VM Fuel Mixture Screw

[Guest]

So Im busy rebuilding my carbs and I've just started putting in the fuel and air screws according to the VM rebuild guide (1 turn out for fuel and 1 and 1/4 for air) and I notice that the fuel screw doesnt go in as far as i remember! weird... So I back it out and... OMG WTF!!! My nice sharp fuel screw is now bent at the end!!! I take a gander into the hole with a flashlight and ALL the fuel screw holes have nice little ends of fuel screw jammed in... Thanks Mr. PO.

How do I get the things out? And how do I get a new sharp fuel screw?

[Steve]

Reach through the carb throat, see if you can feel the points sticking through.
If you can, take a Phillips screwdriver or other similar tool, roll it over the point, it might just push it enough to dislodge it.
Otherwise, you will have to bend a very small wire to poke it through. Be careful, though that you don't enlarge the hole.

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[joseleary]

I just had to do the same thing this week. Only I was the dummy who got it stuck! I tried using a piece of wire but it wasn't quite rigid enough to push it out. But I happened to have a set of tiny flat head screwdrivers (the kind you use for fixing eyeglasses) and used the corner of the screwdriver to poke it out. It worked like a charm and didn't damage the tiny hole. If you don't have any tiny screwdrivers you can get them for just a couple dollars at Harbor Freight. Good luck.

[azr]

So Im busy rebuilding my carbs and I've just started putting in the fuel and air screws according to the VM rebuild guide (1 turn out for fuel and 1 and 1/4 for air) and I notice that the fuel screw doesnt go in as far as i remember! weird... So I back it out and... OMG WTF!!! My nice sharp fuel screw is now bent at the end!!! I take a gander into the hole with a flashlight and ALL the fuel screw holes have nice little ends of fuel screw jammed in... Thanks Mr. PO.

How do I get the things out? And how do I get a new sharp fuel screw?

Ohhhhhhh.....that's not good...that's not good at all. No worries though, well not too much anyways. If you check my history of posts you'll see a lengthy one taking out stuck fuel screws including the final result of hammer and punch "don't try this at home". If they don't just fall out on their own, there's many methods of getting them out. Boiling in water, using a thin tool across the tip of the fuel screw in hopes of knocking it down (if it's sticking out of the hole) and a few others. Do a search, there's lots of posts, almost as much as "broken exhaust head bolt".

[Adler]

well none of them are sticking up really, and I tried to poke them out with a dental pick... nothing, They are really in there. Kindof tempted to go buy a teensy drill bit and go nuts but that seems like a bad idea....

[SqDancerLynn1]

I have used a pair of needle nose pliers and a piece of a safety pin ( a larger one so it would have some strength bend the end and use it

[Nessism]

A long and sharp awl works well. Push the tip backwards working from the carb throat side. Regarding finding new fuel screws, it's difficult. K&L GS750 carb rebuild kits come with the screws, and there was a member here that sharpened his old screws to get the tip back which seems like one of those nothing to loose things. Worth a try.

[Adler]

Well I've tried just about everything... Mr. PO must be a gorilla (or more likely he put the broken screws in after they broke and pushed the tips in tight). Luckily I have a backup set of carbs, so I'll switch over to that set and return to these ones some other time. Keep up with suggestions if you have them, I dont want these to be junk!

[Steve]

Not exactly a cheap option, but the Keyster rebuild kit from Motorcycle Carbs has the pilot screws included. Price is $31.95 per carb.

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[almarconi]

A dental pick works well for getting broken tips out. They sell them at harbor freight.

[Adler]

A dental pick works well for getting broken tips out. They sell them at harbor freight.

I tried a dental pick, no luck, next thing i may try is heating it then using a dental pick... and maybe throw some liquid wrench in the mix too.

[joseleary]

I tried a dental pick, no luck, next thing i may try is heating it then using a dental pick... and maybe throw some liquid wrench in the mix too.

Letting a little PB Blaster soak in there might do the trick. That stuff is like magic!

[Adler]

On the topic of procuring new screws, I went the route of sharpening one of my many destroyed ones. My methods were simple, I put the screw in a drill and I mounted a dremel in a vice with a sharpening stone bit. Turned on the dremel to make a kindof mini desk grinder. Then I spun the screw while touching it to the dremel. The first time I was way too heavy handed and I ended up with a VERY sharp, way too small needle. The second time I was more cautious and I think the result is usable!



Here we have an original screw, my usable one and my too small failure.