I'm currently trying to rejet my carbs.  So far I have the carb assembly off the bike and was trying to take the bowls off.  No matter how hard i try the heads keep stripping, and i have about 15 different size phillips head screwdrivers.  Any ideas??  Thanks!

-Lucas

My suggestion: use a dremel to cut a notch in them and use a flat head. Once they are out take on to the hardware store and buy some allen head replacements.

Ok that sounds good...I tried some pliers and got all of them loose but i'll keep the dremel in mind for future problems 

Quote from: lnb001 on March 14, 2008, 06:55:47 AM
I'm currently trying to rejet my carbs.  So far I have the carb assembly off the bike and was trying to take the bowls off.  No matter how hard i try the heads keep stripping, and i have about 15 different size phillips head screwdrivers.  Any ideas??  Thanks!

-Lucas

I've joked for years that retired Sumo wrestlers go to work for Mikuni and Keihin, tightening screws. 
Seriously, get a hand impact driver. The kind you hit with a hammer. Now, you don't actually want to go smacking your carb bodies very hard, but the phillips bits that come with those are usually very good and will sometimes work where nothing else does. If that fails, E-Z Outs will work.

definately replace those screws though i'm sure the heads are only going to get worse over time especially if you have to take them apart a few times to get the jetting right. Allen heads would be a lot easier to work with in the future.

if you're good with the dremel you can take about 45* of the head off, then pop it with a center punch a couple times and it will be free. replace with a SHCS, a little blue loctite, and you're golden.

Your crab screws aren't your normal philips screw... they are pozidrive ... This is why they are stripping.




Cheers,
J

Quote from: Absolute Rescue on March 14, 2008, 09:40:36 AM
definately replace those screws though i'm sure the heads are only going to get worse over time especially if you have to take them apart a few times to get the jetting right. Allen heads would be a lot easier to work with in the future.

Second the Allen suggestion...or try Robertson, it's just one of many brilliant innovations to come out of Canada, along with basketball and Universal Time.

To Canada! 

The screws in your carb` are made to JIS (Japanese industrial standards) and the heads dont follow the usual DIN/ISO standards found in Europe and the USA. As such all Philips, Pozi-drive, Cross-head, Frearson etc style screwdrivers and bits will not fit correctly and they tend to cam-out and damage the head. JIS standard screwheads can be identified by a dot-punch mark in one of the four sections formed by the cross in the head

JIS screwdrivers are about but you have to look hard for them.

http://centralhobbies.com/Tools/jis.html

Interesting info sledge. I never knew that there was a difference.

Yea I got all the bolts off with a pair of pliers except one on the bowls...Took it to a machine shop and found it would cost $25 finished on monday so I asked if there was something I could do and the guy says sure, but the more you mess with it, the more its gonna cost (upwards of $100) if you can't get it off and have to bring it back here.  So i say ok and leave it there, head to home depot for some other items and the guy calls me and says its finished for $18.  After all that I finally got the needles shimmed, carbs rejetted, and all covers back on securely with some nice allen bolts.  What a friday...haha.  I will keep all info described above in mind for future rejet projects!

-Lucas

Quote from: lnb001 on March 14, 2008, 04:52:05 PM
Yea I got all the bolts off with a pair of pliers except one on the bowls...Took it to a machine shop and found it would cost $25 finished on monday so I asked if there was something I could do and the guy says sure, but the more you mess with it, the more its gonna cost (upwards of $100) if you can't get it off and have to bring it back here.  So i say ok and leave it there, head to home depot for some other items and the guy calls me and says its finished for $18.  After all that I finally got the needles shimmed, carbs rejetted, and all covers back on securely with some nice allen bolts.  What a friday...haha.  I will keep all info described above in mind for future rejet projects!

-Lucas

vice grips will do it, but there's a trick. just like open end wrenches, you want to PULL the screw loose with the teeth, not PUSH with the teeth. think pipe wrench, but vice grips. this way, if it slips a LITTLE bit, it actually cuts gripping grooves into the screw head. reset the vice grips a little tighter, align with your new gripping grooves, and gently.... plink ! it's loose.

don't forget your pbblaster before you try.

