Uh-oh Damaged a part in one of the carbs... need help!

[Anonymous]

Alright, well in my infinite wisdom, I kept tightening one of the jets down when putting one of the carbs back together for my 78 GS1000. Well, not realizing that since its spring loaded, that your not SUPPOSED to keep screwing it down, I completly destroyed the needle tip that was on it. This is a picture of the damaged part, any idea if I will be able to get a new part from the dealer? Its just a jet and o-ring (dont really need the o-ring either). Do you think a different carb kit would come with one?



Please help, Im just hoping I didnt completly destroy the carb and need a complete new one.

[first timer]

you my friend in a bad spot you need a new carb body or float bowl, what ever the needle screws into, you just jambed the needle into a impotant hole and the whole is now blocked with the needle tip, these needle tips are very hard to get out so it is better to look for a carb body on ebay or taklt o these guys and have them fix it

http://www.motorcyclecarbs.com/

god luck.

-ryan

[Anonymous]

Hmmmm, well, looking at it I thought I had just smashed the tip into itself. But say I was able to get the tip out, is that part readily avaliable?

I really need a better instruction on how to do these carbs (older "tall" carbs off the 78/79 GS1000). I mean I understand its pretty much take everything you can off, clean it, then put everything back, but there were 2 of the screws that had springs attached, and I have no idea how far to screw them down, or what happens if I do it wrong.

[chuckycheese]

Not so bad

I don't think you did anything other than damage the air screw itself. I doubt they're available from the dealer anymore but they are so plentiful that you should have no problem finding another one. In fact, I'll bet someone on this forum will be willing to stick one in an envelope and send it to you....or, you can check with a salvage yard...they'll probably have a bunch of them.

Don't worry....it won't cause you much of a problem and probably little or no expense....by the way, I've done exactly the same thing!!

Also, I'm going to leave you a message, neighbor! :P

[Anonymous]

My guess is that you can get that screw in a carb kit. I have the CV carbs from a 1980, and my carb kits came with those screws, although that doesn't guarentee anything for your carb kits. You might be able to find a picture of such a kit on ebay, or sucker some fella who's selling one into telling you if it's there. Good luck.

--Tyler

[chuckycheese]

Update

This is an update, DDDude....They are available so you can get a new one if you want to from Roseville Cycle....it should cost about 8 bucks (crazy :roll: ). They may not have them in stock but they can usually get stuff in just a few days. 8)

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Looks like the pilot screw that goes underneath/engine side of the floatbowl. The sharp tip has broken off in the carb body and you won't be able to remove it without damaging the hole it's in. You need a new carb body and it has to be the same # carb. The spring is there to stop vibration from moving the screw setting. The o-ring is necessary to stop air from entering the pilot circuit and to keep fuel from leaking all over the carb/motor. I have not seen the pilot screws in jet kits. Some salvage yards will sell them, others will make you buy the whole bank. Your carbs are Mikuni VM 26 SS.
The bike will run, but that carb will run lean and effect idle and lower speeds. These screws are generally 1 to 1 1/4 turns out from the factory.
See my new topic about mixture/fuel screws in the "tips & tricks" section for a little more info.

[gremlin]

been there with that problem. if you can find a set of carbs in a junk yard with the needel valve that is usable your lucky. i had to search thru about 200 scrap carbs just to find one that was not broken.

to remove broken tip. spray the hole with wd40 or marvle mistry oil for a few days. then dunk hole carb in carb cleaner. use a tip cleaner for welding torches the smallest wire will fit in the exit hole for the tip of the needel valve. push strate up on the tip if its free enuff it will move up and out.

it may take a few days to a week to get the needle valve to free up, dont try to rush it. main reason thay brake is varnish or crosion.

[AOD]

i'm with Keith...if you broke that tip off in the carb body, the carb is forked. you'll have to find a new rack of carbs or find a carb body to swap in. it's quite a chore.

~AOD

[chuckycheese]

WOW

I used to encounter answers like this all the time in the medical device business (which involved human beings).....try the easy stuff first...If the tip is broken off, push it out with another one (I don't think it is, by the way). After that, put in another one if the first one is damaged.

