Screw covering pilot jet?

[Recreateme]

I am new to this but when I opened my carbs up I easily found and replaced my main jet but found a screw screwed tightly into where my pilot jets should have been. I removed that screw and found both pilot jets stripped...

Anyone know what that screw was doing there? Is that normal and how should get these pilot jets out, or should I not bother since the screw is covering them anyway?

What's my next move here guys?

In case you were wondering, the bike fine before removing them, lean but it ran.

 

[willem]

My advice is if it works, don't fix it.

The pilot jets are stripped, so probably if you attempt to remove them you'll only ruin them further. The screw covering them sounds unfamiliar to me, but if it worked before, leave it in. Poke through the jets with some very fine wire to remove any crud, but leave them in the carbs. Put everything back where it came from and hope it still runs well.

Adjust your mixture after setting the float height. Use the idle mixture screws to fine-tune the mix. Sync, and check the plugs after a few rides. Adjust the mix again if necessary.

 

[xschris]

The 77-79 carbs used a screw to cover the pilot jets

 

[willem]

go clean those carbs chris, they look filthy

 

[Recreateme]

Yep thats its.

Can you tell me why they have a screw there? Is it blocking the jet, meaning i don't have to worry about replacing it ? haha

 

[xschris]

go clean those carbs chris, they look filthy

These are spare bodies I use for showing people where stuff goes. The carbs on my bikes are super clean

The pilot jets don't pull fuel from the hole. It pull from the brass tube I believe.

 

[Recreateme]

They don't pull from the hole, they pull from the tube... That leads me to believe that if these are stripped, and that bottom hole/tip of the jet covered by the screw is damaged, it shouldn't affect how the idle runs because it wasn't being used anyway ?

So everything is all good? Other then my idle jets being a size to small for the pod filters and it will run lean :/

 

[Recreateme]

UPDATE- I bought some penetrating lubricant and now i have managed to get one of the pilot jets to turn and it has come up a bit (its just below the hole that connects the pilot jet to the main jet) but it doesnt want to come past that, it just spins with no change... Any tips ?

The other pilot jet is stripped bad enough that i can't just 'try harder' any tips to get it out ?
I have heard people putting a flathead on it and hammering it into teh brass and creating a new slot to unscrew it, or drilling it a bit and sticking a pointed allen key down there and getting that to grip.. are they worth a shot or should i take it to a professional ? I have a replacement jet already i just need this thing out

 

[16VGTIDave]

For the jet that is loose, there is probably corrosion that is preventing it from coming out. Tighten up the jet, carefully screw a sharp screw into it, remove the screw, unscrew the jet, and then thread the screw back into the jet and pull it out.

For the one that won't loosen, a screw extractor may be your only solution.

 

[Recreateme]

This is so frustrating haha I'll give that a shot. Thanks -

 

[xschris]

I am also with getting a screw extractor.

 

[Recreateme]

Can you guys recommend a specific brand/size/type? I am new to all of this and i would hate to mess up a pilot jet and have to buy new carbs for a bike i got this cheap :S

Thanks

 

[Recreateme]

I finally removed the screw, i made a thread to prevent others from getting in my situation and posting a thread on how to fix it like it did haha

 

[Hishman]

Hi do the threads that hold the brass cap over the piot jet prevent the pilot jet from coming out easily. I thought i read somewhere that you have to pull and twist the pilot jet out ruining it if you had the brass plug set up.

 

[Scorpio1963]

If those brass screws covering the pilot jets strip you can replace them with rubber plugs like on the newer carbs

 

[Hishman]

I mean if the brass caps come off just fine does the pilot jet fall out nice and easy like it would if it was a rubber cap style or does it get stuck up in the threads of the brass cap

 

[Recreateme]

Yeah mine did anyway... The covering screw came out very easily but when i went to removed the actual jet i stripped the head of the pilot jet. Once i sorted that out it threaded out as far as it goes (which isn't to the top) and then just kinda spun in the tube. At that point i just flipped the carbs over and shook them a bit and the jet fell right out.

 

[xschris]

After you unscrew the pilot jet it should just fall out.