Hi: I'm going through the carb cleaning process and have a question about the pilot jet.

I've taken the jets out one at a time and one of them was completely clogged so I blew cleaner and air from the bottom of the jet and got the side holes all cleared.

However, I'm wondering if the hole should be openrightfrom top-to-bottom (along the longitudinal axis) in order to get gas from the fuel bowl (I'vereasoned a alternate scenario with a shared passagebetween the main jet that feeds into the small side holes in the jet and then out the bottom)... anyhow, I'm not really sure and wouldappreciateconfirmation

Also, the pilots were screwed right down, they should be opened 2 turns right?

Thanks,
Jaime

PS. So far in the carb cleanup. 1 - fully blocked main jet, 1 partially blocked main jet, 1 fully clogged pilot jet (side holes), 2 fuel valves with the little springs stuck

 

YES the pilot jet also does have a hole down the middle as well as the 8 cross-drilled holes on the end of it. Many times just cleaner and air won't do it. I suggest you soak 'em for a while, then get a .009 or .010 electric guitar string and you should be able to push that string all the way through the jet. The strings help too for the little side holes. make sure to blow cleaner and air in both directions, too, because sometimes stuff that won't come loose one way will the other way.

If by "pilot screws" you mean the mixture screws, then YES 2 turns out is a nice place to start. I'd suggest you take them completely out. Don't lose the spring or the metal or rubber washer. Then cover the hole where the pilot (idle) jet goes with your thumb. stick the straw of the carb cleaner in the hole where the pilot screw was, and you should be able to shoot cleaner in there and be able to get a nice fine mist out of that little tiny hole on the other side of the butterfly.

Also make sure your floats still will "float" in a small bowl of gasoline. Sometimes there's little tiny cracks that you can't really see. You won't find out until it's on the bike and there's gas running out of the breather tubes everywhere because the floats don't rise to the top of the bowl.

All these suggestions are reflective of all the things i did wrong the first time I cleaned my (very very) dirty carbs.

 

Whew, glad I checked as all 4wereblocked up the center (I guess it would have never idled without the choke on). I also found that the other brass tubewas blocked on two of the carbs. I used the .010 guitar wireand carb cleaner/air.

Re pilot screws and number of turns... I had pilot jets confused at the time with the bit of adjusting the mixture screws - realized that sortly after.

Thanks for the great post!