Hillbilly, when you say there is a washer on top and bottom of the needle what thicknesses are they. As memory serves me there was a thin and a thick. When the engine is popping through the intake it is generally a lean condition. Low speed jetting can also be controled by the needle height. See if the thick washer is under the needle clip. If not, try swapping it so it is there. Also hitting on the jets that are in it, How did you come to these settings. Was it like that when you got it? If you are unsure of the setup I would verify the jets that are in it (including weather they are Mikuni or Dynojet as the sizing is different). Once you know that go to engine forums section and find the sticky on jetting. It has a ton of good info to help you set up your carb.
