Yearrgh!

So I'm finally getting around to breaking down my carbs. Pull everything apart, no problems. Hey, with the "Whole Nine Yards" printed put and propped up on the bench for reference, this is way easier than I was afraid of...

So I'm thinking maybe I'll take a break from polishing bores and slides for a while and work on getting that stripped drain screw out of the bowl. Hit that puppy with some PB Blaster and let it sit for a while. Hmm... Couple different sizes of screwdrivers, Phillips and flat... Nothing can get a grip. OK, no biggie. Got a shiny new set of extractors just waiting for this event. Let's freshen up that PB and get the drill out. Start with a 1/16th pilot hole, then open it up to 5/64" for the #1 extractor. All good so far.

Start trying to extract... No good. The tiny extractor flutes are just reaming out material from the screw, enlarging the hole but not moving the plug. OK, out comes the drill again, let's move up a size. Some more PB and 15 minutes later, in goes the #2 extractor. Put a little torque on it, and...

OH SH.....!!!!

Watch as the T-handle and most of the extractor pull away from the piece, leaving the tip of my brand new #2 extractor embedded in the drain screw. :evil:

I didn't even put that much force on it! :x

Anyone have any hints for extracting an extractor? :roll:

 

What type of extractor is it: a screw type or the four edge type?

Try taking a hammer and chisel and TAP the extractor out. Or at least far enough that you can get some vise grips or pliers on it.

 

is it mikuni or hitachi?.... I got a spare bowl or two for mikuni...


another idea: what if you just leave that mess where it is and drill/tap another drain hole next to it and plug it off with a machine screw and a gasoline-safe rubber o-ring?

 

I had to use a 4 flute mill (I work at a machine shop, lucky me) and a very careful set up with the bowl to get the cruddy little screws out. Had the lath operator whip out a set of new stainless screws for me at the same time. If you aren't in a hurry, you can shoot me the screwed up bowl and we'll see how long it takes to clear the blockage. SalCycle has a good suggestion, those easy outs are hard metal, it'll take a bit to get that chunk out of there. I think it is possible to drill and tap the hole on the opposite side of the bowl near as I can tell, the casting is set up for it.

 

I think there would be more to it than drill/tap.

I presume a seating surface for the drain screw is also cut in.

 

Fair assumption MiCarl, but how hard would it be to grind a drill bit to create the seating surface? From what I'm seeing at work, nothing to it if you have a green wheel on the grinder. Having a good screw to determine the angle, I'm sure it wouldn't be impossible to perform this "gender" (left to right) change. Just got to get the depth correct, no big deal if you have a good bowl to compare for measurement. The thread is 6mmx1.00. I guess the only way to find out is to try it. I don't have any carb bowls laying around that are toast and I'm not keen on whacking a good bowl. Anyone got a piece of junk Hitachi that I could experiment on? I'll cover postage.

 

How hard to grind a drill? Accurately? And then sharpen it? Way hard, for me at least.

Assuming I got that far I have a drill press (no vice though so would have to make a fixture) so I would have a decent shot at stopping the hole at the correct depth. Wouldn't want to try freehand.

I think, my friend, you may fail to recognize the valuable experience you have over most of us in this area. Access to a few tools doesn't hurt either :wink:

Sure looks to me though like all the bowls on the Hitachis come from the same casting. Drilled out RH or LH depending on which side of the bike gets it. As I write this though I vaugely remember maybe seeing numbers 1,2,3,4 cast into my bowls.........

I think I'll stick to getting the old ones out using my #3 welding tip.

 

You're facing Second Degree Bowl-slaughter.
First Degree is when you fracture the Bowl.

Keep at it and the charges are going to be Premeditated Bowl-icide.

Get a used Bowl and give the other one a decent burial.

 

if it's only one thats stuck, forget it and swap bowls when you set the floats, or
set the three good ones then turn them upside down and make the bad one the same as the others

 

Thanks for the tips, guys. After messing around with it some more, I've come to the conclusion that the screw is never coming out unless it goes to a machine shop. There's just not enough extractor left for a chisel to get a bite of it, and there's no way I'm gonna drill it out (tried a couple of cobalt drill bits and even a diamond-grit Dremel bit - nothing).

It was worth a shot, I guess. Short-term, I'll just leave it alone, but it looks like I'm in the market for a replacement bowl before very long...

 

I want the carcass! I'm betting my workmate and I can get that screw and extractor out without permanent damage. Heck, worst case we try to retap the opposite side. I'll throw a few bucks at it just to settle this in my mind.

 

I would hold it in my left hand and a Louisville Slugger in my right.
Toss it up.
Wait.
Let it get about belt high ...

Then, see how high I could belt it!

 

OK, so, let's see... Robert, you're in California, so... How fast you think I'd have to get the bat moving to get it out to you...? :twisted:

Seriously, though, PM me your address and it's yours as soon as I get a replacement. I have no doubt that a well-equipped machine shop would be able to get the damn thing out.

I just don't have access to one personally, and I doubt it'd be cost-effective to walk into a shop and pay an honest-to-god machinist his normal hourly rate to do it...

 

Remember, use an ALUMINUM bat!

 

82XJ, I reckon you'll need to be moving mmm.. oh, lets say, faster than terminal velocity!(?) How about 3.28X10 to the 8th? A foot per nanosecond? I'll PM you in a bit.
MiCarl, Clang! instead of Whack! I prefer the Louisville slugger myself, just more feeling to it.

 

Robert,

Carbs bowls are not wood. They are aluminum.

Use the correct tool for the job.

Aluminum bat.

 

(Snickering) Yeah, it's aluminum but the sound of a wooden bat hitting it would sound so much better to my ear.

 

Robert, I think if I could get the bat up to C, I'd probably overshoot you just a little bit. Almost six hundred eighty million miles per hour?

I thought you wanted to try to make the bowl usable again, not flatten it!

 

Yuk yuk yuk, C is all that came to mind when you posted winging it out here. Not that it would be anything close to a lump of aluminum by the time it got here at that speed. Something about molecular cohesion pops into my head. "Billions and billions..." (we miss you still Mr. Sagan) of tiny atoms scattered throughout space and time. Hope a suitable bowl happens your way swiftly.