OK, confession time!!!! Hopefully it might help somebody else.
I had the Triumph out yesterday, did the usual, checked the PJ (It's a premiere Amal MK1), new fuel, general check around the bike etc.
I noticed the choke lever was loose & tightened the big main screw at the top (more of this later)
Started the bike up & when I came off choke it was spitting through the carb!
Once warmed up the spitting was a lot less so I decided to go for a spin, overall the bike was great but low down, 1/4 throttle of less, it would spit now & then!!
Then a lightbulb went off!!!! I was chasing a rich carb issue on low throttle. I had changed my pilot jet from a standard 17 to a 15 (yes, smaller to lean out the idle/low throttle circuit) I even put the needle clip on the top ring, lowering the needle & leaning out the low end even more.
I had the bike out this time last year & it ran great, but I felt it was still a bit 'fluffy'/rich on the low end. (see pics above)
My air screw was only out about a 1/4 turn out with these settings, which is very rich but it ticked over well & overall the bike ran fine.
I know you guys asked if I had checked if the choke slide was fully retracting & I said yes, I had checked it's operation by holding the slide in my hand & pulling the choke lever to off & I could not see any obstruction to the slide so I thought that's working fine!!!
What I think was happening last year is that I would take the choke off by pulling the choke slide up with the lever but because it was loose the choke slide was dropping a bit back down.
I was then chasing my tail leaning out the idle/low throttle circuit because the choke was partially on!!!!!!!


I put the clip on the needle back to the middle & ran the bike up to temp and changed the PJ from 15 to a 17 (richer)
This allowed me to adjust the air screw to approx. 1 turn out.
I decided, since I had it, to put in a 19 PJ (richer again) and this allowed me to adjust the air screw to 1 1/4 turn out.
Bike is running well, no spits and no 'fluffy' feel on the low end.
Moral of the story, don't allow me to tune your carbs!! or pay more attention to the small details, all this was caused by a loose screw . . . . . . . . .
no not the one in my head


