So prolly dumb question...

On super e the idle mixture screw shouldn't stick through into the throat or should it?

 

As I remember you should see the needle point a little bit. It should be around 1/2 to no more than 2 turns out from the seat.
you should be good around 1 turn out normally. My carb is thunder jetted so its about 1/2 turn out on a sportster.

 

Only idles fully seated. 1/8 of a turn from the seat it stumbles and dies

 

 

Ok, time for details.
motor, cubes and what's your jets....
Throat looks like your running rich. Is this bike new to you?

 

I see signs of air leakage around the butterfly shaft at the body bushings and sounds like the intermediate jet is WAY too big, for a sporty it should be a .026 to .0285 jet max

 

01 electra
Tc88 jets .0295/ 74
yes new to me

Its running hella rich. Why I tried to lean it out and instead of dying the idle smooths out. I'm thinking a previous owner messed up the seat

 

Your jetting sounds pretty good if the jets haven't been drilled. May be worth doing a rebuild and replace the mix screw. It should only die at almost all the way in or around 2 turns out or a little over. And good cleaning may also help narrow down issues.

 

It only idles evenly with the screw all the way it. It dies with the screw more than 1/8 of a turn out from bottom
even all the way in is too rich. Fairly heavy black smoke and deceleration popping

 

An E jetted correctly in decent shape with no air leaks the mixture screw should be 1-1/2 turns out, with an 1/8-1/4 turn either side of that. More or less the intermediate is wrong.