Power Loss after Carb Cleaning

[Xiahoux]

2000 KDX200 purchased used and ridden quite a bit lately.

Posted in the past about fuel leaking through the overflow and the problem ended up being crust on the fuel pin. Cleaned the pin, reassembled the carb and all is well.

Now I feel that I have lost a good bit of power. An example is when in 2nd gear you nail the throttle and the bike should, and used to, take off like a rocket. Not like a rocket anymore, feels like I am at the top end of the power band and I am right at the heart of it. The bike still moves well but simply doesn't have the power that it once did. I was careful to count the turns on the fuel-air screw when I disassembled/reassembled the carb.

Also, it feels like maybe the bike is sputtering when at the top of a gear and coasting to slow down. Sort of a jerky ride in this scenario. It is subtle but still there. Related? Any ideas?

 

[Crimeidy26]

Well if u took your jets out and cleaned both of them and soaked it in good parts cleaner and reassembled it properly then, the only other thing i can think of off the top of my head is....I had a 1999 KDX200 and the KIPS wasn't turning freely and when i'd get on it and hit it, it would go but flatten out really bad like it was wide open but was stupidly flat on the top end. The bottom end-half throttle was decent but after taking the KIPS apart cleaned it and reassembled it was back like a rocket with the powerband....Good luck on getting it back right...just an idea 2 throw at you.

 

[dansavage]

In addition to KIPS as being a potential issue, can you check your carb float level? - you might have accidentally knocked it off while you had it apart. Just a suggestion, I'd check that before going into KIPS.

 

[sr5bidder]

Dansavage is probably right but you may not have changed the float level by bumping it it may have always been low but your fuel cut off valve was leaking too maybe keeping the level high and now that its doing its job.... well you get the piont.

set the float level a bit higher and also check to see if your oring on the Idle air screw is bad

 

[Xiahoux]

When I cleaned the fuel pin I made an almost imperceptible adjustment to the float level to ensure that if the crust on the fuel pin was not the issue that I was fixing the fuel leak problem while the carb was apart. No changes other than the carb cleaning so I don't think it is KIPS but who knows.

Factory setting for the Fuel-Air screw says 1.5 turns out and mine was at 2.75. I closed this in to about 2 turns testing without effect.

 

[mudpack]

Factory setting for the Fuel-Air screw says 1.5 turns out and mine was at 2.75. I closed this in to about 2 turns testing without effect.

That's because the air/fuel screw only has an effect during the first 1/4 throttle; it has no affect on full throttle whatsoever; the carb is operating on a completely different circuit by half-throttle.