Banshee Hard to start need help

[ShelbyVoodoo]

Hey everyone.  I have learned a lot here and have read everything that I can find about jetting.  I just need to make sure that I am chasing the right issue.  

 

I have two Banshees now.  I live at 5500ft and its been in the 30s and 40s here.  Its bone dry with the occasional rain and snow.  I picked up my second Banshee that unfortunately found its way from a caring owner to some morons who didn't treat it well.  I rebuilt the motor with a freshly blasted case.  Mint condition like new motor.  The bike is .80 over with a Pro Head with 22cc domes.  TORS delete, FMF Gold Series with FMF silencers.  Wiseco pistons, +5 timing, V Force reeds.  Bike has a trail/clean up port.  The boots are mint, the carb equalizer has been deleted.  I inspected everything and everything is like new.  I rebuilt the carbs to like new and replaced everything besides the floats themselves.  Floats are set at correct height.  I have 30 pilots and 300 mains and the needle is third clip from the top.  It has the red needles, whatever those are called.   

My first shee has the same set up less the red needles, cool head and big bore and runs 30 pilot and 290 mains.  It starts the first kick and runs perfectly.  

I just finished rebuilding the new to me shee.  The coil was bad on it so I bought a new coil and after getting it all together.  The bike is extremely hard to start.  I think that this might be related to the choke.  The bowls are on the correct carbs and the slides are facing the correct way.  Synched them with the sync tool from FAST.  The fuel line between carbs is mint and connected properly.  The choke plunger on my running shee seats all the way down into the carb.  There is a small bar at the end of the plunger that fits into a small hole at the end of the choke channel.  On my new to me shee the plunger will not go all the way into the channel.  It feels like that small bar only goes halfway into the hole.  So when the choke is closed, it still looks like it is out about 3mm or so, no matter what I do.  I ordered a new plunger.  

If I kick the bike over and over, with the choke out all of the way, it will eventually start, But even if its hot from riding, it will not start again unless I kick the hell out of it or pull start it.  Once the bike is running it idles fine and revs out nicely.  I took it for a 3 hour trail ride after I got it back together and heat cycled the motor several times and it ran amazingly well.  Beyond the left silencer burning out old coolant and spooge for a while which caused a nice smoke show even with the bike off, it runs perfectly. 

Could the hard starting be caused by the choke plunger?  It just seems like it does not work.  I checked fuel lines, checked fuel in carbs, checked the bowls etc and its getting fuel to the carbs, but unless I kick the hell out of it or pull it the bike doesnt seem to get fuel with the choke in any position.   The choke just does not seem to be doing its job.  Again the motor is in like new condition with all new gaskets and seals.  I have completely rebuilt several two strokes and had to initially replace the choke on my first shee because it wouldnt stay out at all.   Any other suggestions beyond the choke?

[locogato11283]

Seems to me at that elevation, you probably don’t need a 30 pilot. Have you tried a 25 or 27.5.

Here at 1,000’, 27.5 is most commonly used.

[ShelbyVoodoo]

I tried 27.5 on my shee without the big bore and it had a very difficult time starting and had a lean bog.  So I bumped it up to 30s and it runs perfectly.  Again I run straight 104 octane T2 as well so I need bigger jets because of the high octane as well.  

[ShelbyVoodoo]

I forgot to mention that with the new to me shee, I let it cool over night and then tried to start it with the choke and kicked it a bunch of times with the choke on and then pulled the plugs and they were dry.  So its like the choke isnt working at all.  Compression tests fine.  It runs like a well tuned shee once its started.  It idles perfectly as well which is really weird considering it won't start.  The only thing I can think of is the choke circuit is messed up because of the choke being loose and not seating all the way.

[hoppedupandcutdown]

Check that the air pilot jet is indeed a 1.6.  A fuel pilot will fit in the hole but have WAY to big a hole to draft fuel for start-up.

[gusto]

what do you mean the carb equalizer has been deleted? Is it in a billet crossover intake now?

 

Anyway, those pipes already like bigger pilots, since your at 80 over and have porting i would try a bigger pilot