carb float height vs gas milage and excessive smoking

fourbarrel

fourbarrel

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May 5, 2003
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Location
St George,New Brunswick,Canada
I've been thinking about my sled (98 SRX 700) and how it is smoking so much lately and wondered if I have the floats set too much one way or the other.I don't think the smoke is over oiling from the pump (set to stock) as on the last trip I was on in March a bud with an 01 SRX used almost exactly the same amount of oil as I did and also about half the gas as mine.I know the 00-02 SRX's were better on gas to start with having the 300 watt mag and better ignition but the difference seems too much to shrug off.
The carbs are cleaned every fall and yes I know how to do it properly,they have the stock jetting,needle jet is set to stock,fuel screws are set to 1 3/4 (I think) and the oil I'm using is Castrol synthetic,no longer made.I want to change the oil to Amsoil but I'm trying to use the stock I have up first.
If I warm the sled up inside my shed before a ride you literally cant see inside for a good half hour after I take it out,I mean the smoke is so heavy it will burn my eyes if I stay in for very long.
The choke cable is free and not sticking and as far as I can tell all the plungers are returning to closed.It's not fouling plugs so I'm thinking the problem isn't in the choke.Anyone have an idea of what I'm missing or should check?
 
If your plugs are burning good, it's not rich, it's probably the oil. I never ran Castrol so I can't say for sure.
 
Hey fourbarrel good to see someone else has a SMOKER!!!! My '99 600 venture is this way.Earlier last winter I had a thread on here asking about smoke issues,I've had another sled before,different brand and it did not do this,I am using the same oil brand also castrol Advance which worked fine in my other machine but my Yammi is different so what can be said?Most said it was an oil issue,but I don't think so,I went to a size smaller on my pilot size and it cleaned it up considerably.My cable adjustment on the oiler was fine,and to judge how much was used on the trails varies as conditions and how hard you come onto the throttle!! You know there is an old saying;if she smokes shes' getting the lube!! But I hear 'ya mine would fill the back yard with smoke!!!So will another brand of oil work it's your pocket book....
 
When I first got my SRX I had some Wynns oil left over from running it my V MAX SX and started using it in the SRX and very soon after started having sparkplug problems.It turned out that the Wynns was too rich for the engine because as soon as I switched to Yamalube the plug fouling went away.Luckily for me as it was the SRX's were known for fouling plugs as they came with BR10ECS' which was apparently too cold a heat range for them so every time mine would foul a set of plugs my dealer gave another set free.This saved me much $ in plug replacement until I figured out the oil was the culprit so it may even be the place to check now for the excess smoke issue I have now.
 
A high float level will make the sled run rich, a low float level will make it lean on top. If your truely using that much more fuel then your buddy ridng with you I would look at the following things first, the fuel screws are out at 1.75 turns out? why? stock is 1 and 1/8th, most srx will have a lean idle hang and prefer a 1.5 setting on a stock engine.
Has the sled ever had the rings replaced?

Do you and your buddy have the same clutching?

clutching and gas mpg go hand in hand, a hot inefficent clutch will burn up alot more gas by slipping the belt, requiring more throttle to maintain the same steady speed as a better set up.
 
mrviper700 said:
A high float level will make the sled run rich, a low float level will make it lean on top. If your truely using that much more fuel then your buddy ridng with you I would look at the following things first, the fuel screws are out at 1.75 turns out? why? stock is 1 and 1/8th, most srx will have a lean idle hang and prefer a 1.5 setting on a stock engine.
Has the sled ever had the rings replaced?

Do you and your buddy have the same clutching?

clutching and gas mpg go hand in hand, a hot inefficent clutch will burn up alot more gas by slipping the belt, requiring more throttle to maintain the same steady speed as a better set up.
Click to expand...

I'm glad you chimed in here Don,I'm only guessing on the fuel screw settings as it's been a year since I had the carbs apart and I don't have the settings wrote down.They may very well not be out that far as that does seem too much.The engine had 2 pistons replaced last year and the other will be done this year;odd way to do it I know but I was putting oem in to replace Weisco.As far as clutching I'm running Heel clickers and my buds 01 in stock,mine seems to be set up pretty well I'm not burning belts up constantly or anything like that,alignment is on and as far as I can see it's ok.
 
well, its a new year, pop off the carb rack and go thru it,clean and readjust it, that will take the carbs out of the equation of the problem. If its still doing it(eating up gas), you need to adjust the clutching somewhere, your likely inefficient somewhere in your curve. ;)!
 
People are looking at SMOKING as a BAD THING.. I suppose I have to do another MILLION wore ESSAYS on SMOKING and two stroke (and also 4 stroke) INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES again?????????????? Lets try and keep this simple enough.... MOISTURE-(WATER) is a byproduct of combustion.....considering the ambient temperature, the relative air density, relative humidity, baro pressure and engne,exhaust temp, type of oil, type of fuel,,amount of ALCOHOLS and different additives ALL CONTRIBUTE to SMOKING!!! you have to figure out WHAT KIND OF SMOKE IT IS first of all!!! Different basestocks SMOKE differently,,, Different synthetics ABSORB MOISTURE and try and break apart differently.. THERE ARE A BUNCH of reasons and TYPES of SMOKE that are NOT NECESSARILY a BAD THING!!!! Dont be so "up in arms" just because of some smoke!!!!
 
Oils that BRAGG "lower smoke" actually don't work (detergents) as good as oils that SMOKE LIKE A PIG!!!! People are REALLY STUPID and purchase oil that smokes less and think it's BETTER for your sled!!!! WRONGO BUCKO!!!!!
 
PLEEZE don't get me started again..... Oil's are VERY ELEMENTARY....... They've been around for 10,000 years and aren't about to breakdown in a few seconds...
 
Get yourself a hose that will fit over your exshast outlet and run it out side of your shed.i know its not the answer you were looking for but will be better than a 2 stroke headake
 
I've actually toyed with the hose idea before and I even thought about making a trap door in the floor under the exhaust outlet and using a short hose to route the exhaust out of my shed that way.
I hope to get at the carbs on the weekend and go through them and check all my settings,give them a good going over as they say.
As far as the smoking being "not a bad thing" I quite agree but compared to my buds SRX mine smokes considerably more so I will be trying to pinpoint the cause whether it's excess fuel or oil.Didn't mean to get you all riled up here Gary ;)! .
 
Holly Smokes!!!!!!!!

LaLaLa Good to see some excitement going on here,thats how politics get ironed out!! So you love your smoke that's fine but maybe some of us don't like hanging our sledding clothes outside for the night or having a good old oil/smokers high!!Every sled has a little difference in them of course so all we are saying is Help,what has worked.That's all.Take care.
 
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