Author Topic: Where to buy shims for carb needles?  (Read 3777 times)

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Offline John Orchard

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Where to buy shims for carb needles?
« on: September 05, 2014, 10:21:19 am »
Would anyone have an idea on what shops would carry small washers suitable for shimming carb needles, TD Hatrick may have them but I would feel a bit stupid calling up to buy just a couple of little washers.  Maybe some local-type shop could have something?

Groove 3 is too lean and 4 is too rich  :-)
Johnny O - Tahition_Red factory rider.

Offline pokey

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Re: Where to buy shims for carb needles?
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2014, 10:33:36 am »
http://www.circlips.com.au/content.php?sec=distributors
most bearing supplies should have them

Simo63

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Re: Where to buy shims for carb needles?
« Reply #2 on: September 05, 2014, 10:53:12 am »
Groove 3 is too lean and 4 is too rich  :-)

Never seen one that sensitive to adjustment John  :o

Offline John Orchard

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Re: Where to buy shims for carb needles?
« Reply #3 on: September 05, 2014, 11:14:17 am »
Yeh my 2005 YZ125 had a carb design problem that Yamaha fixed on the '06 model, they reduced the number of venturi pilot outlets from 3 to 2 and ran a different needle.

Having the 144 kit fitted has made the problem a touch worse, a half mill shim will get it close enough until I stumble across a cheap '06 to '14 carb  :-)
Johnny O - Tahition_Red factory rider.

Offline John Orchard

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Re: Where to buy shims for carb needles?
« Reply #4 on: September 05, 2014, 11:15:47 am »
Thanks pokey, I have an electronics shop 'Jaycar' down the road, I'll try them first.
Johnny O - Tahition_Red factory rider.

Offline OverTheHill

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Re: Where to buy shims for carb needles?
« Reply #5 on: September 05, 2014, 11:38:16 am »
just wondering if there may be another reason that one clip groove should make such a difference!!, maybe a very worn needle jet [emulsion tube] where the needle runs--& maybe a worn needle too [combo], or idle mixture set way too rich & overlapping further up [as in] richening up on a closed throttle into a corner then having to clear, or needing a leaner cutaway on the slide. Or is it a carb [not sure what type] with big steps for one clip step. Thin a 36 bing [bung] i use has fairly large steps compared to mikuni etc. Sorry, don't mean to try & poke holes in your ideas--just tossing my ideas around [or was that just tossing lol?] Cheers.
Start again, even had a strange problem 20 years ago in bucket racing where [big ports & holes everywhere] & it blubbered uncontrollably just at the point where it got on the power [big power from a 100 lol] was rich symptoms [but wasn't] some smart arse said double up the reads coz they're fluttering at that point in the revs & bugger me 'they were'--absolutely fixed it on the spot. Had an RT2 reed block & cut off housing welded into a mudbug cylinder at a great angle--another failure but went like hell, till it blew!!. Cheers.
« Last Edit: September 05, 2014, 11:40:20 am by OverTheHill »

Offline Mike52

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Re: Where to buy shims for carb needles?
« Reply #6 on: September 05, 2014, 12:09:00 pm »
KLR 650's use shims to adjust the needle.
85/400WR,86/240WR,72/DKW125,Pe250c,TC90,TS100,XT250,86/SRX250,XR400r
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Offline John Orchard

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Re: Where to buy shims for carb needles?
« Reply #7 on: September 05, 2014, 12:38:45 pm »
just wondering if there may be another reason that one clip groove should make such a difference!!, maybe a very worn needle jet [emulsion tube] where the needle runs--& maybe a worn needle too [combo], or idle mixture set way too rich & overlapping further up [as in] richening up on a closed throttle into a corner then having to clear, or needing a leaner cutaway on the slide. Or is it a carb [not sure what type] with big steps for one clip step. Thin a 36 bing [bung] i use has fairly large steps compared to mikuni etc. Sorry, don't mean to try & poke holes in your ideas--just tossing my ideas around [or was that just tossing lol?] Cheers.
Start again, even had a strange problem 20 years ago in bucket racing where [big ports & holes everywhere] & it blubbered uncontrollably just at the point where it got on the power [big power from a 100 lol] was rich symptoms [but wasn't] some smart arse said double up the reads coz they're fluttering at that point in the revs & bugger me 'they were'--absolutely fixed it on the spot. Had an RT2 reed block & cut off housing welded into a mudbug cylinder at a great angle--another failure but went like hell, till it blew!!. Cheers.


Interesting, thanks.  I guess if Yamaha reduced the number of pilot outlets on the next model that maybe there's too much fuel at part throttle? (1/8th?), been going down on the pilot (from 40 to 30), going to try a 27.5 next, it still starts cold without the choke but bogs (lean stumble) on throttle part opening until been running a minute.

Changing the needle from groove from 4 (std) to 3 cleans up part throttle when it is warm, I'm just interested to see what 3.5 would be like.
Johnny O - Tahition_Red factory rider.

Offline Lozza

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Re: Where to buy shims for carb needles?
« Reply #8 on: September 05, 2014, 01:24:49 pm »
I recently got a pack of shims from a ebay seller  in the USA. Has 0.25 ,0.5 & 0.75 shims. Is it a mikuni or keihin
Jesus only loves two strokes

Offline Nathan S

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Re: Where to buy shims for carb needles?
« Reply #9 on: September 05, 2014, 01:53:35 pm »
05 YZ = Mikuni TMX.
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Offline John Orchard

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Re: Where to buy shims for carb needles?
« Reply #10 on: September 05, 2014, 01:54:11 pm »
Johnny O - Tahition_Red factory rider.

Offline Lozza

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Re: Where to buy shims for carb needles?
« Reply #11 on: September 05, 2014, 03:14:18 pm »
You need a tmx-x off an rm 125 ;)
Jesus only loves two strokes

Offline John Orchard

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Re: Where to buy shims for carb needles?
« Reply #12 on: September 05, 2014, 03:20:17 pm »
Only thing I have in the garage are VM36 round slides and a PJ36 off a CR125.  I'll live with it for a bit longer  :-)
Johnny O - Tahition_Red factory rider.


Offline 80-85 husky

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Re: Where to buy shims for carb needles?
« Reply #14 on: September 06, 2014, 07:56:46 am »
try filing the back of the slide on your richer setting to let a bit more air in? or is that not achievable with that carby??