Carby Easy way to tell if you are running engine too lean

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rcjunkie

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A too lean mixture setting will eventually damage your engine. An easy way to check if you are too lean is warm your engine up fully and then ride it at full throttle for a little bit. Immediately cut throttle and pull clutch lever in. Engine should immediately drop to idle. If engine speed remains high and takes a second or two to drop to idle, it means your mixture is too lean and you should lower your needle clip by one position and repeat as necessary. If dropping clip doesn't help then check for airleaks.
 
So when you say drop...which way would that be? so with the pointy end down...move the clip toward the pointy end? right-

thanks junky
 
Alternately and much less harmful to a potentially lean running engine is warm it up and as you are accelerating, slowly pull up the choke. If you get better throttle response and smoother running, you're too lean.

Beats running a lean running engine wide open. :eek:
 
and Remember.....

Dropping Clip means raising the needle.
 
Yep, choke tip is also very good if you suspect a lean run. The problem is recognizing a lean situation that that occurs while riding and wasn't there previously. It can happen (a lean run) when blow an intake gasket or carb loosens and develops an airleak and then notice it taking a while to drop to idle speed.

Its happened a few times that engine had more pickup than usual and as soon as I pulled throttle and clutch it revved a little more than it should before it settled to an idle....bummer! Using choke on return trip home kept engine damage from occuring and richened the mixture a bit.
 
Hmm...I've always run my bike with the choke slightly up because I get better throttle respones ect... So do you think I'm running it to lean? I haven't checked rcjunkie's method yet....
 
Now..In augi's referal to the post on adjusting, I moved my clip down one notch. But still I need to run it with about 3/4 or more choke.

If I move it down to were Augi says its rediculusly rich (the last notch), would I get better performance on my engine? I replaced my intake gasket before I even fired it up with high temp material and permatex 1a (hardening sealer). So what do you guys think?
 
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