Bike won't start after carb cleaning.

I suppose a good way to move forward is by figuring out which my
mixture is.
Can you clever folk please look at these links. It shows the carb in
detail

http://www.babbittsonline.com/pages/parts/viewbybrand/9/Kawasaki.aspx
http://www.babbittsonline.com/pages/parts/viewbybrand/9/Kawasaki.aspx

This is a typical CV carb and all the parts in mine are here,
including the mixture screw with the exact parts (bolt, screw, washer,
o'ring)
http://www.oldmanhonda.com/MC/Rcarbs.html

Is there a way to certify which mine is based on these pics?

 

Shoot, the first link won't work unless you navigate to my bike.
Please go to Kawasaki/EX305 B1 GPz305 then look up the fiche for the
carb.

 

I did NOT say it doesn't matter.
I did say that the float level and the corresponding fuel level in the bowl
does not have a direct impact on the fuel mixture delivered to the
engine......over a "nominal" range of levels and during "normal" engine
operation.
Well, I didn't exactly say that but it's what I meant! ;-)

 

An even faster way to "move forward" would be to set the idle screws the way
the book says and see what happens. It doesn't take a genius to figure that
out.

We are talking an idle mixture adjustment here. A pretty universally
accepted way to set that adjustment (at least initially) is to put it at a
point where it IDLES BEST. That point may not be exactly where the manual
recommends as a starting point but it is NOT likely to be off as much as you
have it set now.

 

It is not "thread hijacking" to point out that such chemicals are bad
stuff. Not sure if they are the notorious six-sided compounds but it is
fairly well accepted by some medical experts that after some years they
can encourage serious tumours in pretty much every part of the human
body. Some even go so far as to suggest that school kids' lunches
should not be packed in Saran Wrap. I've known people who fooled around
with machines for years then died from various cancers who had none of
the most popular bad habits. Just because the mfr manuals warn about
prolonged exposure to engine oil may increase likelihood of skin cancer
doesn't mean that the official cause of death won't be listed as lung
cancer (as for a mechanic I knew who never smoked). My theory is that
it doesn't matter for people in their fifties like me who already have
forty years of other bad habits under their belts but I always encourage
the kids I know to have several kinds of gloves in their kit. I wear
work gloves most of the time too just because they save me a lot of
split thumbs, skin cracks, broken nails, metal fragment infections and
much cleaning time. Much of the technology we live with today is called
safe by governments, but that's only because in most cases they haven't
proved the cause and effect. It amazes me that most consumers translate
"not proven to be harmful" into "safe to use any old way you please".

 

Eat Dirt wrote:
....

I think there may be some doubt about screws on the engine side, but it
is hard to see how a screw on the air cleaner side could be anything but
an air screw.

 

Krusty morphs again?

 

Hate to admit but you're dead on. First off, I was mistaken - the
mixture screw is on side of the carb closer to the engine, not the air
box as I previously stated. This gave me the confidence to do as you
suggested and turn the screws by as much as the manual states, as it
likely IS the fuel screw. Result: bike runs great!

Run it for over 15 min, often at high revs. Engine did not overheat,
it starts fine after shutting it off, everything appears normal. Guess
you guys do know your shit (reason why I posted here, as I know you
folk know your bikes). One detail though: it backfires. For instance,
if I'm in second gear doing some 45 km/h (30 of them US measurement)
and let go the throttle, I get a nasty backfire, followed by several
smaller ones. Also happens while idling, if hitting some high revs and
letting go of the throttle. What can be done to rectify this? I know
I'm very close but not sure how to fine tune the thing. What could be
done next?

One very happy and no longer discouraged 3x bike owner.

 

Mark Olson wrote:
....

Thanks. (Air screws seem to be rare.)

 

I'm not familiar with specifics of your bike, but ...

I'd consider tuning carb back to or near factory settings, see how
it runs.

If still backfiring, take a hard look at the ignition system.

Any chance you burnt/bent a valve whilst testing an overheated
motor? Compression test might be in order.

P

"Sometimes, to be silent is to Lie."
- philosopher Miguel Unamuno, during the Spanish Civil War

 

The idle mixture is still too lean if the engine backfires out the
exhaust when you roll the throttle off.

