very hard to start...when it does, look out!

sully73 wrote:

...number one and two are fouling out the plugs, while 3 and four are perfect coloring....

If the differences continue to persist after re-cleaning the pilot circuits, installing new pilot jets, and properly setting the pilot mixture screw adjustments, such variations might result from different magnitudes of air leaks in the carb holders, or other reasons such as differing floatbowl fuel levels, obstructed air filters, etc.

Good Luck!

hey i have a new (to me) 81 kz1000j with pod filters 4 to 1s and stock mikuni carbs. Wont start yet but all signs point to carbs i am in the process of cleaning my carbs as well but my pilot jet and pilot screw on #2 are damaged frrom whoever worked on it last and are presently unremovable(AAAARRGGH) any ways I thought id pass you anything that could help. The pilot jet is beneath that plug you were talking about. the plug is easily removable just pull and twist (check the O ring mine were really filled with grit where the o ring sits on the plug). I have the Kawasaki KZ1000 service manual with a few specs for you pilot screw adjustment is 1 1/4 turns (with stock filter im assuming) main jet is 127.5 for J 122.5 is for K and M models. Pilot jet size is 37.5 . Also try removing the starter plunger (the brass hex fitting on the left) and cleaning in there. your thread actually helped to answer alot o f my questions seeing as we seem to have roughly the same problem. goodluck forgive my illiterasy haha

thanks for all the advice and help guys, its the best. got the carbs out and the plots are 37.5s and the mains are bigger than the 127.5s i had to compare to. like i posted before, the PO got these j model carbs off of ebay. when i was dissasembling them, i thought the left wo didnt quite look the same as the right two. they were all the same model. but the left two looked alittle older to me, little rougher shape. i think that the seller mismatched carbs to come up with a rack to sell. anyways, like i said earlier, the 3,4 plugs looked great , while the 1,2 were fouled, so i think those two carbs are probably the root of my problems. im tearing them apart today again and going through every little nook and cranny i can. ive tried to find an ultrasonic cleaner in my area, with no luck, and with a 13 mpg truck, funds are too tight to go for the new carb kits this week, so ill try to do the best i can and clean like a madman. ive got a gallon of carb cleaner, so ill soak all the jets and such for a few hours while i go to town on the bodies and see where it goes. thanks again for all the advice and help, when it comes to frame building, basic mechanics and even wiring(as stated before, never bought a charging bike before) ive had plenty of pratice, but the fine art of carb tuning has always eluded me. so its great to have such a reference like you guys to turn to. keep you posted.

jagrider wrote:

CV carbs are not that easy to tune...

www.iwt.com.au/mikunicarb.htm

www.mikuni.com/tg_poor_mid_range.html

www.factorypro.com/tech_tuning_procedure...igh_rpm_engines.html

....

Thanks for these good instructive links.

Here's a revision to the third link regarding CV carb turning,
which will hopefully better access the site.

www.factorypro.com/tech_tuning_procedure...igh_rpm_engines.html

not near as pissed at this bike as i was. i took the carbs off and cleaned the living shit out of it again. pulled pilots, whole works. i took tose 127.5s i had and put them and the 37.5 pilots in to get a baseling. the pilots that were in it were larger and the mains looked huge compared to the 127s. wanted to get it as close to stock as i could to start. bike ran pretty good on choke, no popping but came down off the reve pretty slow sometimes. turned off the choke and the popping came back. k....so now i know the pilots have to go like you guys suggested, but it held a high rev pretty good with the 127s,, ill have to load test it on the road and see what the plugs and performance look like with me on it.im going to put those bigger pilots back in and see where im at from there, got a drip from #1 now anyways,so ill need to readjust that float(think i bumped that one putting it back together. other than that, its looking better, be gentle, sometimes im bull headed and need a slap sometimes. atleast i quit eyeballing that sledge in the corner. let you guys know more when i pop the other pilots in.

forget about the float lvl, i forgot to tighten the drain, haha

sounds like the little brass tubes sticking down out of the carb body under the bowls are cloged. Try to take and remove the carbs , remover the pull rod and rhen the chock plungers and spray some good cleaner back into the chock plunger holes all the way to the back where on the outside of the carbs you will see a brass tube going up and down the side of the carb this leads to the bowl area and to the brass tubes in the body / bowl . this assembly is a start enrichner and enrichens the fuel mixture to start the engine. DO NOT MAKE THE HOLE IN THE BRASS TUBE IN THE BOWL ANY LARGER WHEN CLEANING WITH A OBJECT YOU MAY PUT INSIDE THEM . you could try a straight pin the Dia. shoule be about .022 for the size of the hole which is almost the size of a straight pin some gas torch cleaner file wires will also work but remember they are files and will make it larger.