small job not so small

[Crackerborn]

Background: I bought a '97 camel toe with low miles last Nov. Over the winter from h___, I rebuilt the carbs with parts from HLD and put in a fuel solenoid as well as a de-smog. I have since replaced the yoke, lubed the final drive (that looked like the first time), did the bearing  mod on the rear end and went darkside while I had the rear end apart.

This week I put a headlight modulator in and was going to do the starter relay mod but got sort of distracted with some strange wiring on the Girl. Since I didn't want to chase all the wiring in the time I had that day, I decided to reset the pilot screws to 1 3/4 turns since 2 1/4 seems to be a bit rich based on the plug readings I have been getting. Easy little job since everything is new and just rebuilt, right. Not so much! I turned the pilots in to bottom them out and then tried to open them back up. Two of the screws would not turn back out and one was very stiff. WTF is going on.

To keep from re-writing War and Peace, I ended up pulling the carb bank today. I was forced to drill and extract one pilot screw and really fight to get the rest out. All the d heads are now round, the springs are rusty, and I can't find a single o-ring in a less than six month time frame and the slime in the bowls was... alive?. I will be putting the carbs back in the boiler in the morning and ordering a new gasket set from Redeye. This is the first time in over 35 years of owning, working on and riding Honda that OEM parts have failed so badly.

The point of this long-winded story is to ask if there is a source for the pilot screws other than an OEM supplier (HLD, Partzilla, local dealer. etc.) that anyone can recommend? I seems that the little trip I had planned to SD next weekend might be on the Norton if I can convince the better half that it will make the trip. Opps, no passenger seat.....Never mind, I hate caged trips!

[art]

Had a Norton and anything over 50 miles was nuts. VIBRATION.

[Crackerborn]

Background: I bought a '97 camel toe with low miles last Nov. Over the winter from h___, I rebuilt the carbs with parts from HLD and put in a fuel solenoid as well as a de-smog. I have since replaced the yoke, lubed the final drive (that looked like the first time), did the bearing  mod on the rear end and went darkside while I had the rear end apart.

This week I put a headlight modulator in and was going to do the starter relay mod but got sort of distracted with some strange wiring on the Girl. Since I didn't want to chase all the wiring in the time I had that day, I decided to reset the pilot screws to 1 3/4 turns since 2 1/4 seems to be a bit rich based on the plug readings I have been getting. Easy little job since everything is new and just rebuilt, right. Not so much! I turned the pilots in to bottom them out and then tried to open them back up. Two of the screws would not turn back out and one was very stiff. WTF is going on.

To keep from re-writing War and Peace, I ended up pulling the carb bank today. I was forced to drill and extract one pilot screw and really fight to get the rest out. All the d heads are now round, the springs are rusty, and I can't find a single o-ring in a less than six month time frame and the slime in the bowls was... alive?. I will be putting the carbs back in the boiler in the morning and ordering a new gasket set from Redeye. This is the first time in over 35 years of owning, working on and riding Honda that OEM parts have failed so badly.

The point of this long-winded story is to ask if there is a source for the pilot screws other than an OEM supplier (HLD, Partzilla, local dealer. etc.) that anyone can recommend? It seems that the little trip I had planned to SD next weekend might be on the Norton if I can convince the better half that it will make the trip. Opps, no passenger seat.....Never mind...... I hate caged trips!

[9Ball]

give Sudco a try...they carry parts for Keihin carbs.  It might be worth a call.

http://www.sudco.com/

[pancho]

Bummer,, the first thing that comes to mind is that the carbs had been together with OEM parts for 17 years before they were rebuilt over the winter and hadn't had these problems. I wonder if the pilot screws had been removed at that time and had the orings replaced, and if so what kind of shape were the springs and other parts in at that time.

If all these problems have showed up since the rebuild, and the orings have deteriorated to the point of disappearing, I would put my first suspicions on the chemical that had been used to clean the aluminum parts. 

[Patrick]

I know it doesn't help now, but, its been mentioned many times.
Whenever the pilots are touched, I cut a slot in them for a normal blade screwdriver and add a touch of never-seize.

[MarkT]

I've not had to open my carbs at all, since buying it 6/97.  It's a daily rider, and has no tuning issues. Plugs read spot on and it runs great. Makes me wonder, what am I doing wrong, w/o any breakdown/tuning stories. Like I'm defying karma.  (Looks like I need to get a harley.)  Still, w/o having done any carb work, this story is scary to me.  Good luck on getting the parts and getting it squared away.

BTW, I'm doing a road trip to your neighborhood on Deerslayer next month.

[John Schmidt]

I know it doesn't help now, but, its been mentioned many times.
Whenever the pilots are touched, I cut a slot in them for a normal blade screwdriver and add a touch of never-seize.

Amen to that, talk about a real lifesaver.  +1  I use my Dremel tool with a small cutting wheel on it, wear a glove on the hand holding the pilot 'cuz it will get hot. I don't like to cut the slot with them in the carb due to metal filings from the grinding/cutting process.

[Crackerborn]

Once I get new pilot screws I WILL cut a slot. These were new 6 months ago and the boil mixture was completely dry and neutralized before the last overhaul. The only reason for the last rebuild was "just because" I did not know what had been done before the Girl found her last home and at 16 years old and relatively low mileage what condition was the soft parts in. All jets are now stock sizes. Tore everything down today and back in the boiler until tomorrow, oddly enough, only the pilot screw springs and o-rings and bowls show any unusual sludge or corrosion. Bad gas? Who knows. I will have new pilots and gasket set by mid week so hopefully I can get her back together before Thursday afternoon so I can go chase deer along the Interstate toward La Crosse. Not a big fan of venison roulette at night.

The never-seize sounds like a really good idea and will be on this set as soon as a slot is cut.