longer needle?

xaaronx

New Member
Apr 8, 2012
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so long ago before i got my blaster back, i had bought a jet kit from LRD to go along with my pipe and in there was a longer needle. when compared to the stock one, it's the same diameter where the stock one ends but it's just a little longer and keeps tapering down.

is there any benefit to this? i swapped it over and haven't really had a chance to test it out because i can't ride at my house but it doesn't seem to be much different.
 
Taken from a jetting guide it seems to me changing length without diameter or taper change would act exactly like change the clip position. so in theory a longer needle would be leaner. be very very carful as this effect a large part of the throttle range!!!! Or a major rebuild will be in your future.... IMO put the original needle back in. Or at least verify verify verfiy jetting.

"""NEEDLE: The jet needle is the most important component in determining your carburetors jetting. The needle is broken into 3 main functions; Diameter, Length, Taper. These needle functions have a large effect on the carburetors jetting from ¼ to ¾ throttle. In the following paragraphs we will explain the needles functions and how to adjust them.

DIAMETER: The needle diameter controls the jetting just above the pilot jet, right as the engine begins to pull. On most engine combinations the needle diameter is felt in the ¼ throttle range. The setting of the needle diameter is crucial to both the engines low RPM power and reliability.

The jetting at ¼ throttle is adjusted by changing the diameter of the needle. On gold colored needles identified with the 3 stamped in letter I.D. system the last letter refers to the needle diameter size. By referencing the enclosed jetting chart you can verify your needles size, and be able to determine what needle size may be required for your specific situation. In many instances you can leave the taper and length settings the same (if they are correct) and adjust only the diameter. EXAMPLE: If you have a needle marked DGJ and change it for a needle marked DGK, you have effectively Leaned the jetting at the ¼ throttle position. Reference the enclosed jetting chart to clearly understand this adjustment.

When the needle diameter is Lean the machine will have a loss of low-end power. The engine will feel very zingy (like a 125cc engine). When an engine is in this condition and then put under a heavy load the engine becomes very susceptible to seizing.

When the needle diameter is Rich the machine will sputter at ¼ throttle and be hesitant to take the throttle. In extreme cases the engine can feel like the choke is on or the plug is fouling.

When the needle diameter jetting is set correctly the engine will accelerate evenly thru the first part of the power band. The proper diameter setting will provide maximum low RPM power and very ride able throttle response.

It is important to remember that even though the needle diameter is mainly responsible for the jetting at ¼ throttle there is some bleed effect. With experience this can easily be deciphered. An excellent way to pin point the feel of the needle diameter is test needles in your machine that have both the same taper and length but richer and leaner diameter settings. Try a needle of each setting in your machine for 10-15 minutes of riding and you will begin to understand specifically what throttle position your dealing with.

LENGTH: The needle length is determined by the clip position (grooves at top of needle) setting on the upper portion of the needle. On most needles there are 5 clip positions. The top clip position is referred to as #1 and is the Leanest setting. The clips are referred to in numerical order with the bottom position being #5, the Richest (refer to attached jetting chart illustration). The clip/length setting covers the largest percentage of jetting in your carburetor. With an emphasis at ½ throttle, the clip (length) setting will bleed both up and down to some degree to cover a wide portion of the midrange jetting.

When the clip/length setting is Lean the machine will be very zingy sounding and feel kind of similar to an 80cc or 125cc machine. Lean in the midrange will also rob power and cause the machine to run hot and seize easily.

When the clip/length setting is Rich the machine will have a lazy feeling in the midrange. Exhaust note will be a little flat sounding. In extreme cases of richness the engine will even sputter or kind of crap out in the midrange.

The safest way to set the clip position is to richen up the clip position setting until the machine loses a little power (feels lazy/unresponsive) then lean it back one position. Ideally you like to run the needle setting in either the 3rd or 4th clip position, if possible. The needle clip jetting is especially critical to your machines reliability because on average more time is spent in the midrange than any other part of the throttle. Most machines pull very hard in the midrange, putting quite a load on the engine. This makes a lean condition very detrimental to your reliability.

TAPER: The needle taper is the angle of the needle at its lower half. The taper works the transition between the midrange and full throttle/main jet (¾ throttle position). The taper is the least sensitive function of the needle. Changes in the taper have very mild subtle changes in the jetting. The taper also affects the main jet size your carburetor requires. A leaner needle taper will use a richer main jet than a comparable engine/carburetor combo with a richer needle taper.

As a general rule, your engine tuner or engine manufacture should preset the taper. Once set correctly by a professional the taper setting should not need to be changed except for cases of extreme temperature reduction.""""
 
i would imagine you have a banshee needle in there, i ran a banshee needle with my mods on my stock carb and it was perfect, it is a richer needle.

does it look like this? Banshee needle on the right, stock blaster on the right...

Picture418.jpg
 
i would imagine you have a banshee needle in there, i ran a banshee needle with my mods on my stock carb and it was perfect, it is a richer needle.

does it look like this? Banshee needle on the right, stock blaster on the right..

Cant both be right!:-/
 
no no, it was significantly longer than the original. i went ahead and put the original back in because it was already running fine before the swap. might as well keep it that way. only thing that needs tinkering now is the pilot jet. i've got a little backfire going on and that's all i can narrow it down to since everything else is spotless. just going from a 32.5 to a 35 to see if there's any improvement.