I have a 2004 GS500F.  I am attempting to replace the stock airbox with K&N pod style airfilters and I am doing a re-jet at the same time using the DynoJet kit.  My problem is with dismantling the carbs.  I cant get the screws that hold the cover over all the jet parts (highlighted in picture below) to budge.  I haven't tottally disconnected the carbs from the bike, I have just propped them on top to be able to access the bottoms of the carbs.  I haven't stripped the screws yet but if I crank much harder I will.   I've tried WD40 and I'm on my way to get some Liquid Wrench.

Am I missing something?  Am I trying to open the wrong part of the carbs?

I just found this thread (http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=16598.0) which makes me feel better that I'm not alone.  I guess I'll keep trying.

Do you have access to a drill press?  If so, try the following:

Get a friend, a long #2 phillips bit, a 1/4" wrench, the drill press and your carb together in the same room.  Put the bit in the drill press, put the wrench on the bit, position the carb under the bit, have your friend crank down on the press a bit while you hold the carb steady and yank the wrench.  It will break most screws loose. 

Replace phillips with hex head.  They have them at Home Depot and Lowes in the specialty drawers.

4mm ... which freaking moron swapped the 5mm's for 4 mm's ... we stripped out 1/2 the damn 5 mm's on 89-00 bikes ... then the moron's swap it for twice as many 4mm's ... moron's ... Yea great ... have they never ever turned a bloody wrench in their lives ... That was the 1 part of the carbs that worked dumasses ...
Oh yea drilling or left drilling them works ...
Cool.
Srinath.

iI'm thinking you have a philips head screw in there??? Dont use a screw driver.  Use a socket set and fit one of those philips screwdriver heads (the one where you can switch between star, flat, and philips)  and make sure it fits great... dont use one thats too small!  I just had that problem with my new gs!

Austin

Hey Paulin8r: Good job labeling the hoses!! Most ppl don't do that their first time, and their first post on their first topic is something like: "where does this hose go?"

Good job!

I however have never had this problem... I've always used a phillips screwdriver on the phillips head that is on the bowls and its always worked fine.

Good luck!

What worked for me: Impact wrench. (the type that you whack with a hammer and that translates that movement into a twisting motion.)

the impact both makes sure that the bit stays engaged and helps breaking loose the stuck thread.

Varnished up screws in the carb are a Buddha Loves You.

Quote from: MarkusN on May 09, 2006, 12:06:42 AM
What worked for me: Impact wrench. (the type that you whack with a hammer and that translates that movement into a twisting motion.)

the impact both makes sure that the bit stays engaged and helps breaking loose the stuck thread.

Varnished up screws in the carb are a Buddha Loves You.

Be Careful with those! Alot of these screws are brass... so they're super soft material and could easily strip if the impact was to jump or shift in the middle of a stroke!

On brass I agree, that's not the tool of choice. Not every yellow screw is brass, though. Those on the carb bowls are galvanized steel.

True Markus... I was just talking in general for carbs... not specifically about those screws... I guess I could have been clearer 

are they steel? I thought they were Cadmium plated aluminum... but I could be wrong

Is cadmium still admissible in the states? I highly doubt it; it's banned for obvious reasons almost everywhere.
Far as I know these screws are zinc plated steel, but soft steel. (And that's why you strip their phillipps heads so easily.) There is a secondary treatment on them (don't know what it's called in English, in German we call it literally 'passivizing') that turns them yellow with an iridiscent effect. There's also a bluish variety of that treatment.

On my bowls, I used my dremel to slot the screw heads then used a flat head bit in my impact socket wrench on my compressor.  That was the easiest way for me.   

Thank you, everyone, for your input.  Keep it coming.  First, I think I will try to slot the screws with Dremel and use flat-tip screw driver.  However, I think I'll end up drilling them out.  In that case, I'll have nothing to take to the hardware store for comparison when I want to buy my new hex head screws.  Anybody know the exact specs for these screws?

UPDATE

I have the carbs apart.  All it took was my trusty vice grips and a perfectly sized screw driver.  During the course of installing the DynoJet parts I broke one of the shitty, plastic valve pistons so now I'm waiting on a replacement.

My latest question is regarding jet sizes.  There is SO much conflicting information that it's hard to know what's going to work.  So far I have followed the DynoJet kit instructions...I have the new Dynojet needles on slot 4 from the top, the DynoJet-supplied Slide Springs are in, the Dynojet pilots are in (it's part # DPJM018 so I assume its a size 18), I have the DynoJet suggested 124 mains in, and I have the mixture screws out 3 turns.  Like I said, I can't start it up until I get the replacement valve piston.  I am doing all of this because I am installing K&N pod-style air filters in place of the stock airbox.

Once I can run it, what am I looking for to tell me whether I'm lean or rich?  What do I change to correct either of these conditions?

The DynoJet kit says "If you are running the stock exhaust install the DJ124 main jets.  If you are running an aftermarket exhaust with high flowing baffle use the DJ128 main jets."  I'm not changing the exhaust at this time!     The options for main jets in the kit are 120, 124, 128 or 132.

So you don't have to scroll up, this is all for a 2004 GS500F.

Forgive my ignorance.  Any guidance or comments are appreciated.

-Paul