I can not get this thing to idle normal. No matter what I do it keeps changing idle. Also it won't start all the time. Last weekend I started it to put it up on the trailer and it started fine. When I unloaded it to go riding it wouldn't start. I took out the spark plug and it was soaked with fuel. Tuesday I got new carb gaskets and replaced them. It started but I couldn't get it adjusted right to keep the idle steady. It keeps jumping around. Now yesterday I tried to start it and it won't start, again.


Modifications:

Throttle mod
Carb mod
Re-jetted 12.5 and 80 also changed main nozzle
Procom CDI for a raptor 80
Removed 8 ***** out of clutch

 

I have done the carb mods and CDI mod on the 50 and rejetted and CDI mod on an 80 and have not seen your problem. I however did install the 80 CDI on the 50.

what does not idle correctly mean (jumping around) ???

I assume that you had to do some wire splicing to get the 80 CDI connected. are the wires connected good. soldering them together or using a crimp type connector would insure this.

it could be that something in the carb. was not installed quite right. is the "main nozzle" the little insert thats in the carb. that the needle on the slider slides into. I can't remember if this is screwed in or pressed in but did you make sure that it was fully installed (seated). do you have any gas leaking out of the overflow tube on the carb. this could indicate a float bowl fill valve problem (dirty or clip not installed right onto the float). I can't see how the new jets could be causing this problem. are you using the choke to start it each time.

when it doesn't want to start, if you remove the spark plug carefully and turn it over a few times, checking for spark, do you get any ???

 

I crimped the ends of the CDI onto the harness wires. But it seemed to run fine last fall when I did it.

By "nozzle" I mean the part that the needle slides into. I got the part numbers off of a badger 80 carb and basically compared the two and made my carb have the same parts as the 80.

When I try to adjust it sometimes it revs to the max and then sometimes it drops down. I also have a Raptor 350 and a modified Blaster. When they idle they stay right around the same RPM's. My 50 does not.

No fuel comes out of the overflow tube. But just to make sure I understand what that is..... is that the tube at the bottom of the carb?

I have taken the plug out and held it close to the engine and I have seen spark. I put a new plug in at the beginning of this season but he has only rode it maybe 5 times since.

 

" When I try to adjust it sometimes it revs to the max and then sometimes it drops down. "

after making the carb. mods to the 50 and before I got the idle and idle speed screws adjusted our Raptor 50 did the same kind of thing. I found that the idle speed and the idle mixture screw adjustments are inter-related. I adjusted my mixture (with a warm engine and open choke) until it ran at the highest idle (1 to 2 turns counter-clock from seated) then adjusted back on the idle speed until it was where it sounded good and the clutch wasn't grabbing. if the machine surged like you are saying then I would adjust the idle mixture slightly again and change the idle to keep it where I wanted it (repeat as needed). I found that if you have the idle mixture to rich (I think) and the idle speed to low (I think) that it will surge like you described (also if you rev the engine it takes a long time for it to settle down to idle again). I found that getting rid of the problem can require a little patience in the carb. adjusting because once you've achieved this condition the carb is very sensitive to slight adjustments of the idle mixture and speed.

I've also adjusted the carb. by turning it in until the machine starts to stall and then out until it idles rough and then choosing a spot in between the two for the mixture.

 

atvingnc has some good advice , how long has it sit up between ride's ; it could be bad gas or dirt/trash/water or just stale gas ! If' it's been awhile since you put fresh fuel in the quad , i would drain the tank and carb bowl ; then mix some Seafoam with fresh gas and start over ! I get the Seafoam from O'Reilly Auto Parts for $5.99 + tax , it's a fuel cleaner/stablizer that cleans the entire fuel system and combustion chamber of carbon deposit's ; and also add a inline fuel filter between the tank and carb ! This will help keep dirt/trash and water from getting in the carb again , i hope this help's get you out ! williebee

 

I just put almost a full tank of gas in it last weekend before we left to riding. I used the same gas for my other quads and they ran fine. Thanks for the idea though Williebee. I am going to try to find some patience and try adjusting the carb a little a a time. Hopefully I can get him riding again by this weekend.....

One last question, where should I start the idle screw at when I tune it? Right now I'm trying to adjust both at the same time......

 

I am having some of the same problems with my sons badger 80. I had a surging idle as well, and i took the carb apart and cleaned it in auto carb cleaner, reasembled it with new gaskets, set float level and replaced the o rings on the intake manifold. That took care of the surging. Check your o rings on the intake, one on the carb, then spacer and another o ring in the intake. The prev. owner of mine failed to put one back in, and check your choke, see if moving it around causes an idle change, it did on mine so i took mine apart and replaced the o ring on the shaft, and ground the excess screw off. Ours will do the same as yours and not start sometimes, wet plug. When i do get it running it is running to rich and turns the plug as black as coal. I had the needle and seat pressure checked and it is fine. So the next is a new pilot and main, who knows someone may have buggered them in an attempt to clean them. Good luck with your little unit and hopefully wwe can both find a solution for our probs. It is a pi** off when you want to go for a rip and the dang thing wont start.

 

I've read something about checking the valve lashing...... could this posibably be the problem? I tried messing with it again to tune the carb and it wouldn't start no matter what I did. Now the battery is dead!

 

yes it could be that the valve lash is out of spec. I wasn't thinking that way because I assumed that the machine was running correctly before you did the mods and that it hasn't been ridden very much since the mods where done. your not missing any screws from the butterfly on the carb. choke are you. I have read about these coming off and logging in the valves or damaging the piston.

 

When I was replacing the gaskets I checked those and they are good. Now I think back this all started when I put in the CDI. It started everytime though and ran fine. Even when it runs now it seems ok. If I have a air leak somewhere it would try to send more fuel to make up for the air, right? So I think I still have an air leak somewhere. Next, I guess is to replace the o-rings on the intake side....