Amal settings

martin moore · Apr 25, 2011

Hi Guys,

The old 850 has sat idle for many years with little bits being done as time permits, put a new set of pipes and headers on recently to tidy it up. Went for the longest ride on the old girls last weekend and noticed on my return the left hand header is a nice straw colour but the right is blue, Running to lean ?????
checked the amals yesterday and both needles at top setting as standard, am I correct to drop the right hand side needle down to middle setting, cant find anything in the manual
Enjoyed browsing through the topics yesterday some interesting stuff

Regards Martin.

Flo · Apr 25, 2011

My right hand is straw coloured & the left is dark blue.
Tis' strange, but I won't alter my standard settings as it goes very well. I wonder if it is the chroming or a slightly diferent bend in the exhaust pipe or something else hardly noticable. Mine is a Mk.1 850.

martin moore · Apr 25, 2011

Ok thanks,

I might try it anyway once I get the master cylinder back and fitted, I also checked the plugs, left hand plug straw colour pipe is quite black and rich where as te right plug and blue pipe is brownish, normally this would be ideal from memory but with our ULP here I think the black plug is more the norm nowadays

L.A.B. · Apr 25, 2011

Welcome, Martin,

martin moore said:
the left hand header is a nice straw colour but the right is blue, Running to lean ?????
checked the amals yesterday and both needles at top setting as standard, am I correct to drop the right hand side needle down to middle setting,

When the manuals say "needle position TOP" it means the clip should be in the upper needle clip groove, so the needles will be at their lowest (weakest) setting therefore it shouldn't be possible to "drop the R/H side needle down" only raise the needle setting by moving the needle clip to a lower groove, however I suggest you check all other settings especially ignition timing and valve clearances before resorting to "odd" carb settings. As Flo said, it could be due to slight production differences between the two pipes.

Hungry J0e · Apr 25, 2011

martin moore said:
Hi Guys,

The old 850 has sat idle for many years with little bits being done as time permits, put a new set of pipes and headers on recently to tidy it up. Went for the longest ride on the old girls last weekend and noticed on my return the left hand header is a nice straw colour but the right is blue, Running to lean ?????
checked the amals yesterday and both needles at top setting as standard, am I correct to drop the right hand side needle down to middle setting, cant find anything in the manual
Enjoyed browsing through the topics yesterday some interesting stuff

Regards Martin.

Basing your results off the pipe color is surely a very rough guide...

Although getting an O2 sniffer is probably the best route, a good second best would be to take the temperature with an infrared thermometer like this:
http://www.harborfreight.com/non-contac ... 96451.html

Reading temperature of the header will be a good indication for you how much hotter (and leaner) one side is versus the other.

Cheers,

- HJ

martin moore · Apr 25, 2011

Thanks for the suggestons. much appreciated

Regards Martin.

rvich · Apr 25, 2011

Are you running points or electronic ignition?
I would check the dwell/gap settings as well.
Russ

martin moore · Apr 25, 2011

Running Boyer electronic which I brought in UK 1978 shit long time ago, havn't checked timing for yonks from memory you had to run it at some crazy RPM 5000 ?? remember the bike vibrating around the garage at the time.
But have seen some info on the forum where you can check it at a much lower RPM, will borrow a timing light and do some homework

Thanks

gtsun · Apr 26, 2011

I would carefully check your valve adjustments, my 850 has been doing the same thing with the Left pipe being a nice straw color & the Right pipe a bit blue. I'm thinking valves because I'm running a single Mikuni with Boyer Electronic ignition. Glenn.

cash · Apr 26, 2011

Sometimes it's the carbs out of balance and the blue pipe cylinder is doing more work.
Cash

Hobot · Apr 26, 2011

Might also consider float setting lower on the blued side and maybe a tad high on the other. After checking timing and valve lash see diddle float to get best idle 1.5 pilot turns out, then mess with needles and watch plugs as once pipe blued forever or left dull un-blued by rub off compounds. Air leaks checked for too even on exhaust tubes.

Amal settings

martin moore

Flo

martin moore

L.A.B.

Moderator

Hungry J0e

martin moore

rvich

martin moore

gtsun

cash

Hobot

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