needle height

[ddaniels]

Does lowering the needle create a more lean condition?

[JTGS850GL]

Yes. Why do you want to lean out the needle circuit? Must usually have to richen it up.

[ddaniels]

Because I am running too rich now. Starts and runs without choke, and getting bad gas mileage.

[Steve]

I would change the mixture screws before I changed the needles. Besides, most needles are not adjustable.
You would have to ADD shims to the current nylon spacer to lower the needle.

.

[JTGS850GL]

Because I am running too rich now. Starts and runs without choke, and getting bad gas mileage.

If you're running rich and using stock jets then something other then the needle height is wrong.

[ddaniels]

If you're running rich and using stock jets then something other then the needle height is wrong.

To clarify, I purchased adjustable needles and installed them during my rebuild. I currently have the clip in the third groove from the top, which almost lines up exactly with where the clip was on the stock slip. Not sure if the tapers are the same between the stock needle and the new needle though. I was getting this same bad gas mileage before doing anything with all stock stuff.

I pulled the pilot jets and checked the markings and they are stock and have not been modified (drilled out). So, I'm kinda baffled as to why the bad mileage. I pulled the carbs back off to check float heights as I ignored that before (duh). Waiting on a float height measuring tool to arrive in the mail.

Any ideas as to why it's running rich with stock stuff?

[ddaniels]

I would change the mixture screws before I changed the needles. Besides, most needles are not adjustable.
You would have to ADD shims to the current nylon spacer to lower the needle.

.

Steve, by "change the mixture screws", do you mean change the amount of turns out? They are on the engine side of the carbs, so they meter the amount of fuel rather than the amount of air. At least that's what I'm told by other members of my "G men" group. That also aligns with other things I've read. They are currently set at 1.75 turns out, which I'm also told is a bit of a lean setting already. I guess I can adjust them in maybe to 1.5 turns out and see what happens.

[Nessism]

You can try dropping the needle to see what happens. If your new needle is thinner than the old the mixture will be richer than before, maybe too much so.