KDXRIDER.NET

Indawoods wrote:The bottom of the float is square to the body of the carb when I measure.

Can you take a pic of what you are talking about?

My floats are shaped like a house, they do not look like this
http://partsfinder.onlinemicrofiche.com/cheapcycleparts/Kawasaki_OEM/KawasakiDB.asp?Type=13&A=101&B=4

So its hard to measure to the point of the "house"

Indawoods wrote:It sounds like a fuel delivery issue. Jets are clogged, pinched fuel line, petcock is clogged, vent line clogged.

Any rev up is fuel starvation.

More like "common sense" starvation. When I emptied the tank of just under 1 gallon of fuel to inspect the petcock I noticed that the main "on" fuel tube was very tall... taller than the amount of gas in the tank... (I can hear the "dumb-ass" comments, people!). That solved the stalling (non) issue.

Anyway, installed the new main (160) and pilot (48) and I'm still getting that choppy response at 1/16 - 1/8 twist. I mean just right at the few mm turn of the throttle through each gear. After that it takes off. Turning the AS a smidgen in either direction after 1.5 turns makes it worse.

I think its time to try a different pilot. Any suggestion on whether to go up or down in size? I know RB suggested gettin' 'em all to have a complete arsenal. Is there a good place to get them quick and cheap online?

Thanks!

P.S.
Inda, reading your excellent jetting guide... you mentioned sputtering can be fixed by lowering the needle clip but that was for 1/4 to 1/2 throttle. Think I should give it a shot?

160 is too big!

You should be around a 150 - 155 ... the pilot should be at around 45 -48

Indawoods wrote:160 is too big!

You should be around a 150 - 155 ... the pilot should be at around 45 -48

The main!?! Really? It feels great after the initial twist. You mean it could be better?! I thought I read somewhere that all the fuel circuits are used throughout the throttle. Is that really the case? According to the keihin website (http://www.keihin-us.com/tune1.htm) the main circuit isn't in use where I'm having my problem.

Re: 'After this it takes a good 10-15 kicks to start.'

You know this now..but that is a classic 'ran out of gas' response on a KDX. If you happen to mistakenly 'run out of gas' when riding (say you left your petcock turned off), I've found that using the choke gets my bike started a whole lot easier.

There is a mold line on the floats. When that is parallel to the carb body, you are set to spec (as noted..pin touching, NOT compressed). Bend that tang so those lines are 'off' (UP if the carb is upside down..LOWER in an installed position) a couple mm.

Take care to not tweak the floats themselves..just the TANG. It's easy TO tweak them resulting in the two floats not being the same, or one of them touching something. FTR..they should both be exactly the same (height, orientation, angle..etc).

While you're at it..take the float assy off and inspect both the float needle and the needle seat. If the needle has ANY marks on the tip, replace it. Take a strip of wet-n-dry sandpaper, drape it over a q-tip, moisten in something (kero, alcohol) and use the swab to burnish the seat. If that isn't clear to you...ask. Obviously I'm NOT talking about 220 grit routed in the seat with the force of Godzilla (a x-threaded main concerns me).

Curious about the 48 pilot. That's the original pilot size. I've never found a 48 to be right no matter the elevation.

The 'sitting at idle' part? It was on the kickstand, right? At that angle, an impeded float assy is going to be worse than in a riding situation.

Good luck. You'll get it.

Thanks CC,

The stalling was def due to not enough fuel as I was sitting on it when it would happen. I put in a new 160/48 combo last night, rode it, and let it idle and it stayed alive. The AS is not helping the early throttle response so I'm gonna try a different pilot and, per inda, a smaller main while I'm at it. Which way should I go on the pilot?

Just get 'em all and get 'er done?

P.S. "Dirtbike Eve" here in Connecticut. The only legal riding spot opens tomorrow! I'm there when the gate opens, aka, vacation day! Been waiting since Nov 1 to ride my KDX.

I would get a 42 and a 45... try the 42 first....

Indawoods wrote:I would get a 42 and a 45... try the 42 first....

Amen, Hallelujah, Praise the Lord, and Pass the Ammunition!

..or...what he said works.

Reviving this post because after a pilot change my bike drips fuel while on the side stand. So here's a picture of my floats. To what point on the float do I measure the 16mm +-2?

You have to hold it at a 45 degee angle or so ... so that the float needle is is just closed but the tab is not off the wire... then you measure from the lip of the carb body to the top of the pyramid of the float...

I tend to make mine 17mm.... stops the peeing.

canyncarvr wrote: There is a mold line on the floats. When that is parallel to the carb body, you are set to spec (as noted..pin touching, NOT compressed). Bend that tang so those lines are 'off' (UP if the carb is upside down..LOWER in an installed position) a couple mm.

Crap! I followed CC suggestion of making the mold line parallel and didn't read the rest where he said make it so the lines where "off" a couple of mm. So they are now installed parallel measuring about 15mm.

In any case, its not peeing, just a drip every five minutes. I will go back and adjust the float again.

The real reason I was in there... installed 155/45 combo as my first jet change and WOW! After a 5 minute warm up, this baby came alive. I'm not sure of all the terminology but the first blip of the trottle was responsive (through gears 1-4 anyway). MUCH less hesitation getting to the smooth stuff. The mid range stayed the same but the big hit came at the top. Surprised me a little... nice snappy power hit. It could all be in my head but it had me smiling and that's all that matters!

My neighbors love when I test my jetting at 9:45PM.

Hitting the trails tomorrow for more testing. Maybe a 42 pilot change for Saturday?

Thanks for (eventually) reading 'the rest of the story'. Inda had already mentioned lowering the float level..the 'parallel' part was (as you know now) the point to START from.

Words do indeed mean things..and nothing I said 'suggested' any such setting.



Re: '..this baby came alive.'

Welcome to jetting! It makes a difference, don't it!

Let us know how the 42 works for 'ya.

FWIW...I've never had any decent result from holding the carb crooked to unload the spring. Everythings...well....crooked. I find it much easier to slip a finger under a float, raising the floats to the point the spring pin is 'just touching' as it should be, then making the determination on what to do with 'em.