Removing idle mixture screw plugs: Difference between revisions

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[[Category:Intake]]

The EPA mandates plugs on the idle mixture screws on carbs, so you ~~can't adjust~~ them yourself. This is easily taken care of, however.

The EPA mandates plugs on the idle mixture screws on carbs, to keep you from adjusting them yourself. This is easily taken care of, however.

[[Image:Idle_mixture_screws_before.jpg|250px]] [[Image:Idle_mixture_screws.jpg|250px]]

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The process is pretty simple:

*Remove the gas tank, then the side covers.

*Remove the [[How do I remove the fairing, fuel tank, etc?|gas tank]], then the side covers.

*Remove the screw that secures the throttle cable bracket and remove the throttle cables.

*[[How to drain the float bowls|Drain the gas]] from the float bowls.

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*Use a large screw driver and pry rubber boots off of the intakes on the head. Then, use the screw driver to flex the intake boots so you can remove them from the bike.

*Pull carbs forward away from the airbox boots; remove carbs from left side of bike.

*Drill out the plugs that are covering your idle mixture screws. These are only about 1/8" thick, so be careful. Drill a small hole in the plugs~~, insert~~ a small (sheet-metal type) screw in the hole, then ~~pull out the caps, grabbing~~ onto the screw with a pair of pliers.

*[[How do I remove the carbs to work on them?|See here]] for more information on carb removal and re-installation.

*Set mixture screws to your desired setting. (Be careful when turning the screws in; they don't need to be tight, and you don't want to mess them up. Go with a light touch.)

*Drill out the plugs that are covering your idle mixture screws. These are only about 1/8" thick, so be careful. Drill a small hole in the plugs.

[[Image:idle_mixture_03.jpg|150px]]

*Insert a small (sheet-metal type) screw in the hole, then grab onto the screw with a pair of pliers and pull out the caps.

[[Image:idle_mixture_04.jpg|150px]]

*[[How do I adjust the idle mixture?|Set mixture screws]] to your desired setting. (Be careful when turning the screws in; they don't need to be tight, and you don't want to mess them up. Go with a light touch.)

*Soak intake boots in hot water to soften up, then install carbs into airbox boots and push carbs and airbox aft as far as possible.

*Install warm intake boots between carbs and head.

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*Make sure that airbox is slid forward back into the proper location.

*Install the tank, fuel and vacuum hoses, then the side covers.

*Start bike and warm up to full temp. Adjust idle speed ~~once warmed up.~~

*Start bike and warm up to full temp by riding. Adjust the [[What is the engine idle speed? How do I adjust it?|idle speed]] and fine-tune the [[How do I adjust the idle mixture?|idle mixture]] once warmed up.

~~It looks like a lot of steps, but~~ it~~'s actually not that hard. The bike runs MUCH MUCH better than it did before. If your bike has a problem with settling on~~ the ~~same RPM all~~ the ~~time or has other weird~~ idle ~~quirks then this procedure is recommended.~~

~~====Hints & Tips====~~

*When adjusting the mixture screws, turn them all the way in, but not tight. Then back them out 2 1/2 turns. This is the base setup. (This is for a stock setup. If you've changed your intake or exhaust, you'll have to experiment.) It's not critical, because you can adjust them again when you put the carbs back on the bike.

*For adjusting the mixture ~~with the carbs on the bike, get a stubby screwdriver, or cut the handle off one that's already pretty short~~.

~~'''Here~~'s ~~another article~~ on ~~[[How do I adjust~~ the ~~idle mixture?|adjusting~~ the idle ~~mixture]]~~.~~'''~~

It looks like a lot of steps, but it's actually not that hard. Unless the settings were right from the factory (not often) the bike should run better than it did before. If your bike has a hard time settling on the same RPM all the time or has other weird idle quirks, then this procedure is recommended.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[Category:Intake]]
-The EPA mandates plugs on the idle mixture screws on carbs, so you can't adjust them yourself. This is easily taken care of, however.
+The EPA mandates plugs on the idle mixture screws on carbs, to keep you from adjusting them yourself. This is easily taken care of, however.
 [[Image:Idle_mixture_screws_before.jpg|250px]]  [[Image:Idle_mixture_screws.jpg|250px]]
@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 The process is pretty simple:
-*Remove the gas tank, then the side covers.
+*Remove the [[How do I remove the fairing, fuel tank, etc?|gas tank]], then the side covers.
 *Remove the screw that secures the throttle cable bracket and remove the throttle cables.
 *[[How to drain the float bowls|Drain the gas]] from the float bowls.
@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 *Use a large screw driver and pry rubber boots off of the intakes on the head. Then, use the screw driver to flex the intake boots so you can remove them from the bike.
 *Pull carbs forward away from the airbox boots; remove carbs from left side of bike.
-*Drill out the plugs that are covering your idle mixture screws. These are only about 1/8" thick, so be careful. Drill a small hole in the plugs, insert a small (sheet-metal type) screw in the hole, then pull out the caps, grabbing onto the screw with a pair of pliers.
+*[[How do I remove the carbs to work on them?|See here]] for more information on carb removal and re-installation.
-*Set mixture screws to your desired setting. (Be careful when turning the screws in; they don't need to be tight, and you don't want to mess them up. Go with a light touch.)
+*Drill out the plugs that are covering your idle mixture screws. These are only about 1/8" thick, so be careful. Drill a small hole in the plugs.
+[[Image:idle_mixture_03.jpg|150px]]
+*Insert a small (sheet-metal type) screw in the hole, then grab onto the screw with a pair of pliers and pull out the caps.
+[[Image:idle_mixture_04.jpg|150px]]
+*[[How do I adjust the idle mixture?|Set mixture screws]] to your desired setting. (Be careful when turning the screws in; they don't need to be tight, and you don't want to mess them up. Go with a light touch.)
 *Soak intake boots in hot water to soften up, then install carbs into airbox boots and push carbs and airbox aft as far as possible.
 *Install warm intake boots between carbs and head.
@@ Line 21: / Line 29: @@
 *Make sure that airbox is slid forward back into the proper location.
 *Install the tank, fuel and vacuum hoses, then the side covers.
-*Start bike and warm up to full temp. Adjust idle speed once warmed up.
+*Start bike and warm up to full temp by riding. Adjust the [[What is the engine idle speed? How do I adjust it?|idle speed]] and fine-tune the [[How do I adjust the idle mixture?|idle mixture]] once warmed up.
-It looks like a lot of steps, but it's actually not that hard. The bike runs MUCH MUCH better than it did before. If your bike has a problem with settling on the same RPM all the time or has other weird idle quirks then this procedure is recommended.
-====Hints & Tips====
-*When adjusting the mixture screws, turn them all the way in, but not tight. Then back them out 2 1/2 turns. This is the base setup. (This is for a stock setup. If you've changed your intake or exhaust, you'll have to experiment.) It's not critical, because you can adjust them again when you put the carbs back on the bike.
-*For adjusting the mixture with the carbs on the bike, get a stubby screwdriver, or cut the handle off one that's already pretty short.
-'''Here's another article on [[How do I adjust the idle mixture?|adjusting the idle mixture]].'''
+It looks like a lot of steps, but it's actually not that hard. Unless the settings were right from the factory (not often) the bike should run better than it did before. If your bike has a hard time settling on the same RPM all the time or has other weird idle quirks, then this procedure is recommended.