As the air temp rises, my cart stumbles more

[Pipsta]

Originally Posted by Lightninlarry

Plug shouldnt be black... shouldnt be white.. should be a tan color... maybe it is a fuel mixture issue!!..but if you think its not getting enough fuel to the carb then check your pulse line from the crankcase to the fuel pump and make sure it is not cracked or brittle... could be time to clean your fuel pump!!

Yea, I meant that line going from the engine(crankcase) to the tank(fuel pump). What's that 'pulse line' for?

[Pipsta]

Sunday was the last night of my 'work week' and it was pretty slow compared to the rest of the weekend. So an hour or so into the night I decided to meddle with the carb while I was out on the track to see if I can improve my rich running and stumbling problem.

It was kind of cooler than previous nights so the stumbling wasn't really happening anyway but thought to give it a shot. With crash's and DOOM's instructions in the back of my mind about the three screws I first made sure #4 was all the way in. Secondly, with the cart running and at operating temp I turned #3 all the way in trying to see how far it was turned out to start with unfortunately I didn't quite get a good read cause I didn't want the cart to stall. I think it was about 1 full turn out to start with.

Since I was working quickly I turned it back out to 1.5 turns immediately, what crash said was where it should be. Cart stumbled and almost stalled in this process of turn in and out but since I moved quick it didn't. I turned it all the way back in and back out 1.5 turns a second time to make sure I had it right.

I then got back in the cart and drove around the track as usual looking for wayward walking too high women in too high heels to woo...... say that 5 times fast. Plus it was Metal Head night at the Ranch. Metal Head is an 70s-80's cover band play all those favorite hair band songs we banged our head to. It's the only thing going on for Sunday night and the chicks come out in poofy hair and their leather pants...lol. I kept pulling over and sniffing exhaust which must have looked funny to anyone watching...plus I was starting to get too high as well.

No more rich running smell at all. It smelled like typical exhaust, no the pungent, make your eyes burn rich smell I was dealing with. It was so bad that at a standstill you could smell it sitting in the back two benches enough that passengers made comments about it. Every night, pretty regularly. This night I gave about another 5-6 rides and not once did anyone say 'woah, fumes'.

Too small sample size of passenger exposure to it maybe but I really noticed the difference. Not once through the rest of the night where I got out of the cart and sniffed around the back hatch or stuck my head under the back seat did it smell like it did before. As far as stumbling I won't know for sure until it gets hotter and I got a full boat.

I also did notice that my top speed seemed to get a slight boost. Maybe just 1 mph or 2. With all the driving I do in the cart I can tell any slight change in it. It did feel like the throttle response was a bit smoother but I won't say the stumble is gone until I have a night of driving with fully loaded rides and warmer weather.

I also adjusted the idle screw to just the point where that tap, tap, tap sound if anyone knows what I'm talking about with the key start carts have in 'idle' mode, was gone. It basically idles with the engine running now. I don't know if that's bad for the engine or anything and I can change it back if necessary but the way it was before with that tap or knock or whatever you call it was pretty annoying to me. People joked that make cart was gonna die or run out of gas all the time.

I don't know if it's supposed to be that way with the tapping noise but I changed it. Hopefully there's no problem with me running the idle adjusted to just to the point where it stops doing that. The other cart owner, like mine with the 8 passenger, happen to come out for a few minutes last night to see if Sunday nights were worth working. I told him it's usually pretty slow and I have been using it to trouble shoot my cart, he knows I just got it. The slow night last night helped support my claim...lol. He left pretty quick saying F this I'm going home. Hah. He said he adjusts his just beyond the tap point, too, and hasn't notice any ill effect in all the time he's been running it that way.

Hopefully I got the carb adjustment finally figured out and if the first few hours are any indication I think the rich running issue has been identified. With any luck the stumbling issue will have been solved along with it. I guess we'll see. Thanks again everyone this forum is a real help to people. Time for a new spark plug! Heh..

[DOOmsman]

If it sparks, leave it be.

[eparker]

I hope you problem is cured but if its not check this.
Is the outside of the engine and carb clean? Dirt/sand or grease on the engine will make it run hotter and could overheat the carb or ignigtion.
Replace all fuel lines....it is a few dollar fix. You were talking about putting a fan in the compartment which would help, but if you are having problems with the fuel lines vaporizing try putting the new fuel line inside a larger fuel line like a small heater hose to insulate them.
From what i know the adjustment screw on the carb are only for adjusting idle mixture. Once you open the throttle the jets control the mixture. It was good that the engine almost quit whent you closed the mixture screw. It means you cut the gas off to the engine and it is not getting fuel as a leak from somewhere else. Ignigiton timing and valve adjustment are your only other causes.
Good luck.