Running rich on idle only

[skreemer]

when I'm barely past open throttle to full open throttle there isn't a hiccup. The bike runs like a scalded cat.
83 GS550E

4 into 1... pods... stage 3 jet kit...
Stock pilots
118 mains
Third from the bottom on the needles...
screws were all the way out and when you crank to fire her up it would crank away for 15 - 20 seconds then backfire and run right away.

We put the screws all the way in and then she wouldn't idle at all... you get a quick die. Crank for a few seconds full choke she'll idle at 6K. As you bring the choke down at about 3/4 choke it just dies. Now we have it at three turns out and still the same issue.

I'm assuming I only need to fool with the mix screws and the idle adjust but I'm not sure so here's the question.

Everything else seems to be working just fine. It's just while on idle. What do I need to mess with to set the idle and what should I look for as indicators for too rich or too lean?

[gspaul]

OK! all the way in , no gas, all the way out , to much.
My guess as a start is 2 1/4 out.
But there is not a standard setting for all carb's .
Start at this,but then adjust each one for peak idle,take your time and listen.
Every one will be different.
Good luck!

[skreemer]

what about the idle adjust? As far as I can tell that was set at one extreme or another before I started fooling with it to make it "better"... I believe it was all the way "in"...

should I touch that at all? leave it alone and adjust it all with the mixture screws?

[gspaul]

Mix screw's first ,then adjust ldle to about 1000-1200rpm

[skreemer]

how touchy are the mix screws? Should I be making changes at quarter turns, hal turns or full turn increments? Without doing a "throttle chop" method of testing, is there a quick and easy way to tell if it's rich or lean?

[oldschoolGS]

Use quarter turn incruments.

Choke richens the mixture, therefore:

if using choke makes it run better- it is lean
if using choke makes it run worse- it is rich