Multiple carb dilemmas

I have a dilemma.
I am going home from Santa Cruz to LA, (bout 300 miles) in a week. I pulled the carbs off for a clean and almost every single screw is frozen on. A couple are stripped, but none have broken. (knock on wood)
They have been soaking in penetrating oil all day, and will continue to be soaking all night. If this doesn’t work what other options do I have, in my time limit? (7 days) I know all the muscling-it-off tricks, but the last thing I want to do is break these screws off.
Also: its colder then hell in northern California this time of the year, I know cold bolts/screws are more of a pain then heated ones. Not sure on how to apply heat to try and work them off either.

I could always take the carbs to a local mechanic, which would make the screws/ cleaning his problem, but I was hoping to learn how to clean them myself. I have the money to do this. Is this a smarter move, and should I save my “learning experience” for another day?

Also:
I have not checked the gas tank or petcock valve for rust. The intake manifolds are a bit cracked. If I make this ride home (where I will fix said problems) 1. if the carbs are properly cleaned will I make it? 2. will I have to clean them again once I’m home because of these other issues?

 

What are the symptoms that are causing you to pull the carbs right before your trip?

Murphy says that something will go wrong, where you can't get a part for 10 days, to fix.

If you get an impact driver, the kind that you hit with a hammer, that has a #2 philips bit, you can probably loosen all those stubborn screws without too much damage.

And yes, if the tank is rusty, you will have to fix that and then clean the carbs again. A rust spec will entrap in a place where you don't want it.

 

I feel your pain, had to worry about the same thing. What i did was to grab all the screws with a pair of pliers, some might be tough to get to, but if your carefull, with the pliers, sitting sideways you should get a good bite.

Yeah most of the screws on my carb pac started to strip out, the only screws that i was able to use a screw driver on, was the float bowls. Even the jets gave me a hard time with a screw driver, so i had to use a screwdriver like a chissle, and gave each one a good tap and they all came loose.

Im planning on replacing all the screws with stainless alen screws.

 

If you're dealing with original screws, you should try to get a set of Japanese Phillips standard (JIS) screwdrivers. (Why they call them Phillips when they don't conform to Phillips standards, I have no idea). They will fit much better and give you a much improved chance of getting those screws out without stripping the heads.... then you can replace them with normal hardware (IMO).

Chacal carries these screwdrivers. I've not seen them elsewhere, but maybe Mac or Snap-on would have them.

-----------Edit------------

Just Googled and saw that McMaster-Carr also carries them. Just $2.81 (plus shipping, of course) for #2. Not bad.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#jis-(japanese- ... l-standard)-screwdrivers/=4tlmmm

Cheers,
Paul

 

I have gotten stubborn screws out by using a good #2 screwdriver that fit snug as possible. Setting the carbs on a piece of wood and tapping the screw a few times with a hammer and then tapping the end of the screwdriver as I'm trying to loosen it. I've also used a small pair of visegrip on them but if your not careful, they will snap off. Make sure you use a good snug standard screwdriver on all the jets also.

 

For buggered-up Screws holding-on the Carb Tops ...
Use "Needle-nosed Vice Grips" and hand impact.

For Fuel Bowl Screws ... Hand Impact Tool.

Jets. Screwdrivers bought or fabricated for precision fit.
Precision fit cannot be over emphasized.
If you give a Tight Jet's Screw Slot Wings room to move without the Jet body, ... they will!

Pilot Jets:
Clean the Hole above the Screw
Add two drops of solution. (Equal pts. ATF & Acetone mixed)
Let soak 30 Minutes.
Using Precision Screwdriver fitting Pilot Screw Slot with NO freeplay, ... Screw Pilot Screw DOWN -> IN. Bottom the Screw.
Chase with M6X0.5 "Bottom Tap" (Not pointed)

After the Holes is Chased ... Lube and withdraw Screw.

Toss-out all buggered Fasteners and replace with good ones.
Std Metric Sizes - Phillips ... or,
Lovely Cap Ssrews

 

Skippy- Bike won't idle for more than a few minutes. First two carbs I looked at were bad, so they definitely need to be cleaned.
I am going to buy a pair of needle nose vice grips and hopefully get the rest of the screws off today.
The stuck pilot jet is making me nervous, but I am going to go with RockCoMatic's solution. I will post with results, and more questions, as I am sure they will come up.

 

You can also use a dremel bit with a cutoff wheel to cut a slot across the damaged (or really stubborn) screw head. Then use a flat screw driver or impact bit. I just had to do this the other day on the Radian's carb set... Works like a charm.

 

F-Y-I
Stuck Pilot Screws

If it comes-down to a "Last resort" and you have to Drill and use a Screw Extractor on the Pilot Mixture Screw, ...

