where can I get a #34 pilot EDIT: drilled my own!

I guess you are talking about the mechanical slide (early) pilot jets vs mine. I'm not sure how the earlier ones are, but my #32 and #34 jets are exactly the same except for the "32" or "34" stamp on the face.

That is the correct carb kit. However the jet included is a #32. Usually they say the jet may not be correct for all aplications in the description.

I actaully have four #32 carb kit jets installed right now. I assume they flow the same, however they don't look exactly the same as the stock jets. The little 'emulsion holes' or whatever they are, and the tube itself on the bottom of the jet look different.

I can't tell the difference at all between the stock #32 and #34. I guess the difference in hole size isn't detectible with the naked eye. Maybe there's so little to be removed that the drilling would be just a quick twist.

Strange the jet is the wrong size even though the kit is for a ZX550.

Yeah, the drilling goes very quickly. There is very little to remove. If you have some extra 32's, you can practice. I always fear breaking the bit inside the jet, but they are only brass. I usually push the jet into a small piece of soft rubber tubing to hold onto it.

hey - I'm a 550 owner, and will be doing a lot of work on my carbs in the next while..I'll be both offering info and looking for info while i'm at it.

(KZ)550 pride!

Welcome to the forum pyxen - you have the exact same bike as heartless. Check out her posts for details of carb work she did.

awesome! Thanks!

I'm looking at putting pods on right now because the carbs have been taken apart to be cleaned/refit after the bike sat for a couple of years. Unfortunately when my mechanic started 'er up during the safety inspection the gas in the tank made a quick getaway to the crank case

Mines a 550 too~! 2 years older than yours pyxen, and it doesn't look the same.

I have serious carb probs too, but mine are because my ~1 carb idle passageways are blocked! Once I get some ultrasonic cleaner fluid I can sort it lol

Jon.

Well, I picked up the micro drillbit set recommended by Lou D and twisted a #80 (.343mm) bit into each jet by hand. Strangly, the bit went into the single #32 jet slightly easier than the #34 jets. Maybe it had already been drilled?

Either way, I put the bit through all 4 jets for the sake of consitency. I checked the jets with the bit then and they all felt relatively the same. I then checked them with the next size bit (a #78 or #79, one was loose in the pack and one was missing) and the bit didn't fit, so they are at least not too oversized.

I swapped the jets out and didn't change another thing. The bike now starts up right away with full choke and a little throttle, then immediately goes to half choke and stabilizes, and it's ready to go without choke within a minute or so. I didn't have to turn the idle up while I walked back to get my helmet, and so there was no need to turn it down again within 5 minutes at the next stop sign. Power delivery now is fairly seamless from low throttle openings. No more popping through the carbs when the engine is cold either!

I think the #34's (or maybe #35's as my drilling may have produced) are just what the doctor ordered, and the DIY job seems to have worked out OK.

Glad things are turning up roses Trav...and the satisfaction of doing it yourself...priceless!

That's great news! Now I can try the same thing!

...nothing more satisfying than a DIY fix.

yea, I just worry about the consistency of the hole I made and the flow rate of each jet. I guess if the next sized dril bit doesn't fit though, and the one I used fits them all, then they should be relatively the same enough for it to be a non-issue.

That's the kinda shit I roll around in my head while not riding though. I'll tell you when I was on that thing, I was tickled. The better a bike runs, the more you want to ride it. At least that's especially true when the bike has gotten better and better since you have owned it!

Sounds like drilling my jets may solve my problems as well then!!!

Will maybe have a play if i can get hold of a drill bit as I have spare pilots.

Jon.

Its great that you guys figured out the jet issues. (I am quite thankful I have mikunis) Someone should do a write up on this and put it in the filebase for future riders with the same problem.
Now to get off topic a bit now that the issue has been solved, did anyone think about trying to fit mikuni carbs from a 650? A 615 kitted 550 should be requiring about the same air fuel volume as a 650 with some exhaust upgrades (on the 615) shouldnt it? I could be wrong, but it seems to make sence to me. the only problem I can think of is the closer intake spacing, maybe altering the 550 rack to accept the mikunis would be an easy(?) fix.
just throwing ideas out there...