Carb expert needed-UPDATE **FIXED** (bottom of post)

[Tx Bohemian]

The deal:
’99 Kawasaki 220 Bayou 4whlr - 2WD

Gets abused by not using it, sits up for months at a time. Decided I need to sell it.
Earlier this summer it wouldn’t start, probably carb plugged (from sitting).
I took it to the local Honda/Kawasaki dealer and got the carb overhauled ($275 - OUCH!! Tough when this thing is only worth about $7-800).
Got it home, ran it in the back lot for 5-ish minutes then parked it in the shop. (wanting to get the title squared away from the buddy I bought it from a few years back)
So again it sits, but about every other week I crank it, let it run 10-15 minutes, cut the gas valve off to let it run out of gas and die, to not let gas sit in carb.
Except once, I just cut the key off and after a bit (5-10 min) seeing a puddle of gas underneath it. WTH!
Running out of the drain on the airbox! Carb flooding.
Called the dealership back and argued with them, but it’s been over the 60 day warranty and they say it’s from bad gas, sitting, etc… (every excuse they can come up with not being their fault).

So, got online and ordered another carb. A whole $28! Took it out of the box and installed it. It fits, doesn’t leak, and it works – to a degree!

This is where I need an expert!
4whlr cranks up, idles good, has good pick up but about half throttle it bogs down. Get past that it runs good again.
I assume its running lean so adjusted the metering rod. The rod has 3 positions and it came adjusted on the middle one, but putting it on either of the other ones it bogs worse.

The idle screw came 4 turns out and there is no way to get to it easily when it’s on the engine. I “bohemian rigged” a modified-screwdriver bit (ground down) in a ¼” socket on a ¼” ratchet, which I can rotate about a 1/16th of a turn then have to re-position and start over. A REAL PITA!

I think it’s running lean because when it starts to bog down I can engage the choke and it straightens out - a lot (if this thing ran that good, as with the choke on, I’d be thrilled).
I’m not sure which circuit would cause the bogging ½  to ¾ throttle.
Been all over the internet and found quite a few suggestions from electrical issues to bad valves.
But seeing that it helps by engaging the choke leads me to believe its fuel related.

Any thoughts/ideas will be greatly appreciated (even if it’s – Sell the POS and get a Honda!).

UPDATE:

Piddled with this thing over the holidays.

Took the original carb apart and thoroughly cleaned everything! Thinking since I found crud around the needle and seat there's probably more.
Prodded every orifice I could find with a stand of wire from a wirebrush and sprayed every orifice with Carb cleaner and made sure they were all clean and unrestricted.
Reassembled with all the adjustments to where I thought they should be and LO and BEHOLD the thing cranked right up and idled like a CHAMP!!!
Took it out back and opened it up...WOW, this thing has never run this good!!
Great pick-up and absolutely NO bogging down!!
Took it out on the road in front of my house and opened it up...SCARY!!!
This thing evidently is not made to go too fast on a paved road, little squirrely steering going too fast!!
Got back and parked it purposely leaving the gas on, absolutely NO LEAKS!

I'm one happy Bohemian right now!

[Alien]

Could be that you had residual crud in the tank that's plugging your newly rebuilt carb.  Also, 4 turns out is a lot for a mixture screw.

Ride safe,

Alien

[Tx Bohemian]

Could be that you had residual crud in the tank that's plugging your newly rebuilt carb.  Also, 4 turns out is a lot for a mixture screw.

Ride safe,

Alien

Yeah, my thoughts too on the 4 turns out mixture screw.

It's not plugging, quite the opposite, it floods.
There is an inline filter on the gas line.

I found the problem on that though:
It's due to crappy rebuild workmanship.
Initially the float was set way too high out of adjustment, causing the fuel to run out the throat. Luckily it's on a "down hill" slope to the Airbox, not into the engine!
Once I fixed that it still leaked a tad bit, running out the overflow hose.
The seat (of the "needle and seat") fits into a "cylinder" built into the carb housing with an O-ring in a grove on the outside of the seat. The seat is held in place with a plate that's screwed down.
The inside of the "cylinder" had debris built up which was preventing the O-ring from sealing.
It took time (you know, like 5 minutes) but I was able to take crocus cloth and clean it up to where, even with the old O-ring, it seals.

[Thunderbolt]

Had something similar on my International Cub tractor.  It would run fairly decent if you used some choke.  Turned out that someone had cranked the screws down and warped the bowl.  Point here is you may have a vacuum leak.  Try squirting a bit of ether or similar in the area of rubber boots or possible points where it could be sucking in extra air.  First check for any cracked hoses etc.

[Tx Bohemian]

Bump

update on original post