86 Spree slow from take off

[btosi]

Hey Guys/Gals,

Put the lower end motor section purchased on ebay in my wife's spree. Also installed a new stock top end kit from chopchop, did the correct break in. The scooter starts and runs great. The only problem is it is slow on the take off. Once the engine gets the revs up it takes off. The compression was checked and is 115. Was not sure what size main jet was in the carb so bought a new #68 from my local Honda shop. The air screw is adjusted to 1-3/8 turns per the shop manual. Not sure if the air box might be the problem. The filter is new, clean and oiled properly. The top lid may not be sealed all the way around, I have the middle screw tight, one lock tab is good, one lock tab is partially holding on and the third one is broken off. Could that be my problem? I checked the plug and it is a tan color. How about the reeds could that cause this type of problem? Or could something be plugged in the carburetor?

Thanks

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

ANY issue with air box seal is going to be an issue with any Spree. The air screw to 1-3/8 is the starting point, but from there it must be tuned for top idle speed - it might go in or out by a half-turn. I suspect it'll be happier turned in if the air box assembly isn't sealed. Bad reeds invariably make the scooter really hard to start; this doesn't sound like it's the case here. See if you can score a fully functional airbox from someone here or new from Honda-san or any of the aftermarket Minions.

[Claude Zachary]

just cleaned carb on 85 spree, starts okay, but dies alot in the idle, have air box sealed up tight, but when i checked the air screw it seems to be tight up in there, if i turn it more than a quarter turn to the left fuel begins leaking out... what to do?

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

Are you sure you're not unscrewing the bowl drain? The idle mixture screw is right next to the throttle stop screw. Show some pics.

[Claude Zachary]

aw moose knuckles, so i was totally unscrewing the bowl drain like a mook. located idle mixture screw, purring like a baby weedwacker. thanks heaps wheelman-111.

[patthesoundguy]

Two thumbs up! Great to hear that you are scooting like crazy again