so the symptoms are, it runs like a raped ape for about the first half mile or so, then just starts to run like it's starved for fuel. usually just bogs pretty bad. not a lot of backfiring, that i can tell anyway. it never dies, it just runs like ****, and only when you are on the throttle. if you were to stop in the middle of the field while on the way back to the house, it will sit there and idle like a champ. maybe a misfire here and there, but nothing like when my truck had a bad cam position sensor. that had multiple misfires and shook like a dog sittin in lemon juice sh!tting razorblades. so yeah. the father in law thinks that it is using up the fuel in the bowl and then is having a hard time getting more fuel into the bowl. i guess i could try a rebuild kit for the carb, if they sell them. maybe the seat is bad, or sticking. the float is set at 14 mm, set with a vernier, down to the gnats ***. probably a cheaper shot than the stator or coil. i'll try the ohmmeter on the stator and check the coil output while i'm fiddledickin with it. thats about it that i can think of for now. thanks again, i'll see where we end up after this evening and let you know.

 

i would definitely check ur fuel cap, sometimes they just don't vent very well, when it starts runnin crappy loosen it a little bit and then try again, also, from my experiences, my 4 wheelers run better when the spark plug is black, they just don't run right when they're tan

 

tan is what they are supposed to be. Fix the exhaust leak and then purge the muffler, it could be plugged up.

 

i've got a gasket on order through the stealer. i'll get it put in, through i don't believe the muffler is plugged as it still has a ton of exhaust coming out of it... i'll do as you suggest though

 

It might flow ok at idle but when you start going down the trail it needs to flow a lot more.

 

alright, i got the gasket put in and my mechanical wizard of a father in law fiddledicked with the choke, and the thing runs like a dream. didn't tell me what he did, i was killing things while he was messing with it, but i put about 50 miles on it and it hasn't missed a beat, so i think he got her beat. runs like new! thanks for all of your help guys, it really made things easier to have people to bounce stuff off of. much appreciated!