I've managed to strip one of the screws, it still tight enough so it's not leaking, I have some ideas on how to get it out, but I doubt this is something that would be easy to find, so I want to have a new one ready to replace the bad one. Are there any other bikes with a compatible screw? Searching on ebay and google for gs500 carb drain screw gave no relevant results.
Go to Suzuki dealer. Order one. Done. Why make it complicated? :dunno_black:
Doesn't cost much and you get the right part, easy-peasy.
Quote from: DoD#i on March 22, 2011, 03:31:04 PM
Go to Suzuki dealer. Order one. Done. Why make it complicated? :dunno_black:
Doesn't cost much and you get the right part, easy-peasy.
+1. And as a bonus there's a good chance they'll have one laying around.
If not, I don't see why you couldn't just stick a normal bolt in there, as long as it was long enough to go past the strain spout.
I'll check if the local dealer carries then, but I doubt, in general, they only carry usual maintenance items for the gs500.
Quote from: tt_four on March 22, 2011, 03:58:40 PM
If not, I don't see why you couldn't just stick a normal bolt in there, as long as it was long enough to go past the strain spout.
I didn't find a pic of the screw the gs500 but uses, but the ones I found all were pointy and threadless before the thread begins, isn't the gs500 also like this?
Pretty sure they're pointy. I stripped one too. I eventually will order one but pliers work for now.
Wonder if I could weld a wingnut on it for easy draining next winter...
That is what it's like, but that pointed end I think sticks in beyond the drain spout. The threaded part might go past the spout too because the threaded part of those bolts is still pretty long. I can check tomorrow for you if I remember by the time I get home from work because I have an extra set of carbs. Speaking of which, if you can't find the bolt, I have a set a carbs I'll sell you :icon_mrgreen:
who makes the carbs? Are they mikuni? I'd be willing to bet that every mikuni carb uses the same drain screw so you shouldn't have too hard of a time finding one.
This one has a different head but it might still work...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NOS-SUZUKI-CARB-BOWL-DRAIN-SCREW-VS-GSX-GSXR-DR-RF-LTF-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem2c59e7ff58QQitemZ190486937432QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories
There's a good possibility you've stripped the thread in the float bowl, in which case I wouldn't mess with it unless I had a spare float bowl and screw handy. I'm sure someone on here would have a cheap one (Buddha?). Its not mission critical unless the carb needs cleaning out and if so you can always take it off and drop the float bowl.
If you look at tt_four's ebay link the seller lists a thousand Suzuki models it fits, including the early model GS500s.
Quote from: the mole on March 22, 2011, 07:17:42 PM
There's a good possibility you've stripped the thread in the float bowl, in which case I wouldn't mess with it unless I had a spare float bowl and screw handy. I'm sure someone on here would have a cheap one (Buddha?). Its not mission critical unless the carb needs cleaning out and if so you can always take it off and drop the float bowl.
If you look at tt_four's ebay link the seller lists a thousand Suzuki models it fits, including the early model GS500s.
I doubt the thread is stripped, philips screws allow very litlle torque before the head strips.
I'll check with the dealer first, if they don't have it I'll get it from this ebay auction :)
Quote from: Yuri. on March 22, 2011, 08:39:00 PM
I doubt the thread is stripped, philips screws allow very litlle torque before the head strips.
They are not phillips heads, like every other crosshead screw on the GS they are JIS heads and despite a similar appearance there are significant differences between the two. Using a phillips bit in a tight JIS screwhead is the most effective method known to man of chewing it up :thumb:
Brake fluid reservoir lids, switchgear and electrical parts, carbs.....they are all JIS. Get and use the proper tools and watch your problems vanish!
http://www.moodytools.com/MTI_CATALOG_PAGE_11.pdf
Quote from: sledge on March 23, 2011, 12:36:30 AM
Quote from: Yuri. on March 22, 2011, 08:39:00 PM
I doubt the thread is stripped, philips screws allow very litlle torque before the head strips.
They are not phillips heads, like every other crosshead screw on the GS they are JIS heads and despite a similar appearance there are significant differences between the two. Using a phillips bit in a tight JIS screwhead is the most effective method known to man of chewing it up :thumb:
Brake fluid reservoir lids, switchgear and electrical parts, carbs.....they are all JIS. Get and use the proper tools and watch your problems vanish!
http://www.moodytools.com/MTI_CATALOG_PAGE_11.pdf
Now it makes sense how I got them stripped :icon_lol:
The head is stripped or you split the float bowl where it goes ...
