im a newbie on flatside carbs

Just wondering what is involved with taking the needle out to change the clip position?

I have my flatsides apart on my bench as I'm writing this reply.
Remove the two top plate screws and the top plate that you can see just by looking down at the carbs while they are still on the engine. Once the plate is removed you will se the slide lifting mechanism. Look at the center of the black slide you will se the top of the needle and a small allen screw holding down a fork shaped clip. Loosen (not remove) the allen screw with a 2.5mm allen wrench then move the fork clip off to the side and pull out the needle. Be carefull not to lose the white fiber washer that is under the calibtarion clip (the clip that you are looking to change it's position). Hope this helps.

Hold it wide open when doing it (put zip tie on throttle) this will raise the arm up so it's easy to reach. But a needle shim kit - best $5 you will ever spend. Color coded shims allow you to move the needle up or down in smaller increments than the full e-clip move.

It's snowing at my house right now........

Thanks got it!

I wouldn't use the zip tie trick. Never know you could forget or get side tracked or something. Buy a t-handle 2.5 mm allen wrench. Longer the handle the better. Buy a smalle pair of needle nose pliers, like a doctor would use. Got a pair that locks from the fishing department. I keep these in the sleds tool box for changing needle position, nice to have on hand. Like Mr xc said, just loosen the allen screw a little, and use the allen wrench to slide the fork clip to the side. Remove needle with pliers (hemostats is what I think doctors call them). Use pliers to change clip position. It is also a good idea to have extra shims and clips on hand. Trail side repairs are not fun if the clip goes flying and you don't have any extras.

If you forget to take the zip tie off your thumb throttle. One would question if you should really be adjusting anything on your sled.

With regards to the needle shims

Do you still install the white washer that sits under your needle or do you remove that washer?

If you just add a shim under the clip and ontop of the washer it wont sit flush when you move the arm over to hold the needle in place.

If we wanted to drop the needle half a clip from the stock number 3 position...cant you just remove the washer and add shims to the top and bottom of the e-clip basically dropping the needle half the thickness of the washer?

White washer must always be used.

So to move the needle from number three move the e-clip and add a shim ontop of the white washer.

You can play with the white packing washer to slightly enrich or lean the midrange. The washer is .040" thickness. One clip space is .050". Moving the washer to the top of the clip lowers the needle .040". Slightly LESS rich than a clip space. You can also raise the needle one clip space and once again place the washer on top of the clip. This will slightly richen the midrange by raising the needle .010". The last adjustment can rid some small blocks of the bog caused by Tempa Flows and ATACC's.

How do you open the floatbowls on the flatside carbs??
thanks

Be careful when leaning out the needle on the 02's, they are pretty lean in the mid already in the stock #3 position.

AFJ,
You sure the distance between clip pos is .050"? I always heard it was .040" and that the white clip equals .030"

I always thought it was .040" too. I think the shim kit comes with a .010, .020, and .030 shim. I forget everything again by the time winter comes around.

I have never mic'd the washer but it has always been my understanding that the the washer is .030", equal to 3/4 of a clip position. It has also been my understanding that placing the washer on top of the e-clip is not a "set it and forget it" deal (testing only). The washer provides some cushion and unless you are checking it periodically, it should not be run that way (with the washer on top of the e-clip).

there is a nut on the bottom of the bowl you have to remove. it is attached to the water trap hose.

white washer is .030, clip positions are .040 apart