Dream lost it's midrange power :(

joeweir1 · Post by **joeweir1** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:40 am

Sounds like you were running too rich and you fouled your plugs.Usually they are no good once fouled!!Did you adjust your air mixture screw back to 1 1/8 turns out from bottom to start? Don't worry about idle too much as long as it is idleing at a descent level.To check main needle you need to unscrew top of carb where the cable comes in.That is where the spring is and main needle sit.Just pull the cable and your needle will come out with the slide.Also,did you run your carb empty when you stored it for a month and shut off your gas??If not it could have overflowed into one or both cylinders and fouled one or both plugs as soon as you started it.Also, if you had it just on your kickstand leaning usaully gas will go on the left cyinder first and foul that plug.Were both cylinders firing?Feel if your headers were both getting hot with your old plugs in(don't burn yourself).You may think a cylinder is running(I found this out and was running on one cylinder briefly with no power of course) but the header will tell you for sure.Check that before pulling your carb.

ryan_siefring23 · Post by **ryan_siefring23** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:56 am

joeweir1 wrote:Sounds like you were running too rich and you fouled your plugs.Usually they are no good once fouled!!Did you adjust your air mixture screw back to 1 1/8 turns out from bottom to start? Don't worry about idle too much as long as it is idleing at a descent level.To check main needle you need to unscrew top of carb where the cable comes in.That is where the spring is and main needle sit.Just pull the cable and your needle will come out with the slide.Also,did you run your carb empty when you stored it for a month and shut off your gas??If not it could have overflowed into one or both cylinders and fouled one or both plugs as soon as you started it.Also, if you had it just on your kickstand leaning usaully gas will go on the left cyinder first and foul that plug.Were both cylinders firing?Feel if your headers were both getting hot with your old plugs in(don't burn yourself).You may think a cylinder is running(I found this out and was running on one cylinder briefly with no power of course) but the header will tell you for sure.Check that before pulling your carb.

Yes, I turned back the idle screws to, 1 turn out from all the way in. I will get four new plugs tonight and see if that helps.

YES, Exactly, I left it on its center stand, but I accidentally left the petcock open and quite a bit of fuel leaked out of the cab, I guess this could have been the problem. The oil smelled like fuel so I changed that also last night.

I will feel for the exhaust getting hotter and I guess that will tell us were to go from there.

Thanks for your help! I really want to learn my self on how to fix this.

joeweir1 · Post by **joeweir1** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 9:51 am

That could have been your problem since you said there was gas leaking out of the carb.That means your float needle is not sealing off properly either.Did you rebuild your carb?If your using the old original needle and seat it may be worn and could either stick or not seal.The needles get a wear ring on them.You can actually feel it if you run your fingernail on it.I actually switched to a new needle and used my old seat due to low fuel flow with one from keyster kit.I have a magnifying glass to look at these and the jet holes also.Float level should be checked too.I usually shut my fuel off and run the bowl till the engine revs meaning the gas is all but run out when I sit my bike for even a few hours or overnight.Also, if your sitting it for a while open the drain screw on the bottom of the carb and drain it completely.Then if you check it(open drain screw again) when your ready to ride before you turn on the petcock you will know if the petcock is seeping and the float and needle may need looked at.

ryan_siefring23 · Post by **ryan_siefring23** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 10:31 am

I have not rebuilt the carb. I Payed a shop to clean it and get it to idle right. I've had tons of problems ever since i did that. There is deffinatly fuel leakage.

Do you think you could give me a brake down of what i need to to do take appart the carb and check/ rebuild? I'm going to try new plugs tonight, but if they don't work i will be doing that aftewards.

I will keep you informed.

joeweir1 wrote:That could have been your problem since you said there was gas leaking out of the carb.That means your float needle is not sealing off properly either.Did you rebuild your carb?If your using the old original needle and seat it may be worn and could either stick or not seal.The needles get a wear ring on them.You can actually feel it if you run your fingernail on it.I actually switched to a new needle and used my old seat due to low fuel flow with one from keyster kit.I have a magnifying glass to look at these and the jet holes also.Float level should be checked too.I usually shut my fuel off and run the bowl till the engine revs meaning the gas is all but run out when I sit my bike for even a few hours or overnight.Also, if your sitting it for a while open the drain screw on the bottom of the carb and drain it completely.Then if you check it(open drain screw again) when your ready to ride before you turn on the petcock you will know if the petcock is seeping and the float and needle may need looked at.

joeweir1 · Post by **joeweir1** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 11:17 am

Did the shop get it running right?You say you have had problems since.Hope you did not pay them if you had nothing but problems??Put your new plugs in and let us know what happens.If they foul or get black then yeh your too rich!Look thru some old posts here if you can that mention carbs and you may see some picts that others have posted that may help, if not we can help further.Like I stated before, if you stillhave the old needle and seat it may be leaking and the shop you used may not have known how to set the carb float level.

joeweir1 · Post by **joeweir1** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 11:26 am

Ryan- there are tons of posts about this same problem under the carburator posts.Read some of them and you will get plenty of help there.You may have to move the clip on the main needle which we can walk you thru.

ryan_siefring23 · Post by **ryan_siefring23** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 11:27 am

joeweir1 wrote:Did the shop get it running right?You say you have had problems since.Hope you did not pay them if you had nothing but problems??Put your new plugs in and let us know what happens.If they foul or get black then yeh your too rich!Look thru some old posts here if you can that mention carbs and you may see some picts that others have posted that may help, if not we can help further.Like I stated before, if you stillhave the old needle and seat it may be leaking and the shop you used may not have known how to set the carb float level.

Yeah, i don't think they knew what they were doing either. It was better than me i thought. I had to take it back three times before i thought they got it right.