Templar X Spark plug.

[Hap]

Anyone know what part number NGK spark plug fits the Templar X 6 speed counterbalanced engine? Thanks.

[Texas Pete]

I got NGK DR8EA as the model from Thumper but also a note the stock plugs are fine and he didn’t replace them yet.

[Hap]

Alrighty. I’ll just wait on that then. Does anyone know how to shim the needle on the factory carburetor. That’s the only thing I’m not too clear on. I know I’ve read about using a washer to shim the needle. But I’m not sure about how to do that properly.

[Thumper]

Originally Posted by Hap

Alrighty. I’ll just wait on that then. Does anyone know how to shim the needle on the factory carburetor. That’s the only thing I’m not too clear on. I know I’ve read about using a washer to shim the needle. But I’m not sure about how to do that properly.

It's tight but doable without removing the exhaust. You will eventually want to bump main jet one step, and I've also bumped the pilot by one step (still need choke to start in cold weather, but not in Summer)

You can loosen the clamps, twist the carb top to the right, unscrew the slide cap, and pull the slide out over the head pipe.

Remove the cable from the slide by making slack so the clamped button on the end of the cable can come out via the slot on the side of the slide.

Reach in with hemostat or long skinny pliers to pinch and remove the clip down in the bottom of the slide. Push the needle up/out of the slide. Slide a tiny washer (1mm or so) onto the needle and reinstall the needle.

Reinstall the needle clip to hold the needle in the slide. The needle clip/clamp that holds the needle down won't seem to fit all the way down, but that's OK... It will be held down by the large spring.

Reinstall the cable (don't forget to make sure the large spring is between the slide cap and slide barrel. Now you see the large spring holding down the needle clip at the bottom of the slide

Put the slide back into the carb. The slot on the side of the slide must align with the guide post in the inside of slide tower (only one way in!).
Screw the cap back on and straighten the carb back in place.

[buzz]

Well said Thumper!

[Hap]

Originally Posted by Thumper

It's tight but doable without removing the exhaust. You will eventually want to bump main jet one step, and I've also bumped the pilot by one step (still need choke to start in cold weather, but not in Summer)

You can loosen the clamps, twist the carb top to the right, unscrew the slide cap, and pull the slide out over the head pipe.

Remove the cable from the slide by making slack so the clamped button on the end of the cable can come out via the slot on the side of the slide.

Reach in with hemostat or long skinny pliers to pinch and remove the clip down in the bottom of the slide. Push the needle up/out of the slide. Slide a tiny washer (1mm or so) onto the needle and reinstall the needle.

Reinstall the needle clip to hold the needle in the slide. The needle clip/clamp that holds the needle down won't seem to fit all the way down, but that's OK... It will be held down by the large spring.

Reinstall the cable (don't forget to make sure the large spring is between the slide cap and slide barrel. Now you see the large spring holding down the needle clip at the bottom of the slide

Put the slide back into the carb. The slot on the side of the slide must align with the guide post in the inside of slide tower (only one way in!).
Screw the cap back on and straighten the carb back in place.

Thank you Thumper!

[tknj99]

For some reason my bike has the quirk that it takes several minutes to stay idling when cold.. starts right up with choke but then will sputter and die.. i need to hold the revs around 3k during for a couple minutes and during that time revs will drop briefly as it sputters and wants to die. this has happened with the stock carb and the new carb despite being jetted properly.. and with valves adjusted at .004 and .002.. Once it idles though it runs perfect and will hot start and idle without issue, only have it when cold

[Thumper]

Mine does that once in a while, also has a wandering idle (as if getting lean because of intake leak). The lean out symptom when cold is also consistent with this theory. I have been too busy to test this theory, but...

Maybe you (also?) have an intake leak at the rubber adapter between the carb and head. After it's warm and running OK, spray some starting fluid at it. If it responds, it might be the o-ring not sealing up against the head.

A bad seal at that o-ring would cause this. I just haven't had time to test this theory and it is really minor.

Originally Posted by tknj99

For some reason my bike has the quirk that it takes several minutes to stay idling when cold.. starts right up with choke but then will sputter and die.. i need to hold the revs around 3k during for a couple minutes and during that time revs will drop briefly as it sputters and wants to die. this has happened with the stock carb and the new carb despite being jetted properly.. and with valves adjusted at .004 and .002.. Once it idles though it runs perfect and will hot start and idle without issue, only have it when cold

[Hap]

Originally Posted by Thumper

It's tight but doable without removing the exhaust. You will eventually want to bump main jet one step, and I've also bumped the pilot by one step (still need choke to start in cold weather, but not in Summer)

You can loosen the clamps, twist the carb top to the right, unscrew the slide cap, and pull the slide out over the head pipe.