Cos you said it doesn't leak, that doesn't sound like the head is stripped.
Either way, for 89-00 bikes I got both lying about scavenged out of katana carbs. They the same, junkyard is your best bet. Anyway I'd sell em to you for $2 for the screw and $10 for the bowl and add $2 mail for screw and $5 for bowl I guess.
And yes you can strip the threads and split the float bowl cos its made out of old newspapers, eggshells and chewing gum
Cool.
Buddha.
Quote from: The Buddha on March 23, 2011, 07:00:27 AM
The head is stripped or you split the float bowl where it goes ...
Cos you said it doesn't leak, that doesn't sound like the head is stripped.
Either way, for 89-00 bikes I got both lying about scavenged out of katana carbs. They the same, junkyard is your best bet. Anyway I'd sell em to you for $2 for the screw and $10 for the bowl and add $2 mail for screw and $5 for bowl I guess.
And yes you can strip the threads and split the float bowl cos its made out of old newspapers, eggshells and chewing gum
Cool.
Buddha.
It's not leaking because I barely moved the screw, so it's almost as tight as it was before.
Mine are mikuni, it's an 2007 GS500E(they still sold those in Brazil), it's probably a different screw, isn't it?
I didn't get the last line, do you mean they are weak? As mentioned here I probably stripped the screw by using the wrong tool, at least now I'm hoping so :icon_razz:
OK, I thought you meant you'd stripped the screw thread, if its only that you've f*cked the head the bowl will be good. Like sledge says, you really need the proper screwdriver. If you take the float bowl off and put it (carefully) in a vice you can probably get the old screw out with vise grips, or use a dremel to cut a slot in it.
Good luck!
Quote from: sledge on March 23, 2011, 12:36:30 AM
Quote from: Yuri. on March 22, 2011, 08:39:00 PM
I doubt the thread is stripped, philips screws allow very litlle torque before the head strips.
They are not phillips heads, like every other crosshead screw on the GS they are JIS heads and despite a similar appearance there are significant differences between the two. Using a phillips bit in a tight JIS screwhead is the most effective method known to man of chewing it up :thumb:
Brake fluid reservoir lids, switchgear and electrical parts, carbs.....they are all JIS. Get and use the proper tools and watch your problems vanish!
http://www.moodytools.com/MTI_CATALOG_PAGE_11.pdf
Quoted for truth. Another option is to replace the JIS screws with socket head cap screws.
Quote from: k.rollin on March 24, 2011, 03:24:47 PM
Another option is to replace the JIS screws with socket head cap screws.
... Assuming you happen to have and can run a metal lathe, so you can modify the tip of the screw as needed for the carb drains, which are not simply a standard screw. I fit both of those criteria, and I'd go buy one from the dealer, barring I broke it Saturday afternoon and had to ride Sunday.
Quote from: Yuri. on March 23, 2011, 07:52:30 PM
Quote from: The Buddha on March 23, 2011, 07:00:27 AM
The head is stripped or you split the float bowl where it goes ...
Cos you said it doesn't leak, that doesn't sound like the head is stripped.
Either way, for 89-00 bikes I got both lying about scavenged out of katana carbs. They the same, junkyard is your best bet. Anyway I'd sell em to you for $2 for the screw and $10 for the bowl and add $2 mail for screw and $5 for bowl I guess.
And yes you can strip the threads and split the float bowl cos its made out of old newspapers, eggshells and chewing gum
Cool.
Buddha.
It's not leaking because I barely moved the screw, so it's almost as tight as it was before.
Mine are mikuni, it's an 2007 GS500E(they still sold those in Brazil), it's probably a different screw, isn't it?
I didn't get the last line, do you mean they are weak? As mentioned here I probably stripped the screw by using the wrong tool, at least now I'm hoping so :icon_razz:
Float bowl is made of pot metal, something that isn't strong enough to take much over tightening.
But you tried to remove it and started to chew up the head, you prolly are OK, just need the right part to replace it with.
BTW that whole JIS crap yes true, however what is even more true is the suzuki motorcycle factory uses well trained Grizzly bears to assemble these bikes. So a steel bolt in a pot metal assembly and one that is used to hold back gasoline or oil and cant be directly accessed with any conventional tool, will be torqued to yes 30,000 ft lbs.
I dont care if its a JIS screw, it goes in a thin pot metal housing, its 5mm dia. It has to be put in just tight enough to hold the gas in and that would make it easily removable by any screw driver. That is called engineering specs for design.
Cool.
Buddha.