You might still have some crud in the idle mixture passages.

 

Go read what the Factory Pro website has to say about minor
adjustments in float bowl fuel level.

 

Whenever I see an idle mixture screw that has a small washer and o-
ring on it, my assumption is that it is a GAS screw.

 

Yep, when you find yourself a bargain it is also a box of surprises.
This thing had been sitting for a few years outside too. So I'm
finding a few surprises along the way but the bike is surprisingly
whole for a 25 year old bike. Would love to find a gas tank for it in
better shape than this, which is badly rusted and faded. A bit too
much work to take out the dents and paint it. If anyone has a lead on
one, plz let me know.

UPDATE: turned the FUEL mixture screw (yep, that's what that is) a
quarter turn richer (opening) and it made the bike worse, lack of
power while accelerating and it even stalled at one point. Too rich it
seems. Back to factory default and it is running well so I'll leave it
at that. Spark plug also seems healthy now. Oh and it did nothing to
diminish the backfire.

Backfire: here's what I suspect the problem is - you smart folk please
confirm. The exhaust pipe doesn't seem to have a good seal just as it
leaves the engine. The half moon parts are missing on both pipes, and
there's a bit of air kicking off from there, especially when
accelerating. Could this be the cause for the backfire? In the process
of trying to find the proper parts since this is an aftermarket pipe.
Could this be the reason for the backfire?

 

At the danger or hijacking my own thread (especially after the fuss I
made over the whole carb cleaning thing) curiosity has the better of
me: why in the world would someone that lives in Germany opt to drive
not one of so many fine German precision engineered cars but instead
opt to drive quite possibly the greatest pieces of crap American
engineering has come up with? I mean, for a German to want to drive an
NA 'domestic' is bad enough but to pick a Fiero of all of them is
simply unimaginable. C'mon, this car is buggier than the Chevette or
any other Ford model ever built. Now explain yourself please, as I
live in NA and refuse to drive anything other than German cars and
truly am curious as to what has prompted you to do the opposite (and
want to hurt yourself in this manner - I mean, have you no shame??)

And yes, fixing the exhaust leak in my bike is priority. Just need to
find the time to bring the bike to the used parts place to find a
match. Will update this thread once I do, in the event this fixes the
backfiring and hopefully helps someone else with a similar problem
(except for you, I'm sure that your plagued Fiero suffers from much
more beyond just an exhaust leak - it is after all a "fine" piece of
domestic engineering)
Cheers

 

Most needle valves have a spring loaded top, if you turn the carb fully
upside down this spring will compress and the measure is way off.
If it is spring loaded, you turn the carb on the side untill the float
tang rests on the needle top without compressing it. This is where you
take your measures.

J.

 

If you have an exhaust leak it is very prone to backfire the way you
described.

J.

 

An exhaust leak where you describe it WILL make the engine backfire when
you back off the throttle.

J.

 

Just remove one screw and look at it, a fuel screw is pointy with a narrow
cone(Has a small spring, washer and o-ring in that order, which sits in
the body of the carb), an air screw is blunt with a wide cone.

J.

 

Great, that is very comforting to hear. Especially since this is such
a cheap, easy fix. I haven't brought the bike over to the wreckers yet
(where we're sure to find one that will fit this aftermarket exhaust)
due to winter arriving AGAIN. It's incredibly cold and we've been
getting pounded by 3 days of snow, non stop. Wtf. This is supposed to
be spring.

Anyway, aside from the backfire, the engine is running incredibly
smooth, starts easily and isn't overheating. So I think the carb issue
has been resolved, which is a great relief as I had initially thought
the backfiring was due to more problems. Will have it fixed (the
exhaust leak) once the snow melts and will update everyone here then.
Btw as for the needle, I had made a mistake on the position of the
mixture screw and did learn that it is indeed a fuel mixture screw and
not air mixture. As posted on a subsequent follow up, I set the turns
to what the owners manual recommends and bike is running wonderful as
well as the condition of the spark plugs (no longer white). Again,
thanks to all for your help.