Pilot screws

[David Beard]

Jeff,

    I use a small magnetic flat head bit that came with my screwdriver 
kit. I put it in a 6mm socket and put a small piece of duct tape around 
it it hold the bit in the socket. I leave a little "flag" of duct tape 
sticking out on one side so it's easier to keep track of the number of 
turns. I actually adjust the 2nd carb from the right side of the bike. 
It's a bit of a reach, but it's easier than trying to get by the fuel 
line and filter on the left side.
    If you want to remove the idle screws, keep in mind that there is a 
small spring and a small o-ring that can fall out of the opening. 
Sometimes they come off with the idle screw, sometimes they stick inside 
of the opening, only to drop out later. I think I would take the carbs 
off to remove the idle screws, just to be safe. That way you can shoot 
some compressed air or carb cleaner in the opening after you remove them.

Dave B

Jeffrey Markham wrote:
> The other day I decided to check what my pilot screws were set at. My idle is still a bit erratic and I know it can be smoother. (I've already synced the carbs) As it turns out my pilot screws are all set at around 3.5 turns; way past the 2--2.5 turns that is recommended based on other posts from the GPzList. I would have set them all to 2.5 just to see what happens, but was unable to get to the pilot screw for cylinder and carb number two and had to therefore leave all of them at 3.5. I have a screwdriver with a flexible shaft, but it isn't quite flexible enough to reach that screw. What do you guys use to get at your pilot screws?
>    
>   Also, even though all of the pilot screws are still at 3.5 turns the bike does seem to run smoother. Perhaps simply turning the screws knocked some crap loose up there, I'm not quite sure. This behavior made me wonder if it might be worth removing the pilot screws completely and cleaning them up real good. I'm a little afraid that if I remove them that I won't be able to get them back in place without removing the carbs entirely. Any thoughts on this?
>    
>   -Jeff
>
>        
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