SEMI-NOOB needs help with a DoodleBug!

Baja_brandon96

Baja_brandon96

New Member
#1
#1
HEY ALL! My first post on here! Long story short, ive always wanted a minibike, and when i found a little green doodlebug for sale nearby with an electric scooter for $140, i jumped on it! Im out in the Poconos working in camp currently too. Normally in NYC where i live, these things are uncommon and uber expensive. I have lots of experience working in 2 stroke mopeds, ive rebuilt many Puchs and Tomos, and a few Hondas as well, so i was cpnfident i could get it running right or at least fix any minor issues i encounter. When i got it, it ran, but the centrifugal clutch was toasted, and the chain had no master link. Rear tire was bald too. I got a new rear tire, an $18 Amazon clutch, and chain, and got it back together and cleaned! Brake rotor was bent so i trued it, but the caliper seems like its toast (missing parts, etc...I ordered a $12 ebay caliper marketed for the Baja 97cc, are these any good?)

It ran seemingly fine for a bit on my first few rides, but it then became hard to start, and would not run for more than 10 seconds, and would have no power. I took off the carb and cleaned it with my bunkmates' toothbrush and picks. Added some fresh gas, and now its starts first pull every time, and has power. But, its idling way too high, to the point where the clutch is fully engaged, and i cannot slow it down no matter what i try.

I will be getting a predator 212 and clutch for free from a buddy, and will do the swap, but not for a little while.

Help me please? Ill get some pics posted up momentarily.
Thanks in advance!
 
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T

Tango Alpha

New Member
#2
#2
Sounds kind of obvious, but have you tried adjusting the idle on the carburetor? When you cleaned your carb, I assume you removed the screws to clean it thoroughly. When reinstalling, you typically have to properly set the idle speed again. In the past when I've rebuilt carbs, I have painted a thin line on the carb and screw and then count the number of turns it takes to completely remove the screw when preparing to clean the carb. When reinstalling everything, I find that it helps me get the idle set correctly (assuming it was correct to begin with) by realigning the painted lines and counting the number of turns. Usually it requires very minor adjustment to get it set perfectly by taking that approach. Has always worked for me. I'm sure others will come along with some advice that you may find more helpful.

Let us know how it all turns out.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
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Baja_brandon96

Baja_brandon96

New Member
#4
#4
Tango Alpha said:
Sounds kind of obvious, but have you tried adjusting the idle on the carburetor? When you cleaned your carb, I assume you removed the screws to clean it thoroughly. When reinstalling, you typically have to properly set the idle speed again. In the past when I've rebuilt carbs, I have painted a thin line on the carb and screw and then count the number of turns it takes to completely remove the screw when preparing to clean the carb. When reinstalling everything, I find that it helps me get the idle set correctly (assuming it was correct to begin with) by realigning the painted lines and counting the number of turns. Usually it requires very minor adjustment to get it set perfectly by taking that approach. Has always worked for me. I'm sure others will come along with some advice that you may find more helpful.

Let us know how it all turns out.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I have tried adjusting the small brass mixture screw on the right side of the carb, but it has no effect. I have also tried adjusting the black plastic screw attached to the butterfly valve, but no luck either!
 
T

Tango Alpha

New Member
#5
#5
I tried pulling up a diagram of a DB carb so I could help you out a bit, but the clarity of the diagram was fuzzy and trying to see it on my phone didn't help either. From what you described, it sounds like the high idle setting is your culprit. Not being familiar with your specific carb, seems like I'm not of much use. Tons of folks here though that own Doodlebugs, so I'm sure someone will chime in with how to go about correcting this. In the meantime I did find a YouTube video which may get you started in the right direction. Here's the basic concept though. For example...when you start your car's engine in the morning, it idles at a higher RPM, until the engine warms up. This is the high idle setting. Once the engine reaches normal operating temperature, the idle RPM drops to normal (low idle). This is the reason I dab a bit of paint (actually my wife's nail polish) on the screw and carb body to help me get the idle set back to where it was previously. Without that, you'll need to adjust (tighten) the screws until they stop (not tight) then loosen the screws individually until you reach the correct idle speed. You may have to go back and forth adjusting forward and reverse until you reach the optimal setting. Also, you may find this works best with the engine already warmed up to normal operating temperature.

Don't be shy about it. It's only a carb and you're not going to damage anything by adjusting the settings. Just be sure not to over tighten the screw. Just turn until they stop.

That's enough of my input for now. Hopefully that gives you the concept of what you're needing to achieve. I'll leave it to the Doodlebug experts to advise you from here.

Here's the video I mentioned of someone adjusting his DB carb.
https://youtu.be/dDHAjH_gofI

Good luck and be sure to let us know how it all turns out.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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Daniel Coop

Daniel Coop

Well-Known Member
#6
#6
Well Brandon, the Doodlebug's are my personal favorites. I have two of them and have built 4 of them. They're easy to work on, and find parts for. The brake you purchased is fine for now, but you'll definitely want to step up to a hydraulic brake system from OldMiniBikes or Hotrodminibikes when you do the 212 swap.
 
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Baja_brandon96

Baja_brandon96

New Member
#8
#8
Hey everybody, i got it running! It ended up being incorrect spring tension on the governor arm. I tweaked it a bunch and got it just right. Thanks guys!
 
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