Remove the cable from the slide by making slack so the clamped button on the end of the cable can come out via the slot on the side of the slide.

Reach in with hemostat or long skinny pliers to pinch and remove the clip down in the bottom of the slide. Push the needle up/out of the slide. Slide a tiny washer (1mm or so) onto the needle and reinstall the needle.

Reinstall the needle clip to hold the needle in the slide. The needle clip/clamp that holds the needle down won't seem to fit all the way down, but that's OK... It will be held down by the large spring.

Reinstall the cable (don't forget to make sure the large spring is between the slide cap and slide barrel. Now you see the large spring holding down the needle clip at the bottom of the slide

Put the slide back into the carb. The slot on the side of the slide must align with the guide post in the inside of slide tower (only one way in!).
Screw the cap back on and straighten the carb back in place.

As for jetting. I got the kit that you suggested. The altitude where I live is 285-466ft. What would be a good setup to try? Thank you.

[Thumper]

Originally Posted by Hap

As for jetting. I got the kit that you suggested. The altitude where I live is 285-466ft. What would be a good setup to try? Thank you.

I bumped one size (post #25 in this thread):
https://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=31439

But my recommendation is to adjust the valves and then drive it. You won't know for sure until you run the bike and see what it is like.

[Texas Pete]

This might help. I used it for my carburetor "boot camp"




I think the biggest takeaway I have gotten from mulitple sources is that you shouldn't tune everything adjustable in the carburetor at once, start sequentially and work on tuning one part of the carburetor at a time.


Start with the Idle System Tuning.

As the engine warms up it may begin to show signs of distress if the idle mixture is wrong.

Too Rich: The engine begins to blubber as it warms up indicating, it is probably rich on the idle system because engines run richer as they warm up. In that case, try opening up the idle air screw a quarter turn. If this improves the idle you can try for an even better adjustment, making sure each time to turn the carb’s air screw by the same amount.

If all is well: You will find a screw position that gives maximum engine idle speed such that turning the screws either in or out from that position causes engine rpm to decrease. In the video above this is what I belive he is referencing less descriptively as being simply "the sweet spot" without properly describing it. I have also heard some people like to say a good idle is a given number such as 1,500 rpm but if you can find the screw position that causes engine rpm to decrease when the screw position is moved in either direction then the ideal air-fuel mixture that makes the most horsepower at a given throttle setting even here at idle has been reached.

If you get confused: Stop the engine and start over by running in the idle screw until it lightly bottoms out, then back out to the desired setting.

3. Choosing idle (pilot) jet: If the idle jet inside each carb is correct, this position of highest engine idle speed will be somewhere in the range of one turn open to three turns open. Compare with the video where he likes to use half a turn to three-and-a-half turns.

If your engine runs best with the air screws less than one turn open: Your idle jet is too small and you should fit one size larger.

If your engine idles best with its idle screws more than three turns open: Your idle jet is too big and you must fit a smaller one.


The rest is in the video, plus the ez way of using a wide band O2 sensor to take a lot of the guess work out of tuning, by then we are getting closer to an EFI computer reading the sensor data to see whats going on.

[Texas Pete]

Double post removed.

[Hap]

Thanks TP and Thumper! Good info. Darn good video too! I appreciate it!

[WindMindMusic]

Originally Posted by Thumper

Mine does that once in a while, also has a wandering idle (as if getting lean because of intake leak). The lean out symptom when cold is also consistent with this theory. I have been too busy to test this theory, but...

Maybe you (also?) have an intake leak at the rubber adapter between the carb and head. After it's warm and running OK, spray some starting fluid at it. If it responds, it might be the o-ring not sealing up against the head.

A bad seal at that o-ring would cause this. I just haven't had time to test this theory and it is really minor.

My idle wandered up so high during summer months that I thought it was gonna overheat, I used exhaust wrap, now is stable, so I’m assuming oil temps raise the intake temps and cause it to start feedback looping.

[Texas Pete]

It is normal for carbureted engines to get richer as they warm up to operating temperature. It just just the nature of the beast.



Run your bike for 10 minutes and get the egnine up to full operating temperature. Then set the idle setting and if you freed the air pilot adjustment set that if needed.


Then when your bike is cold that is what choke and/or your right hand is for. You keep the throttle on a little bit until it warms up to operating temperature at which point it will be idling at the setting you set previously.