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Vstar 650 Carb

10K views 21 replies 5 participants last post by  RestoRider00 
#1 ·
Has anyone had a problem removing the air mixture screw on the VS650 carb? I got one out. The head stripped on the on the other one. What can I do to get this out? My mechanic wants to cut the housing around it. I'm not sure if that is a good idea or my only choice. Also, will a faulty fuel cutoff solenoid prevent the engine from starting.?
Where can I get these without costing an arm and a leg?
 
#2 ·
motohead, I had nearly the same issue with my carbs. Front one good back one stripped out trying to adjust to 3.5 turns out.
Removed both carbs and sold on this site and purchased a pair of used ones on ebay. On my originals the screw had been sealed with some sort of epoxy that ran down into the threads and locked the screw tight. I ended up stripping it trying to adjust it.

The ones I purchased on Ebay worked fine. Adjustments made easily.
Of coarse it was a $200 bill not including all the labor and other parts.

You really only need to have access to these for one reason > re jetting!

I could go on for hours on this topic, I'll wait for you to respond...

jake:cool::D
 
#3 ·
I've already looked for a replacement carb with no luck. I'm thinking about getting an "in and out" tool. I don't know if they make one that small. The carb had been re-jetted for a BAK by the previous owner. It sat for 2 years. I rebuilt it and put on a HC but left the jets. I will need to be able to make adjustments.
 
#4 ·
The brass screws in these carbs are super soft. I tried to use an easy out on one of the ones that stripped on my carb and it just ate right through it.. ;\ Perhaps a reverse threaded screw would be your best bet as they won't just shave away at the screw?
 
#5 ·
I tried all the methods recommended to me by several others and all were for not. These screws are super soft and will only be turned with the correct size screw driver.

Single carbs albeit front or rear may be even more uncommon than pairs. You could purchase a good matched pair and then sell your one good one.

I've seen carbs in sets for sale on ebay. If you have not looked check
it out first. Or look on the for sale section of this site,.

You also have an option of going to a single carb setup.
A guy on Ebay sells custom manifolds for single carbs.
Similar to that used on Harley Sportster's.
 
#6 ·
Several pairs of carbs are on ebay right now. One is a buy it now at $299. The others are bid on items.

This would be your best alternative. After all riding season is ticking away....
 
#7 ·
What year models fit a 2006 vs650 classic? I would normally go through every possible way to get this screw out but the replies have not filled me with confidence. Plus, the wire on one of the fuel cut off solenoids broke. I ordered two to replace both. On the cheap they were 340 for the pair. That's the cost of a complete ebay carb with solenoids. What are the chances I run into the same problem with an ebay carb?
 
#9 · (Edited)
Ask questions about the carbs, You are protected if they are not what
is listed in the ad. Ebay is good about that.

Save the questions for use later if issues arise. Do not delete them.

These threads inside the carb body are very fine. And not very deep.
Trying to drill it out and retap are impossible. A machinist MIGHT
be able to get it out, and is a crap shoot. If he can't back to square one.
If he can you still have to try to get the new pilot screw to thread into the hole. This is where the repair gets dicey. Any variation in how the pilot screw is set compared to the other carb is CRITICAL to balance between carbs . In other words all the adjustments are based on (lightly seated as a starting point).

If your 2006 does not have cat convertors it should be identical to earlier models.
You can also go on line to : Bike bandit .com and look up the year of your bike and its part number for the replacement carbs, Checking other years will reveal if the same number is for other years. I've done this many times with great results.
www.bikebandit.com

Last point Try to find carbs that were removed from a wrecked or parts bike and ask questions. Plenty out there just waiting to be purchased. Do not rush it. Get a good deal...
 
#10 ·
Thanks. I went to bikebandit.com and think that I've found a match on ebay. I never wanted to drill and retap. I just wanted to get the old mixture screw out. A $7 part is costing me 300. Ridiculous. I'm going to take it to a guy to see if he can use an in and out and if it doesn't work, buy the other carb. My fear is that I get another carb and the head strips just like this one. I've already pulled the screw out of the other carb and ordered a replacement screw, so the carbs have to balanced no matter what anyway.
 
#11 ·
I'm going to try and find a machinist, but honestly, the FC solenoid needs to be replaced and that's over half the cost by itself. The one on ebay has 2 that looks to be in pretty good condition. I think it's a no brainer other than relieving the worry of the same problem on a different carb.
 
#12 ·
If it's not too bad and only the pilot screw is torn up it is doable .
You have to be very careful how you go about doing it.

since the carb body is aluminum and the threads are so faint it is super easy to make the threads in the body damaged by just trying to remove the pilot. The MFG made these so as not to tamper with the mixture in the first place. (EPA) So they went to the extremes of sealing of the opening with a metal plug.

