I have a stock carb. I moved the needle up one clip. When I put the plastic retainer with the o-ring in, the needle don't feel free and springy like it did before I dissasembled it. It feels like I'm pushing it down too far and its bottoming on the needle. I can feel the o-ring settle in its groove. I am thinking of trimming a little off the white plastic retainer thing, but before I do, I thought it would be worth asking someone. I have a shop manual and I checked that I have the washers in the right order. From the slide: thin steel washer, plastic spacer, clip, thicker steel washer, plastic retainer. That remindes me, where the thin steel washer sits on the slide, it is D-shaped counterbored on the slide and the washer don't sit flat. Is that right? Thank you for reading and any help you can give me. I'm going on a trip this Sat. morning.

 

You shouldn't have to file or grind ANYthing to move your needle a clip position! Your needle should be fitting solid in the slide (no up or down play). You'll know real quick if something is wrong - it either won't run or it'll run blubbery rich at idle.

222

 

Thanks for replying 222. It clearly appears that I am the only one to have such a problem. What I ended up doing was alot of measuring. There was interference between the needle and the retainer in the richest setting. I ground about .020" off the retainer and it was nice. It could have been a gate or something (I had that on a power valve cap once). This is the first carb that I worked on that had a spring on the needle. It might be a 4-stroke thing. Anyway, it worked. I would still like to know about the D-shaped counter bore where the bottom washer goes. It don't seem right.