Jet needles & vacuum piston springs

Well, I re-build the carbs saturday, and to my surprise - it started again! :ohmy:

But it is running *exactly* the same - rough idle, and stalls out at idle on occasion. There were two things during the rebuild that I think are the cuplits:

1) I could not get the jet needles out. There is a c-clip inside the vacuum piston spring seat that I could no get a grip on with needle nose. For fear of damaging something, I gave up on that. I note that the manual does not show this little part even being there!!

2) the vacuum piston springs might be spent. The manual says they should have a free length of 118mm, and mine come it and 95mm and 100mm. The manual states weak springs can cause erratic idle. Hmmmmmm.

So I ask the collective genious of the forum: Any trick to getting those c-clips out? Any way in hell I can locate a new / good used set of springs? Can I just stretch them out?

I don't know about the springs, but I just use a small pair of needle nose pliers to get the snap ring out. I have a harder time putting the snap ring back in than I do removing it.