needle numbers

[stevecampy]

Hi have a minus 40 I think. It is new to me . It didn't run so cleaned carb which is a villiers this got it running on full choke only there was a washer in the air intake to richen it up.I checked the needle to find a number 7 on it I was expecting a 3 or nothing at all .Mixing at 10 to 1 at moment its a bit smokey would like to know what this needle is and what mixture to run it starts and runs easy but is a little ruff needing to rev it to clean it up a bit to keep it going.Maybe expecting to much for a old engine would like to mix 25 to one .any ideas Thanks...

[Oyster 49]

Welcome, new 25:1 needles are only a few pounds from john at SOS, so for clarity I would fit a new needle and of course remove the washer from the inlet! Screw the needle screw to slightly under flush and it should be just about right. If it is running rich it will chug chug noticeably at half throttle.

Also make sure the points are clean and gapped and the HT lead and plug are in good order. That's about it on a seagull apart from clean fuel and no crud in the tank or fuel lines

[phil]

Could it be a 2 rather than a 7?

[stevecampy]

Thanks for replies it's a 7 with a dot under it . Had a scare today been on a long run and it started sounding like the skirt had come of the piston
lucky it was the recoil that had came lose and fouling the flywheel.oil coming out of exhaust so going to weaken mixture

[Charles uk]

Whats the full engine number on this motor?

[stevecampy]

F 1196jj6 checked identifier it was a minus 40 I think

[Charles uk]

It is a 1976 featherweight, that is nearly 38 years old, I think they were 25 : 1 from new, try it at 20 : 1 & 15 : 1 & see what it seems to like best.

[stevecampy]

Thanks will try 25:1 today

[Charles uk]

As they get older it would be normal to raise the oil quantity a little, as you've no idea how much work this has done.

[stevecampy]

Tried today at 25:1 it ran ok maybe a little rich main problem now is with the weaker mix the crankcase leaks a little still it is British lol.

[Vic]

FWIW I converted my 1974 Featherweight to run on 25:1 a good few years ago.

I have found that within the normal range of carb adjustment it runs too rich and tends to fourstroke I now have the needle set 3 turns below flush to correct this.

[stevecampy]

Thanks turning screw down have painted the crankcase to try and seal sight leak