After all, as I understand it, the carbs are on the bike....I wouldn't start doing hard things until I'd done easy ones....... :roll:

[Anonymous]

Well, the situation is I removed the carbs from the bike to clean them, I should take a picture of these things as they are ABSOLUTELY DISCUSTING! Theres brown powder all over them.

Well, I began cleaning the first one, and got everything off and out without a hitch. When I began putting everything back together, I got ALMOST everything in right. This part I started to screw in, and when it didnt stop (like all the other parts did) I began screwing it in a little more. I looked at another carb and this one was in alot more than the untouched one, so i said CRAP, and backed it out to see I had destroyed the tiny tip.

My plan is to take a tiny pick and try to push the broken part of the tip out from the top (there is a TINY hole that when I sprayed carb cleaner through, thats where it came out) and out through the bottom of the carb. Hopefully it will work and I didnt destroy the carb body, as it seems like alot stronger metal than the brass the jets are made out of.

[Anonymous]

Oh...a couple questions before I do another:

1. On the screws that DO have springs (so far Iv only found 2/carb) should I set it to where it was...or as close to as possible? Because I dont know how you would remove the float bowl with the carb on the bike to adjust this one pilot screw.

2. With the carb kits I have, there is one piece that wasnt used, should I be worried?

3. Where would I find replacement O-rings? I dont WANT to re-use the ones on there, but if I have to I will.

4. Which carb bodies are interchangeable (like can carb form cyl1 be used on cyl3 or things like that)? I may have picked up an extra set on e-bay, but if I screw up another carb, I dont want to be so screwed I have to buy ANOTHER set jsut for a single carb body.

[KEITH KRAUSE]

OK. Your first post makes it sound like you broke the tip off, and the photo shows the tip is gone. Removing a broken tip is not impossible, but it's almost a guarantee the tiny hole will be damaged.
Your second post though, it sounds like you inherited a broken screw. You say if you spray carb cleaner up through the pilot screws threaded hole, you can see spray come out into the carb bore? If so, then the tip is not still in the body. In the past, someone may have installed the bad screw into an otherwise good carb.
Also, the VM carbs for your model (U.S.) came with two versions of pilot circuits. The earlier version had TWO tiny holes, right by each other. One of these holes was always open. The other hole is regulated by the pilot screw. A second version, came with only the one unregulated hole and the other hole was then plugged by the factory. If you can spray carb cleaner UP INTO the pilot screws threaded hole and see fuel come out, then you have the two hole version. The two hole version is a richer designed pilot circuit. If you do have to replace the carbs, you have to look for this and get the same designed carbs.
Your other questions, you do not have to remove the float bowl to remove the pilot screw, it will come right out. The pilot screws are generally 1 to 1 1/2 turns out from the factory. Try 1 1/4. You may have to fine tune later and look at the plug color.
What is the piece that's left over from your carb kit?
The Suzuki dealer should sell the o-rings. Also, a member here, Robert Barr, sells them. You need 3 for each carb. The air screw, the pilot screw, and the larger o-ring for the needle jet/bleed pipe.
The carb bodies are not inter-changeable. #3 supplies vacuum, and there's a float bowl venting system that connects 1/2 and 3/4 and can't be "reversed". The side air screws are also designed to point outward (1/2) to the left, and (3/4) to the right.

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Re: WOW

I used to encounter answers like this all the time in the medical device business (which involved human beings).....try the easy stuff first...If the tip is broken off, push it out with another one (I don't think it is, by the way). After that, put in another one if the first one is damaged.

After all, as I understand it, the carbs are on the bike....I wouldn't start doing hard things until I'd done easy ones....... :roll:

Chucky, you sound a bit perturbed. If it's directed at me, I'm not trying to be negative about removing a broken screw tip. I like to try the easiest thing first too. But from my experience and what I've heard from others at this site, this is most likely not going to work. Not without damaging the hole. I don't like to see members getting frustrated and wasting their time. I only try to help others avoid my past trials and errors.

[chuckycheese]

NO

No, Keith, I'm sorry about that. In reading my message over, I also thought I didn't sound very nice. I always enjoy your posts and I think your advice is very good. Sorrrrrrrrry.

As a matter of fact, you've helped me with some of the problems I've had and I appreciate it.