Carb question

[brs127s]

Hey folks,

I just have a quick question. I am in the process of cleaning my carbs on my 83 GS850GL. I removed the float bowls and was trying to remove the floats. I was unable to get the pin which the floats swivel on out. Can anyone give me some pointers on removing this pin? I have read through the carb clean-up papers. Now, I will have to look at my carbs again, but it only looks like I can slide the pin out one direction. I can see one end of the pin. It looks like the other mounting post is solid, so I am unable to see the end of the pin.

thanks

[Anonymous]

I just rebuilt mine and simply used a finishing nail crimped in a pair of vice grips and tapped it through.

[Anonymous]

8) I recently had the same adventure; sitting upside down, with the floats up, the pin exits to the right side of the float. I do not think it will push all the way out. You have to get it just far enough to clear the holder. I used a small phillips scredriver to drive the pin out far enough to clear the holder and that was it. A very small punch or nail may also work, lube it a little first to help move it out. be careful not to damage the holder.

[brs127s]

Thanks for the replies. I will have to look tonight when I get home, but I don't think I can push the pin from the left. When I look at the left post(as the carbs are turned upside down, I don't remember seeing the end of the pin. is it possible that I need to drill a hole in the left holding post to allow me to push the pin right?

[AOD]

i used a piece of steel wire. a paper clip would work too i think.

[Anonymous]

The pins only come out one way, there is a head on one end. There's no hard and fast rule about whether left or right, thats been decided by direction the last person in there installed them . Both posts should have holes drilled all the way through.
You should be able to see clearly which direction it needs to go to come out (the pin looks basically like a small nail without a point). Might have to scrape some gunk off the outside edge of the posts to clearly see both ends of the pin.
Another way to get them started out is to use a thin/sharp edge to slip under the head of the pin and twist it sideways. I have a couple of old pocketknives in my toolbox for just such uses.
Just BE CAREFUL whether your tapping it out or prying it out. Those posts they're mounted in can break pretty easily and are a royal pain (if even possible) to repair.

[Anonymous]

The more you tap on it the worse its going to get.

I ran into a problem with taping mine out. I had my carbs apart several times, and the taping on the pin expanded it. I don't mean that I beat the heck out of it, but it made it wider. This is a problem that led to me breaking a post. You don't want to break a post!........(Unless your into riging things up that is). Find a way to press the pin out while puting preasure in the other direction on the post. Even if im mistaken about the expanding bit, the posts are prone to snaping.

If you break a post you will have to find a way to rig the post back on, and get a new pin. The old pin will bend as the post heaves over.

[brs127s]

Well, I finally got around to tearing the carbs down last night. I did get the float pin removed on three of the carbs. I have everything ready to soak in carb cleaner. I only did three carbs so I could use the 4th one as a reference. The one thing I have yet to do is remove the air screw. Does anyone have any pointers on this? Also, is it possible to make a small mark on the carb and count the number of turns it takes to tighten the screw, remove it for cleaning, then turn it back to its original setting?

[Mobetter]

Brandon,
You shouldn't have to make a mark on the carb bodies to keep track of
the air screw setting.
It will just come off if you soak your carb bodies.
Just turn clockwise, I ususally do a half a turn at a time 180?
then when it bottoms out, just write down the # of turns on a piece of
paper for each carb.
They aren't extremely sensitive - If you get then within and 1/8 of
a turn or 45?, you'll probably never know the difference.

Cris -- I know what you're talking about, I broke a post too.

I had to drill small holes into the ends of each side of the broken post, then epoxy a small stud into the holes and all around the post.
Luckily I had a clean break and it matched up well.

Peace
Mo

[Anonymous]

Just got finished reading a Tech question article in the latest Rider magazine. The float pins are pressed in. the writer Andrew MacDonald recomended not attempting to drive them out. "The best tool for removing the a stubborn float pin is a Blue Point spring loaded center punch sold on Snap-On tool trucks (part #YA805A) or at Snap-On's website at www.snap-on.com."