wiredgeorge final Q`

OK ive setup my carbs and tuned them the best i can. I have a 78 1/2kz1000ltd installed new installed as per you.
110 main
20 pilot
needle to the third slot
screw 1 1/4 out {is where i ended up trying to adjust the screw}
With pods and 4 to 1 vance hines, i have a good idle and revs good in neutral but on acceleration i get a lot of poping and missfiring from the exhaust and very poor acceleration and not too much chance of getting into the high rpm. I think i need to move my needles. I think it sounds like it is rich on the needle, am i wrong? do i need to drop the needle 1 slot in the pipe?
Thanks for the help
krazyjay

I'm not WG but maybe I can help you. I'm running 115 mains with the needle in the 3rd clip in my '78 A2 and from the look of the plugs I'm running a little lean. I have the stock headers With lightly baffled slipons and a K&N air box filter. It pulls good to redline. I would say you need to go up to 117.5 0r 120 mains with the needle in the 3rd slot. I am reasonably sure we have the same carbs but I could be wrong and my advice would be worth nothing. WG will probably address your problem when he gets the chance.

Might want to go to his website and pose the question in his forum.

He did go to our forum and ask and was answered there... by the way, the 78 KZ1000A2 and A2A (78 1/2) have different carbs/jetting. Both are 26s but the 78 1/2 is even leaner. michkawi, you may be lean but bumping the main jet size is very unlikely to be the cause. You are already running mains that are very rich. Keep in mind that you don't run on just the main jets unless your throttle is wide open. Raise your jet needle or install larger pilot jets... the 78 A2 carbs also like BIG pilots... #20's seem to work real well and allow easy tuning of the idle circuit where #17.5 pilots don't quite get the job done; they will work but are still lean when you run pods and a 4 into 1. A true 78 1/2 generally has 5CN7 jet needles which don't have clip slots... some have another jet needle installed... maybe a 5CN8 or one in the 5CN family with clip slots and these can be raised to the 4th slot position as the mid-range on the 78 or 78 1/2 is a bit lean considering the size of the pilot and mains.

after way too much work ive dicovered one of my new condensors looks to be going bad mucking up the whole tuning process so tomorrow ill get a new set and if it smooths out the bad breaking up then i can get to fine tunning from there. Thank you all for the help ill drop back as i make progress.

FWIW...And not really related to this particular situation...While there are many factory jetting combos for the KZ with late model VM carbs...One of the best KZ combos out there for the latter 26 and 28mm OEM carbs is a 5DL31 needle with O-6 needle jets.

I don't know what's available these days for needle jets for the stock late model VM series carbs but if you need to buy new...that's a good needle/needle jet combo to get.

I believe a 77 LTD 1000 total rebuild kit [if needles and needle jets are included] would have that combo. Should fit any of the VM 26 or 28 late model carbs. Gives you something to work with when going to K&N pods.

Anyway....thought I'd pass that along...