got to reading tonight. Got through pretty much all of it. Quite a bit of overlapping info there but thats a good thing. I rather have 4 sources telling me the same thing than 4 sources telling me something completely different.

On another note, I had no idea there was so much info on that site on "geocities". Interesting archive there. Thanks.
 
Trying my best to understand this carb stuff before I tear it apart. Here is what I come up with so far. Please advise if I am incorrect!

Raising the clip on the needle means same as moving the clip towards the blunt end= dropping the needle=less fuel=leaner

Going up to a numerically larger fuel main jet= bigger hole in jet=more fuel=richer

Going up to a numerically larger air main jet (or paj1 and or 2)= bigger hole in jet=more air=leaner

Float Levels: The smaller the dry measurement the richer it will be 1.115 is richer than 1.125 and there will be more fuel in the bowls at 1.115 than 1.125. Since you are measuring from the carb body you are measuring the height in the chamber ABOVE the float, not below. This is why a smaller # makes it have more fuel

Pilot Mixture Screws: Turning counter-clockwise,left, out, allows more fuel into the pilot circuit=Richer

EDITED PER THE CARB GURU
 
Last edited:
Mike, right on except for mixture screws. counter clockwise turns air/fuel screws out and thus richens. Clockwise leans.
 
Good info/ links Mark, as per usual you have the info for us noobs! Thanks Mr. Guru!
Mike I'll be following along with your progress with great interest b/c I will be there soon too. A buddy who is a owner/ tuner of endurance racing snowmobiles is going to be doing the carb mods on Redbone. He's been doing it for years so I think he should be good to go. Besides he has a big refrigerator full of beer! :eusa_dance:
 
Back
Top