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1978 carb ??

Posted: January 29th, 2013, 2:14 pm
by vindi
I have a 78 kitty and want to know what the plunger in the top of the carb is for? Though maybe a primer but not sure. Never seen one like this before. I can post a pic if it helps.

Also after cleaning the carb the motor runs good when warm. Seems like the choke doesn't work though. Only way to get it to start is to floor the throttle and pull a few times. Once its warm it start right up one pull. Any ideas?

Posted: January 29th, 2013, 3:46 pm
by 72
That carb is from a kawasaki engine, that plunger is some times referred to as a tickler. When pushed down, it primes fuel by pushing down on the float letting fuel flood into the carbs throat. Typically it does not need to be held down for more than a few seconds.

Posted: January 30th, 2013, 10:22 am
by vindi
So it not the right carb for the motor I have? Here's some pics

viewtopic.php?t=4676

So use it like a primer hey? Could that be why it seems to start hard when cold. Maybe I should press the plunger for a second or two and then go full choke and try it?

Posted: January 30th, 2013, 1:02 pm
by 72
I noticed the carb when I viewed your restoration pics a little while back, the tickler and choke arm gave it away. I noticed because the difference is usually the other way around (a suzuki/mikuni carb on a kawi engine).

Try holding it down for two seconds with coke, it that does not work, try another two. Eventually you will figure out what works best. Sometimes giving it a couple taps when warming up helps.

A far as kitty carbs go...... its not a matter of right or wrong, if its working your doing good.

Thanks for the pics and vids, your project turned out very nice. Am I right to assume that you are the stern looking old guy in the background of some of the pics?

Posted: January 30th, 2013, 1:15 pm
by vindi
72 wrote:I noticed the carb when I viewed your restoration pics a little while back, the tickler and choke arm gave it away. I noticed because the difference is usually the other way around (a suzuki/mikuni carb on a kawi engine).

Try holding it down for two seconds with coke, it that does not work, try another two. Eventually you will figure out what works best. Sometimes giving it a couple taps when warming up helps.

A far as kitty carbs go...... its not a matter of right or wrong, if its working your doing good.

Thanks for the pics and vids, your project turned out very nice. Am I right to assume that you are the stern looking old guy in the background of some of the pics?
No my friend was putting a head gasket in his cummins. I'm much younger than him!

Thanks for the info. I was about to pull the carb and clean it again but maybe I'll mess with it a little more first.

Last night my daughter tells me she wants it to go faster. I told her she only has ridden it one time and need to practice. She says shes all good. Here we go!

Posted: January 30th, 2013, 1:20 pm
by vindi
Probably explains why I had to bend the crap out of the choke lever to get it anywhere near where the cutout in the center counsel is. Wonder if the kawi motors have a different counsel?

Posted: February 4th, 2013, 12:07 pm
by vindi
Played with that plunge a bit. Nothing it does seems to effect the motor on a cold start. This things a bear to start cold. Only thing that works is to hold throttle pinned and pull, pull, pull.

Suppose I'll pull the carb and clean it again.

Posted: February 4th, 2013, 1:21 pm
by 72
Thats a good way to ruin a recoil, you might want to raise the float height. Try to look down the bore of the carb when holding it down, you should see some fuel running in after a few seconds. A can of ether is another option.