Carb--pilot air screw tip broken, need extraction help.

[Guest]

Okay, so it appears that the PO of my bike managed to break off the tip of the pilot air screw on #3. (I kept wondering why the screw looked shorter than the rest, and why the tip was still sticking into the carb body after I had backed it off a full one turn...)

Anyway, that sucker is REALLY stuck in there. Can anyone suggest a tool that I can buy or manufacture to get it out of there? It's a total PITA spot to work in as it a tiny opening and set fairly deep in the carb body.

HELP!

[TheCafeKid]

Boil the body...Then with a really SHARP dental pick, CAREFULLY push it out...should work.

[Steve]

Have you tried rolling a Philips screwdriver shaft across the tip to see if you can force it back up?

That's what has worked for me, the few times I have had to do it.

.

[wkmpt]

Boil the body...Then with a really SHARP dental pick, CAREFULLY push it out...should work.

I have the carb body in the soup right now, keep your fingers crossed for me...

[wkmpt]

No dice. Bent the heck out of the dental pick pretty well, but the screw tip still won the argument.

Any one have an extra carb body sitting around they want to get rid of?

[TheCafeKid]

WHich body?

[wkmpt]

WHich body?

'77 GS750 VM carb, as you sit on the bike it's second in from the left (that's #3, right?)

[TheCafeKid]

No, thats TWO.

I may have one. I will look when i get home from work tonight. If I do, It will likely be a set i have to break up (i have quite a few sets of these things) so i'll not give it away. Someone may have one they want to give up, but if you have no other option, let me lknow

[wkmpt]

Okay, good news, I got it out.

I was pushing on the exposed end of the broken screw (rather hard I might add) with the corner of a crisp flat-blade screwdriver, and it made a bit of a "ping" sound and disappeared from view. I flipped the carb body over and could see it was still in the port, so I grabbed a stiff straight pin from my sewing kit (yes, I said my sewing kit; real men don't have to rely on someone else to fix their clothes) and used it to push the broken screw tip out of the port.

So now I'm off to manual-sync these puppies.

Thanks for the help, all.
~Matt

[rapidray]

Good job Matt!!! Feels GREAT, doesn't it?!!!! Ray.

[wkmpt]

Good job Matt!!! Feels GREAT, doesn't it?!!!! Ray.

I am certainly ecstatic at being able to keep this project rolling and moving on to the next step.

That being said, I can't wait to stop tinkering and be able to go riding with my brother. He regularly rides by my house on his bike--a loud, throaty M109R--to taunt me that mine's not done yet...

[wkmpt]

There he goes now...

[TheCafeKid]

Good job! When you get it running, throw a nice large sprocket on the back of that sucker and DUST your brothers lawn tractor....

[wkmpt]

Good job! When you get it running, throw a nice large sprocket on the back of that sucker and DUST your brothers lawn tractor....

Effin' A, brother, effen' A.

[strawboss]

Hey Guys,

Been reading this and realize the stuck idle screw tip is out. I just thought I might add this though. I have been doing some tuning on automotive carbs using a Innovate LM-1 wide band AFR meter. I guy on their forum recommends using wet toilet paper and a punch to hydraulicly push out press in air bleeds. It might work on a motorcycle carb for getting those stuck screw tips out too.

Here is a quote from the website for getting the bleeds out: "If they need to come out, it is easy to get them out using toilet paper, water and a punch. Qualify the hole in the face of the main body with a .125" drill bit and drive wet paper in the hole. It will go around the bend and hydraulic the bleed right out. Clean the paper out with drill bits and air."

Obviously you don't want to drill anything to .125" on the motorcycle carb, but I know the transfer holes he is talking about on a Holley are that size from the factory. I would think you could apply a similar procedure on some motorcycle carbs too just using smaller punches!! If someone has this work it would be good to know!!

L8tr,

Ryan