Before you Drill the Top of the Screw.
Measure the DEPTH to the TOP of the Screw with great precision.
Add: .25mm (Point two five millimeters)
[Example: Depth = 2.65mm + .25mm = 2.90mm]

At the Total Depth, ...
Drill a 1/64th Hole into the SIDE of the Pilot Screw Chamber.
Through the Aluminum until you JUST hit Brass.
Treat this Hole with:
Nail Polish Remover, Kroll, Liquid Wrench or a few drops of Automatic Transmission Fluid and Acetone Mix 1:1

Hope something good happens that will let you extract the Pilot Mixture Screw without a fight.

 

So all screws are off successfully! I will replace them (haven't decided with what yet) eventually....
Which brings me to my next problem--cracks
on the #2, on the two posts where the pin that holds the floats to the carb is, one of them is cracked. It looks like, judging from a gooey brown substance that is coming out of the crack, that is was glued somehow. I didn't even know this was a possibility. This post was definitely broken at some point and reattached.

There are also chips on the #1 and #4 carbs. These are on the outside, and not bad. They do not allow air inside of the carbs.
Do I need a whole new set up because of these cracks? This is a project bike and I am not looking for a quick fix, although i just want to ride damnit!
If I need a new set up then thats life, if not...
1. stuck float pins (not sure if thats the term, they are the pins that hold the floats in, like I was talking about before)
2. all brass pieces are ugly, however not damage, just brown. replace or clean like a mofo?

...and for the record, XJbikes is by far my greatest discovery ever! Can't wait until i get a chance to pass on knowledge!

 

No, you don't need a new set due to a JB-Weld repair that actually is holding. The stuff should be gooey looking , but actually rock hard.
Very carefully remove the float pivot pins !! Sand and polish the pins and the inside of the pivots to make a loose , rattly fit.
All brass pieces can be made as shiny as new copper pennies if you work at it. Run a wire thru 4 hidden float bowl jets, 4 brass tubes that stick out the bottom of the carbs, 4 little transfer holes in these tubes, and the little Pilot holes, as well as the removable jets.
There's plenty more, too.
Read "Church of Clean"

 

Thanks! any tricks on the float pivot pins? they wont move for anything! I've used some penetrating oil, but to no avail...

 

This might take a helper.
The pin might want to come out one way easier than the other.
Hold the carb on a block of wood, with a small hole drilled to receive the pin. Lock a small nail in a needle nose Vice-Grip. Get a SMALL tapping hammer, like 4 OZ. The tricky part: slide a thin screwdriver in with the float to take up the small amount of space, to keep from snapping off the "top" float pillar.
Tap like a Watch Maker a few times, flip the whole arrangement over, tap a few times. As soon as you can get on it with the Vice-Grip, twist it out.
Keep it lubed. Take your time.
It's important that the float pivot support the "top" pillar, and that you tap gently. None of these parts were designed to take a side load.

EDIT: After thinking about it, a better support can be made from a metal tube with the back cut away, then ground to precisely fit between the 2 pillars.

 

The First RULE, ... DON'T BREAK A FLOAT HINGE PILLAR

Heat. A Crack-smokers Lighter from a Comic Book Shop.
B-B-Q Trigger-type lighter.

Separate the Carbs to allow you "Handling Room"
Put the Bowls back on ones you aren't working on.

Fabricate a Special Tool.
Grind the "Back-side" of a Pair of Diagonals to be FLAT removing enough material to eliminate the Back-side's cutting bevel.

Now, ... you have a Tool that will allow you to get between the Head of the Hinge Pin and Pillar.
Use the Tool to gradually add pressure until you can grab the Hinge Pin and Rotate it.

If you get frustrated.
Slide the Float all the way to the Left and CUT the PIN with a Dremel Cut-off Wafer.
Repeat the move to the Right.
Remove the Float.
Use Vice Grips on the remnants.

Use the Shank of Pop Rivet to replace the Float Pin.

 

Here's what I did for Mikunis:

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic ... liers.html

I didn't see in this thread what bike or carburetors you are working on. Mikuni pins are slightly press-fit. Hitachi pins should be very free and should pretty much drop out once you have the bowl off.

Cheers,
Paul

 

I like to use heat too. But from an industrial heat gun. Good for the pins and pilots jets.

 

EDITED:
Hing pin solution-Needle nose vice grips and room to move.

Question Regarding a "JB weld repair Job": Can this withstand carb cleaner? If it cannot then I will need to decide whether I should replace the body or go about the seemingly endless task of cleaning it without dunking it in carb cleaner (which it badly needs)

After more reading I figured out my brass diaphragm piston issues

next project: Intake manifolds and the inevitable crap that is in there

P.S. Carbs are Mikunis