The pilots are so soft that even a very clean carb can be adjusted several times from all the way seated before the slot starts to deform.
Many times the adjustments that require more than 3 turns out is where you get into trouble. All seems fine as you pass about 2 3/4 turns and then starts to get stiff. And it's really easy at that point to loose track of where you are in the amount of turns your at.
If you do. well you have to go all the way back to lightly seated again and back out. So very easy to make this go bad in a big way.
 
#13 ·
Thanks for the insight. There's so much info on how to re-jet and adjust but nothing about the nightmares that can happen while making the attempt or what to do. I'm going to buy this other carb to get the bike on the road. Then try and get that screw out of the original carb. If not, at least I have the bike running. Either way I sell the original carb and get some of my money back. That's the plan anyway.
 
#14 ·
That is a good plan, I wish I had someone to point this stuff out to me the first time around. Glad to be of help.

You will end up spending some cash but no where near the frustration of what could have been.

Many times we think this is so easy from other posters who neglect to tell "the whole story" ... It is not in our minds to divulge these details
in our normal conversations.

I have been down this road and saw a big deal emerging from your scenario.

So I'm glad I could be of some assistance.

Keep us posted of the outcome and getting the bike running correctly again. Need more help just ask...
We are always here for fellow members...

jake :) :):cool:
 
#16 ·
If you are putting the bike back to stock again you should not need to change the jetting in the new carbs.

If the covers over the PMS adjustment screws are still in place most likely it has not been tampered with or jetted.

To be safe and reduce the chances of having to remove the carbs again I would suggest this :

Pull both bowls off, Remove both pilots jets and holders, clean them carefully including the side holes. Same with the mains and holders.
DO NOT mix parts from both carbs keep them separate.
Replace the bowl screws with allen head stainless and replace both o ring gaskets under the bowls.

Clean the inside area around the floats but be very careful.
a small brush and solvent is all you need.

Stock bowl screws can strip easily and require a JIS type screw driver which you happen to have in your bikes stock tool kit if you have it... When removing them first spray the heads with solvent or
PB blaster and let it soak. Then insert JIS driver and lightly tap it with a wrench. Then give it a try it should bust loose.
The screws are 4mm but 2 different lengths are required....
 
#17 ·
I guess it's somewhat like the car repair shows on TV. They don't show all the stripped bolts or busted knuckles it took to get the parts off. It's amazing how every fastener and part just pops right off with no effort at all isn't it. :D

Resto...I have a question about the comment you made about not mixing up the jets between carbs. I have heard that advise before and I'm just wondering why? Obviously if each carb is jetted differently you need to keep them separate but if both carbs have the same size pilots and mains what is the harm in installing them back in different carbs? Just curious.
 
#18 ·
I did all that when I took the original carb apart. I ordered some stainless allen heads a couple of days ago. The original carb had been re-jetted for a BAK. I removed that and put a HC on it. I'm going to switch the needles and jets over along with the new gaskets I have with the original carb. So I'm going to need to adjust the air mix. I wish I didn't. But I'm definitely going to soak the whole carb before dismantle and leave the floats in. The not so funny joke on me is that the screwdriver is the only part of the original tool kit that I have. But I haven't been using it, because "my tools are better than that POS". Then I recently read, as you mentioned, it's a special tool needed to avoid things like this.
 
#19 · (Edited)
Summer, Because the holders (Brass) for the jets conform to the threads in each carb body which is a tapped aluminum casting. If switched up they may not want to thread in and try to strip....

Motohead, The JIS screw driver is not common tools to purchase.

This is why they suggest you change to allen head SS..

If the pms adjustment location is still plugged you will need to carefully drill a small 1/8" hole in each. Do not allow the bit to enter more than just the tip. Then use a #6 or #8 screw to pilot into the
hole as to just get a grip on the plug. grab the head of the screw with some pliers and wiggle the plug out. Hold the carbs with that opening facing down and squirt a little bit of solvent in there to wash out any debris. WD 40 works fine for this. This will give you the best shot at getting the setting correct. Just be very tender with the adjustments.
 
#21 ·
Hi. It's been a minute, but I still wanted to update this thread. I ended cutting the air mixture screw housing off the carb body exposing the head of the screw. Then I shaved the screw and notched it. It came right out. Once you seat it properly and back it out, it still doesn't protrude past the carb body. Once I got her running, I've been riding and forgot to update the thread. I got a solenoid off an old carb.
 
#22 ·
Glad to hear all is well. Thanks for the update.

Sometimes we forget where guys are at in these fixes.

Telling someone how to do it and actually doing it yourself is a different story altogether. So I'm glad it worked out for you...

jake:D
 
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