Stripped Carb Screw - Help?

[Train]

Long story incredibly short. I stripped one of the jet screws in one of my carbs just now. It is the smaller of the two (the one down in the hole rather than the big one that is easily accessible). I don't know anything about engines or bikes, just that my moto was turning over this afternoon so I decided to clean the carbs and see if that helped, and now here I sit, very unhappy, even further from a running bike.

Any wisdom here? Bhudda, you're a GS carb whiz, aren't you? Is there any salvaging this? Someone please help me.

[ke7syv]

Do you mean your moto turning but not starting? How stripped is "stripped"? Are you using the appropriate size screwdriver? Try the best fitting screwdriver. If that doesn't grab, maybe one of those e-z-out bits. Last resort is to drill it out but wait for some more replies before you act. You want to know you have the best method before you start. These are only suggestions, wheres Buddha when yah need him...

[lawman]

Got a pic?  Preferably decent resolution?

[Hawk996]

I don't know if this will copy well?  But what screw is it?



If the pic here sucks go to this website and let us know what screw it is.

http://www.bikebandit.com/suzuki-motorcycle-gs500ex-1999/o/m6059

I can't tell you for sure without seeing a picture or even knowing what screw it is.  This happens to every mechanic at some point though.  A lot of the time you can take a sharp straight screw driver or a small chisel and a hammer and tap a slot in a stripped screw.  Once you make the slot you can sometimes turn it out with a straight blade screw driver. I have even used a dremel tool with a cutting wheel to make a slot but this tends to create metal shavings, something you don't want floating around in your carb.  Hope this helps, get a pic up if possible.

[Train]

Hey, for the carb picture from Bike Bandit, it looks like screw 12 is the small one and 19 is the big one... so screw 12 - the jet I think... thoughts?

[Hawk996]

So it is actually the jet itself?  Or one of the screws on the bottom of the bowl?

[Train]

Yes, it is the brass jet, the smaller one down inside the aluminum hole you access from the bottom of the carb after you take the two screws holding the cover and the cover off from underneath. It takes a flathead screwdriver to take it out.

[xncnc]

I had the same issue, previous owner stripped the pilot jet.

[Hawk996]

Thats the tool you need then ^. the treads are reversed so once it is tighten into the jet it will unscrew the jet.  Tip, once you get it out spend the $6.00 and get a new jet.

http://www.deerelydeparted.com/p-475-carburetor-jet-removal-tool.aspx

[Train]

Ah, killer! That looks like exactly what the job would take.  Wouldn't a local moto shop have these? I could just bring the carb in and have them pull it for 10 bucks or so I assume. If they can't, glad to know there is a tool for this... Thanks a ton, guys.

Now, with getting new jets, I just looked at the wiki and don't know what jets I want. I guess I don't want standard jets since they run on the lean side, but I don't want to mess with anything else on the bike (once it is running, fine, but until then I'm done shining the proverbial apple). What jets do I get that will allow me to keep everything else stock (airbox, exhaust, etc.)?

Thanks again.

[The Buddha]

Do not use that type of extractor. I ahve had nothign but misery with that.
Broke one off in one, broke the housing in another last month.

I prefer the other kind with a more hexagonal tapered shape. Breaks off less often cos it has fewer sharp corners and trenches.

Now, I just prefer drilling it with a leftie drill though. never have failed with that.
I'll do a jet job on it if you prefer, light clean included, extraction $5, 45 + 5 and return shipping 10.50. 60.50 total.
Cool.
Buddha.

[Train]

Buddha, you know, I'm really tempted to take you up on this. So I could just reassemble what I have and drop it in the mail for you? What kind of turn around are you thinking? PM me if you prefer, let's talk.

Further, ever since I've owned the bike I've had a hanging idle. I tried to diagnose the problem last fall by spraying kerosene around the engine to try to find a leak, no luck. Maybe you'll notice something funky in the carbs that will fix the hanging idle problem as well (all other solutions were tried - the throttle cable wasn't stuck, it only happened when the bike was warmed up, it wasn't the idle screw being out of wack, etc.)