I hate carb adjusting! Factory air screw setting is useless!

Cubey · Post by **Cubey** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 8:17 pm

Okay, so I cleaned my carb. The intiial factory settings seemed to do fine. it was responding very well, noticely better than before and such. Until it got to normal operating temperature a mile or two away. Then it began to bog down exactly like it did to me in the past when I first got it and set it to the factory settings.

I am tired of hearing that the air screw NEVER has to be adjusted. That seems to be total crap. For one thing, the servie manual for the Spree (yes the one on this site!) describes how to adjust it! They don't say set it and never touch it again. They say to ADJUST it! For another, I just cleaned the carb. It took me hours I put so much effort into it. And it's still running like crap on the factory air setting. Clearly it's running improperly on that setting. Its getting too much or two little air and the engine can't combust properly.

I guess I need to take it out to the Honda place here and pay the guy to show me how to properly adjust the carb since I'm about to rip my hair out,

jstone · Post by **jstone** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 8:18 pm

So it runs good while warming up but then once warm it runs like crap? Almost has to be the bystarter.

Cubey · Post by **Cubey** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 8:20 pm

jstone wrote:So it runs good while warming up but then once warm it runs like crap? Almost has to be the bystarter.

You know, I'm thinking that myself. You know why? I forgot to plug it back in at first when I was in the parking lot here. It started and ran fine as it was (cold). I didn't go much over 10-12MPH (due to the 10mph speed limit) and then I remembered it before I even left the lot. I stopped the engine and reconnected it. Then started it back up and proceeded on.

I've had it running for a week on non-factory settings and it has been doing great riding wise except for poor MPG.

hondaman · Post by **hondaman** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 8:26 pm

That factory setting is just an all around starting point. Every carb is a little different and needs to be adjusted accordingly. Do not adjust the carb until the engine is at operating temperature. You have to play around with the setting until you feel the bike is idling and running full out at its best.

Cubey · Post by **Cubey** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 8:38 pm

hondaman wrote:That factory setting is just an all around starting point. Every carb is a little different and needs to be adjusted accordingly. Do not adjust the carb until the engine is at operating temperature. You have to play around with the setting until you feel the bike is idling and running full out at its best.

I did a resistance check on the bystarter and I think if I used my multimeter right it has 7-8 ohm resistance. The manual says 10 ohm max and if it's over the max or has no resistance then it's bad. So it seems the bystarter is fine.

I figured it was wrong to say that all carbs are equal in terms of adjustments. I mainly worry I'm going to lean it out but I guess so long as I see smoke coming out of the exhaust, it's not going to lean out. I think the problem with it bogging down at the factory air setting is it's getting too RICH. I just checked the plug and while the ceramic and overhang (forgot the term..) look ok, the ring around the end of the plug is heavily oily.

When I reassembled the throttle slider, I made sure the jet was set to 4th from the top (ie: standard/factory setting) so it's not running too rich due to that.

Which way on the air screw is which as far as richer/leaner?

Cubey · Post by **Cubey** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 9:23 pm

Well, I'm sick to death of messing with this crap. I guess I should have left it well enough alone with 55MPG since now as it it's currently (non-)adjusted its back to being about useless to ride.

About to throw it in the shed and be done with it. Or sell it. Or pay out the * for the Honda place to adjust it for me. I'm complete s*** when it comes to 2 cycle carbs. It makes no sense. On the last scooter I had the same freaken problem. Every time I used it, i had to adust the carb two or three times and it was only a couple of years old (I got it NEW!).

Cubey · Post by **Cubey** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 9:25 pm

As it is right now, it's back to doing what it did a few days ago before I messed with the screws and got it working well but with poor MPG. It runs fine up to 3/4 throttle. At WOT it bogs down to die. SICK OF IT!!!!!!!

mopedman · Post by **mopedman** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 10:49 pm

were you live? how much you want for it?

michaelg · Post by **michaelg** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:24 pm

Give this a try. Mine was doing the same thing.

Pull the bystarter and start it up.
Wait untill it gets to operating temp
put your finger over the by starter hole. If it starts to die out remove your finger to keep it running. keep putting your finger over the hole and at the same time adjust the idle and air screw until you can get it to run with your finger over the hole. At that point you know that it will run once the by starter is in and closes. All this of course is if your by starter is working. If in doubt hook it up to a battery charger, give a few minutes and see if it extends. That is how I determined mine was good.

My scoot runs pretty rough at start up but about a block down the road it warms up, by starter closes and it runs like a champ. If it does cut out a bit when cold that is ok, don't mess with anything. As it should run right when it warms up.

Keep at it. Don't give up. It is a gas once you get it running and riding it. I have an '07 Bonne and some other bikes and I think this thing is a blast!

Cubey · Post by **Cubey** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 1:23 am

Thanks, guess I'll try that tomorrow.

Although, why did you have this problem if your bystarter was working ok? if a bystarter is working correctly why would you have to pull it off and use your finger to adjust it?

Kenny_McCormic · Post by **Kenny_McCormic** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:36 am

Yea, maybe your just impatient, my spree wont even go until I rev it a couple dozen times on the stand.

michaelg · Post by **michaelg** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 5:47 pm

It may be so out of whack that it is adjusted to run good cold and then once it warms up does not. Mine does not run too good when cold but zips along nicely when warmed up.

Pulling the by starter and using your finger allows you to simulate a closed bystarter and adjust the carb to run with it "closed". You are also able to pull you finger off the hole if it starts to die and keep it running. For me it just made it easier to adjust.

Start it and ride it cold. when it starts running crummy, take it back home, pull the by starter, re-start the motor and start adjusting it hot so that it runs properly.

Cubey · Post by **Cubey** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 5:53 pm

I'm not feeling too well today so I'll get around to trying it in a few days.

Cubey · Post by **Cubey** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 11:31 pm

One thing I forgot about is the spark plug. Referring to the plug chart..

http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/722/plugchopku4.jpg

... my plug seems to be coming up as the black sooty result. When I got it, the plug in it was the same. I replaced it with a new NGK one and I've since checked it and it looks the same.

The end around the plug was also oily but not the ceramic or electrodes, they were just black sooty looking.

Could that be the result of simply poor carb adjustment on the air screw? Thats what I understand the chart explanation to mean. Except for the ignition explanation but it starts perfectly fine.

monkeywrench · Post by **monkeywrench** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 11:45 pm

Cubey wrote:As it is right now, it's back to doing what it did a few days ago before I messed with the screws and got it working well but with poor MPG. It runs fine up to 3/4 throttle. At WOT it bogs down to die. SICK OF IT!!!!!!!

wow this happened to me on my elite and come to find out it was the factory air filter box . it was leaking from the round tube coming from the carb to the box. they ware out and dryrot so i put another spare 1 on that i had and it runs tops, full throttle, no3/4 twist and bogg crap anymore these thing have to have the air filter box secured nice and tight no leaks and then they run great. thats if your bystarter is working ok .