Scruff wrote:My supplier told me that Amal were under new owners and the quality had dropped, any comment on this info?

Burlen Fuel Systems has owned Amal since 2003, and there's been no recent change of ownership as far as I'm aware? I do know they have had some problems with their production quality in the past.

http://www.amalcarb.co.uk/profile.aspx

New jets etc arrived Friday. Fitted and set float heights at 1mm, needles were about 2mm longer and had one extra mark on the top above the 3 grooves, fitted needle clip in middle groove and the jets were 220 main and 106 needle jet. First play it would not idle at a constant 900/1000 rpm it was all over the place even when I did not touch the idle screws or the pilot jet screw. Mind of its own and would run up to 2500RPM back the idle speed of a fraction and it would drop and stall. Sprayed WD40 onto the auto advance as I thought it was the problem even though I had stripped the AAU and used the best parts out of the two I had and it ran a little more consitant so on with the helmet and of for a test ride. Called into a mates house and it was ticking over like a clock. Back home and checked the gas readings and were ok. After lunch went for a ride down to Kiama blow hole via Jambaroo and back home, still running good just need to sort the front brake out, not much there and a little bit out of round which causes a judder when braking hard. New shoes were fitted and still have not beded in yet but I may have to strip the wheel to fit the hub in the lathe and skim the drum true.
Ian

All this concern over 1mm here and there is mistaken as are lean concerns. Fuel is picked up by the fuel circuits in about the last half inch of the carb bowl. In order for the engine to receive fuel ,the pick up points must be covered with fuel. I don't think you could set the float low enough to stop the engine from running. You could , however, set the fuel level so low that on full power, the engine consumes all the fuel before it can flow back in to replenish what was used up. Then, you have a lean condition. The engine will sputter and misfire due to lack of fuel.A rich condition on the other hand can be easily had with the float level too high or with the needle not seating correctly due to the float hitting an obstruction or simply not sealing effectively. Then you are essentially in tickle mode. The only way fuel gets out of the fuel bowl in this mode is up through the main jet and into the center of the throttle bore, through the idle/low speed circuit that you control with the mixture screw, or out the tickler bleed hole as it does when you tickle the carbs to get your fingers smelling like fuel. In fact, if you see slight wetness at your tickler with the fuel taps on and your bike just sitting on its stand, you have a high float level or seating problem. If not corrected and you fail to shut off your fuel taps, the fuel will continuously run into the sump and dilute your oil and probably cause you grief. I have had this happen on a Triumph and it actually put a cup or two of fuel into the primary which has a connection to the sump. If anything, I prefer to err on having the float level a tad lower than called for. If the ticklers do not reach to open the needle and seat you just extend them a tad. If they will not budge when you try to elongate them you can put a small screw up the center to add a tad of length.