Quote from: sledge on March 14, 2008, 11:36:00 AM
The screws in your carb` are made to JIS (Japanese industrial standards) and the heads dont follow the usual DIN/ISO standards found in Europe and the USA. As such all Philips, Pozi-drive, Cross-head, Frearson etc style screwdrivers and bits will not fit correctly and they tend to cam-out and damage the head. JIS standard screwheads can be identified by a dot-punch mark in one of the four sections formed by the cross in the head

JIS screwdrivers are about but you have to look hard for them.

http://centralhobbies.com/Tools/jis.html

You could go out and by a set of Japanese spec screwdrivers, OR, grab an old set you already have, and grind the leading flat edge down about 1/32". When you put the screwdriver on the screw, give it a firm tap with a hammer to properly seat the screwdriver. Apply a fair bit of pressure while slowly applying force to undo the screw.

Then replace all the screws with stainless allen or robertson screws.

Grinding is cheaper than buying.

Quote from: GSRider on March 15, 2008, 04:23:27 AM

Quote from: sledge on March 14, 2008, 11:36:00 AM
The screws in your carb` are made to JIS (Japanese industrial standards) and the heads dont follow the usual DIN/ISO standards found in Europe and the USA. As such all Philips, Pozi-drive, Cross-head, Frearson etc style screwdrivers and bits will not fit correctly and they tend to cam-out and damage the head. JIS standard screwheads can be identified by a dot-punch mark in one of the four sections formed by the cross in the head

JIS screwdrivers are about but you have to look hard for them.

http://centralhobbies.com/Tools/jis.html

You could go out and by a set of Japanese spec screwdrivers, OR, grab an old set you already have, and grind the leading flat edge down about 1/32". When you put the screwdriver on the screw, give it a firm tap with a hammer to properly seat the screwdriver. Apply a fair bit of pressure while slowly applying force to undo the screw.

Then replace all the screws with stainless allen or robertson screws.

Grinding is cheaper than buying.

won't the stainless screws tend to gall in the aluminum housing ? maybe it's just stainless against stainless that's a bad idea. i dunno. i've not seen an application for stainless screws in alu before. correct me if i'm wrong please

Every screw I've ever taken off my GS has been replaced with ss, with no problems at all.

Quote from: ohgood on March 15, 2008, 04:48:48 AM

Quote from: GSRider on March 15, 2008, 04:23:27 AM

Quote from: sledge on March 14, 2008, 11:36:00 AM
The screws in your carb` are made to JIS (Japanese industrial standards) and the heads dont follow the usual DIN/ISO standards found in Europe and the USA. As such all Philips, Pozi-drive, Cross-head, Frearson etc style screwdrivers and bits will not fit correctly and they tend to cam-out and damage the head. JIS standard screwheads can be identified by a dot-punch mark in one of the four sections formed by the cross in the head

JIS screwdrivers are about but you have to look hard for them.

http://centralhobbies.com/Tools/jis.html

You could go out and by a set of Japanese spec screwdrivers, OR, grab an old set you already have, and grind the leading flat edge down about 1/32". When you put the screwdriver on the screw, give it a firm tap with a hammer to properly seat the screwdriver. Apply a fair bit of pressure while slowly applying force to undo the screw.

Then replace all the screws with stainless allen or robertson screws.

Grinding is cheaper than buying.

won't the stainless screws tend to gall in the aluminum housing ? maybe it's just stainless against stainless that's a bad idea. i dunno. i've not seen an application for stainless screws in alu before. correct me if i'm wrong please

True, grinding could be a cheaper option...................assuming of course you have access to a grinder. BTW, when you say "Allen" can we assume you actually mean " Socket-cap head"?

Uh...sure. If that's what you call them.

Potato, potatoe...

Quote from: Absolute Rescue on March 14, 2008, 07:37:27 AM
My suggestion: use a dremel to cut a notch in them and use a flat head. Once they are out take on to the hardware store and buy some allen head replacements.

this is what I had to do

Quote from: GSRider on March 16, 2008, 02:36:41 PM
Uh...sure. If that's what you call them.

Potato, potatoe...

I do call them socket cap-heads, along with the rest of the informed world, you say potatoe if you want but I will stick with potato.