Needle valve assembly caused rich running

[wasabi_peas]

Howdy all, I've been entertained and enlightened by reading your repair tales, so thought I'd share mine.  Hopefully more for the benefit of others than for amusement.....

I needed to replace the chain and sprockets on my bike, as the sprockets were worn and the chain had some serious tight spots.  I called the local dealer and they would have to order the chain and sprockets, so I bought online.  While I was doing this, I figured I'd do a tune-up while the bike was outta commish.  So I checked the valve clearance and rebuilt the carbs.  

Note at this point:  The only real wrenching I've done until now is on bicycles.  But with everyone's words of encouragement, helpful diagrams, and the (sometimes helpful, sometimes misleading) Clymer manual, I set off.

Bike was out for about a week and a half, which was two weekends too long.  Waiting for the above-mentioned parts to arrive.  

Well, the parts came Thursday and up until this afternoon I've been struggling to get it running again.  I'd be able to start it, it would run extremely roughly and heavy on one cylinder, and then die.  I'd repeatably be able to pull the sparkplugs and the L would be carbon-fouled and soaked with gas, and the R carbon fouled.  Clean, try some change, same results.  Keep in mind that other than the chain and sprockets, I rebuilt the carbs and dropped one shim size on both the intake and exhaust of the L cylinder.  

This morning I called my boss, a Harley guy with a very strong talent for troubleshooting.  I described my problems and results.  He suggested that the float might be set incorrectly, though I told him I'd checked them using the U-tube method described on the HOWTO section (had to describe it to him).  He agreed to stop by after breakfast with his car-genius son and take a look.  

Literally 1 minute before he pulls up, I'm looking through the manual trying to figure out if anything user-adjustable on the carb or assembly might cause a lean condition, and I notice that it shows a washer on TOP of the needle valve (actually in the photo it looks solid, with no hole in the middle)  I really don't remember seeing this, and I was meticulous in re-assembly.  I've got the carb open when they arrive, and I describe my plan.  They agree, and my boss explains carburator theory as I work.  

As it turned out, I had placed this washer below the needle valve in reassembly (on both carbs! :dunno: ) and this was preventing the spring from pushing the needle down.  Switched both washers and started it up....

....and it sounds like a motorcycle again!

I'd been doing the air-fuel-compression troubleshooting described elsewhere on this forum, and reading every "it won't start" thread I could find.  But by this morning, I was feeling really over-my-head.  Next time, just change the chain and sprockets, dummy!  

I guess what I mean to say is not to give up, and to keep trying.  It may take some of us longer than others to get our babies up and running again, but as I'm  sure many of you know, the first sound of the bike running normally is a glorious sound, especially if you haven't heard it for weeks.

Thanks for all the help and info, gang!