No matter what you do, you are not going to get good tops out of the humble low/mid perfection designed DMC Alien system.
As to discolouring, 2 seconds into a plug chop run with a needle from a non DMC jet kit set as specified, had the pipe blue for the first foot.
I immediately heard detonation, and that needle hit the trash can.
I learnt the hard way that the stock needle works the best!
Never too old to learn Eh.