Stripped air screw = not fun!

[JCH]

So for those that missed my random post about a month back, I picked up a GS1100 as a project bike.  I'm currently rebuilding the carbs only to find to my dismay that the previous owner was a complete muppet and stripped the air screw.  It looks like he then tried to drill it out and just gave up.

Does anyone have any ideas?  I know from painful experience with another carb that a screw extractor will exert too much outward force and crack the carb body.


I can't believe I complained about carbs when I had the 500.  Now instead of 2 carbs I'm mucking about with 4   

[pantablo]

c'mon....thegsresources.com is your friend....or is it thegsresource.com?

[JCH]

theyre out of ideas lol.  PLus, I've never seen a website with more carb problems than this one   

[scottpA_GS]

to my dismay that the previous owner was a complete muppet and stripped the air screw. 

Muppet 

[LimaXray]

wait, did they strip the threads on the carb, or did they break off the screw in the carb?

if they broke it off, maybe you could use a dremel tool to put a slot on the top of the broken screw then use a screw driver to back it out.

[JCH]

The latter... and the dremmel trick is exactly what I do for most broken screws, but this one is recessed so I couldnt get a cutting wheel in there... I wonder if there's a different attatchment that would work...

[LimaXray]

yeah I was thinking one of those small point grinder attachments... take a trip to home depot and see what they have

[bulletproofcycle]

The screw should be made of Brass so a small drill bit should work like cutting through warm butter 

Use a small bit and a screw extractor. Same thing happened on my dirt bike.

[JCH]

No it definetely does.... drilling a pilot hole in these things is simple as pie.  its the screw extracter's pressure as it grips into the screw that caused the sidewall of the carb body to crack.  Perhaps a smaller pilot hole with a smaller extracter would have worked better, but I am at the whim of the previous owner 

[Blueknyt]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1982-Suzuki-GS1100GLZ-GS-1100-GL-Z-GS1100G-Carbs_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ10066QQitemZ4639239224QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

[gsjohn]

Buy a left hand drill kit.  They are turned to run counter clockwise and just the drilling force will back out the screw.  I do commercial refrigeration and use it on broke off brass fittings and plugs all the time.

[JCH]

Thanks John... That's the second time I've received that suggestion.

I have a reversible variable speed hammer drill....  to make it left handed to I just need different bits?

[gsjohn]

Yes all you need is a the left hand bit.  Probaly have to find a snap-on truck though or maybe a Sears will have.  I don't think the depot carries them.