Weird Gas Valve issue...

Howdy folks. I've got an odd one for y'all, and I hope I can learn something here about this.

I've got Over 500 miles on my bike and engine, and this seems to be a recent Running Problem. These days, the bike will bog out and run like crap with the gas valve all the way open, (running too rich?) and of course she'll stall out and die with the valve all the way closed. (Obviously too lean.) She seems Flooded out when the valve is all the way Open, and of course she's Starving for fuel with the valve fully closed. What gives??? What the heck happened here?

To get the best performance these days, I have to about Constantly play with the fuel valve during a ride. She runs the best (28 + MPH, Consistent!) somewhere between full open and fully shut off. About a 1/4 open seems to be the best place to have the valve set, but this is Not a consistent setting.

Does anyone have some advice about this running problem? This has me Totally Stumped!
___________________
I have checked the carb's Float. It's OK, it shuts the fuel off to the bowl when it should. Dad and I have taken that apart a couple of times and all looks OK in that area.

Venting of the gas cap on the tank seems OK too. We blew some Compressed air up the fuel line and she'll relieve the pressure build up. I assume this means that the Vent is working as well.

The gas valve is good. When it's Open, it's Open. When closed, she's shut Off. I have an In Line Filter now, and not the built in Tank Screen/Filter. It used to run just Fine with the valve all the way open with the in line filter, so I don't think that the filter is an issue.
___________________
Anyone have any ideas?

Re read my first post folks. I am not trying to be a smart a$$ here, I really DO want to learn something here and I think you guys with more experience will be able to help.

But. I still have the Stock Fuel valve, and to the best of my knowledge it's still good. When it's Open, she seems to Flood out and run like crap. When all the closed, she's Obviously Starved Out of gas.

That said, I confess my ignorance. (For the record, Ignorance means having never been Taught something.) To further confess my confusion about this issue, I just do Not understand what can go wrong with the fuel valve. For the record, I still have the Stock 1/2 gallon gas tank. Nothing has changed there.
__________________________
Best guess from my end, maybe my dad and I have the Float set wrong. But how would I go about checking for the Proper fuel level? To the best I can see, the float shuts the fuel Off when the bowl gets full. Reason I say that is cause the bowl no longer leaks gas all over the place when the engine is stopped.

So why does it still seem to Flood out while running at full open throttle?

This doesn't make any sense to me yet. I hope y'all forgive some of my Frustration in this topic, but I simply do NOT understand why this is a problem on my bike after 550+ Miles. I should think that if a stock part is bad, it should have proven to be bad a couple of hundred miles ago.

Again, I have to confess my measure of Ignorance on these dang china carburetors.

Pablo,

Thanks for understanding my Frustration on this one. One day she runs great, and the next.... like crap. I don't understand what can change from one day to the next without my having done anything to it at all.

As for the question about the in tank screen... (not a Stupid Question, BTW.) No, I'm not using that anymore. I replaced that in tank screen with an In Line Filter a few miles back.

Still, I have this On again/Off again problem. Just lately though, I accidentally found that I can get her to run like a screaming banshee with that fuel valve set just right, somewhere between full Open and fully Closed. In fact, a couple nights ago I set a new High Speed Record for my bike, 32.1 MPH. (I guess I had that valve set just right, huh?) I can Manually get the bike to run GREAT, but I find myself constantly re adjusting the fuel valve. I just don't get what's wrong with this, and I can't figure out why it is that I now have to do that much work to keep it running at it's peak.

Large Filipino has suggested something here that I don't think I have tried yet. Hit that Tickler Button to see how she runs then. I've tried the Choke and un choke trick (to no avail), but I don't think I've tried that button when she starts to crap out on me. I should try that and see what happens?

Pablo comes back here in my topic to ask if this is a Rich wet bog or what... ( alternative being a Lean dry bog, I presume), and I Honestly do Not have an answer to that question. DANG IT!

Pablo, you tell me to check the plug the next time this happens to me. You also tell me that you can't diagnose this without being here to see it for yourself. I can easily appreciate that fact! How can ya tell what's goin' on without being here to see it for yourself, huh? As a mechanic, I know just how that goes!

So, What I see every time I've pulled the plug out is the same. It's always the same black and dry plug on the inside of the cylinder and always wet (as if the gasket leaks???) on the outside of the plug.

As for the Sound of the engine when this crap is going on, I honestly cannot differentiate the two. Is it Rich, or is it Lean? As I ride along at top speed and it suddenly feels like a Loss of Power, it really is a Hit or Miss feeling as I adjust the fuel valve. If I turn the valve the wrong way she will not improve. If I turn the valve the right way, she'll take of like a banshee again. Either way, it shouldn't be like that. The engine should run with the valve set to full Open.

Thank You, Pablo... for giving me another test to try out. I'll get her warmed up and running good Manually on the next long ride. Then, when she craps out I'll let her stall and pull the plug to see if it's to rich or too lean. I can do this twice in the same ride, I'm sure. Once with the valve full open, and again with the valve fully closed. Maybe I can find something on this next test.
_____________________________

I thank ALL of you folks for the Patience of my dilemma here. When the bike's running A-OK, she's good for a Consistent 30+ MPH. Seems that y'all can understand my frustration when she's running like crap, thus limiting me back on down to 19 MPH. Kinda sucks, ya know?

Sorry about that sir, and in fact I do have somewhat of an update. Though not yet a Solution to the problem.

I tried the Tickler Button like Filipino suggested and absolutely NO difference was felt in the engine's performance. In fact, she kept working on dieing out until I moved the fuel valve. (either Open it more, or Close it more/shut it Off.)

Pablo, I have not tried your test yet and I think maybe I should to get a solid Confirmation on this: but I'm fairly convinced that it's Flooding out when fully Open, and Leaning out (of course, as it should!) when fully Closed.

I took the carb apart (AGAIN!) and also removed the fuel line's input fitting. I went so far as to remove the entire carb again to see if I can find Anything that doesn't look right. From what I can tell, all is OK except for the fact that the bowl gasket still leaks like a sieve if the bowl needle isn't closed.

At this point it is painfully obvious to me that the float's needle valve does Not close properly at all times, and I am at a complete loss as to why this happens. My dad thinks that I have lost a rubber seal or an O ring at the needle valve, but I have never before ever heard of such a seal in any needle valve in any carburetor that I have ever seen in my life.

So... to that end, there is the problem. If anyone else has run across this issue and has a solution for it, I'd sure love to hear it!!!

The tank valve is not the problem. Least wise, not one that I can see on my bike. To the guys that suggest that the actual shut off valve may be the issue, please do explain. Again, I cannot grasp any theory that would condemn that valve to cause the problems that I am having with the bike. But... I am willing to hear and try ANY suggestions so that I can get back to cruising around again at 30 MPH on a silly little bicycle/Motorcycle wannabe.

Cause trust me; when she's running good and smooth, this bike is about the most FUN toy that I have ever invested in!

BTW, folks.

I appreciate all the help and attention from the forums here that are trying to help me fix this problem.

I also want to let y'all know that I have also readjusted the carb's Float again. With the bowl off I have had the fuel Stop flowing when I closed the valve with my finger. Sometimes! Other times, the fuel still keeps on going through.

Something is wrong with that float's needle valve. I just don't know What the problem is.

$22 bucks is what the carb costs to Replace it?

Dad even asked me what a new carb would cost, and I didn't have an answer for him. I never saw a link to buy just the carb for the bike/Engine. If that's all it will take, I'd be happy enough to put out 22 bucks for a new carb.

But still.... I wonder what the heck happened to my original?

Argh!