Broken Rubber Piece from Jet While Cleaning Carbs

Sorry for the possible bad terminology. I usually just lurk on the site, but I have to ask. I was cleaning out my mikuni carbs and while poking a little wire piece down in the jets to clear them out a little rubber piece came out...

Any ideas on an easy fix or a recommended spot to get one quickly? Hoping to have it back on the road by this weekend.

See the attached picture to see what I'm talking about.

I hope I'm not the only one who has had this happen. Just don't remember seeing any warning on being careful about cleaning the jet holes, so for the other noobs this is the warning!

-KJ

 

Order the parts needed from Chacal...click on his logo at the top of forum page....XJ4ever....then click on the second topic which his parts catalog.....

XJ MAXIM, SECA, AND TURBO PARTS CATALOG

Page 1, Section C, Mikuni parts.....

 

Thanks, yea I guess I'll have to hit Chacal up and just order the part. It's only a couple bucks but probably won't get here till after the weekend.

Was hoping someone would come through with a "oh yea, that happened to me, I just inserted it with a 'xxx' and everything worked fine..." lol

-KJ

 

It looks like an oring. Maybe you could source one at an auto parts store. Make sure to get the fuel resistant kind.

 

What does the inside of the jet in your picture look like? Is it completely hollow?

When cleaning mine out for the first time, there was this paper o-ring type thing, stuck to the sides of all four jets. I just cleaned it all out till it was empty and hollow on the inside -- point being I'm not sure what's supposed to be in there...

...but if there's supposed to be a little rubber o-ring like that, I'm missing something lol.

 

Haha, yea you're probably missing this little guy. But, hmm you actually make me wonder now though.

I attached a pic of the hole. It's pretty big without this little o-ring. But, the screw cap that goes on top of the jet is the same size if not smaller (see the little guy next to it). What the heck is the purpose of the ring then?

[edit]
Is it literally just to keep the metal from rubbing together? If so, then my guess is your bike won't run any different with or without this bugger... Don't know how it will change the life of the jet underneath it though...

So, like iwingameover mentioned, I should be able to put any'ol ring in there (gas resistant). I guess in a pinch I can ride with out it.

-KJ

 

That o-ring seals the bottom of the emulsion tube against the jet. It needs to be there for the emulsion tube to function properly.

It's got a square cross section so it may be difficult to source at the auto parts store.

 

The main lesson here is that you need to replace most of these tiny rubber bits when servicing your carbs for the first time.

Your idle mixture screws have o-rings on them too, some of the tiniest I've ever seen, but very important to the proper operation of the carb.

I highly recommend you replace all 4 of the little seals like the one you just popped out.