I know this is a mildly common issue, seeing lots of search results with similar symptoms, though none of them are happening after carb work.

So, I bought this 883 in the spring, it was super neglected so I've been going through just about everything to get it riding proper before summer. I knew my intake inlet seals were a little leaky, so I decided to pull the carb and figured I would clean it while it was off. Little bit of varnish in the bottom of the bowl, tons of carbon buildup everywhere. Jets oddly looked great, no clogging. Bike was getting 51mpg before pulling everything, so I know there's nothing major wrong. But I was getting lots of those carb farts, spraying some starting fluid confirmed the leaky inlet gaskets.

Symptoms:
Starts with full choke, but idles rough. Will still idle rough with choke off or at half, but will die quickly. Throttle kills it. Intermittent black smoke coming out of the exhaust. Almost sounds like it's running on 1 cylinder. Spark plugs look fine so far, both cylinders are getting spark. With choke on, it clears up and runs fine over like 3000rpm.

Going to get back into fixing this tomorrow, but what should I be looking for? Could this be as simple as a stuck float bowl? What else should I take a look at while I'm in there?

Thanks! Let me know if you have questions or need clarifications on anything.

 

It's not a stuck float bowl.

Did you blow out the passages from the jets? Pull out the pilot and IMS, blast with carb cleaner, then air. Have you checked to see if your slide diaphragm is installed correctly? If you took out the emulsion tube, did you put the needle jet back in correctly? It's often installed upside down, with results similar to yours. Check the accelerator pump for a strong stream pointed at the needle? Check the fundamentals and you'll be okay. Pilot circuit is definitely the place to start.

It's something simple, it always is. These one barrel carburetors are not rocket surgery. Or brain science.

You did change the manifold seals, all three of them? Red grease on the manifold-to-head seals is recommended. Don't tighten the flange screws until you have mounted the carb and bolted it to the breathers. You don't want any twisting of them.

John

 

Check your air fuel mixture screw. You should be 2 turns out

 

Bingo, you were right. It was the needle jet. The little needle jet sleeve (that goes in under the Main jet column) had fallen out while I was working on the carb at night, I didn't see it. Found it on the ground, reinstalled, bike works great now. Still getting little carb farts randomly while cold, but no intake leaks.

Thanks!

 

You'e welcome! Glad to hear it was that simple.

John