Badly Stripped Float Bowl Plug Screw Heads. Ideas?

[muskallunge]

Finally got my '78 xs650 wired and fired up. Runs ok but needs a larger main and pilot jet since it has pod filters and straight exhaust. Only problem is, the dumbass who owned it before me stripped the fuck out of not one, but both float bowl plug screw heads. The dumbass then chewed the heads with most likely vice grips so badly that I can't use those to get them off. Looking for ideas to get them off. Drill two small holes into the top and insert small metal rods to create gripping point? Grind phillips head into tops?

 

[gggGary]

dremel cut off wheel or hacksaw a slot for a large flat blade screwdriver, that'll do it.
Set carbs upside down on floor so you can lean on the screwdriver to prevent cam-out as you twist. As ever a bit of tighten never hurts when breaking loose bound up threads.

 

[xjwmx]

After you make a slot, the little 1/4" hex drive hand impact driver might help. If you can put the Dremel in a vice and move the bowl under it, it will keep it from wanting to make a V-shaped slot.

 

[fredintoon]

Hi muskallunge,
the bowl drain screws? That used to be hexagonal?
Like Gary sez, make a screwdriver slot across them with a hacksaw.
Then put the bowl on your drill-press work bed, put a screwdriver bit in the drill-press chuck,
Bear down with the drill-press feed handle to keep the blade forced into the slot and back the
drain screw out by hand- turning the drill-press chuck.

 

[muskallunge]

Sounds good. Think heating it with a torch would help?

 

[MaxPete]

I wouldn't do that (heat) - at least not first. Those carbs are pretty delicate and the difference between heating and melting may not be much.

I would try to cut slot, drill press method first.

 

[fredintoon]

Sounds good. Think heating it with a torch would help?

Hi muskellunge,
perhaps a hot air gun?
I tried torch-heating a shitmetal carb part one time.
I kept the resulting blob on my desk for a while as a reminder to not do that again.

 

[kshansen]

Hi muskellunge,
perhaps a hot air gun?
I tried torch-heating a shitmetal carb part one time.
I kept the resulting blob on my desk for a while as a reminder to not do that again.

Just a note, most zinc bases diecast metals melt between 725 to 850ºF and unlike steel they go from solid to liquid without changing color!

Might actually be a little safer to heat in an oven set to say 450ºF, but only if you do it when wife is going to be out of town for a couple days! Heating stale gas might not make the best room freshener!

 

[xjwmx]

Maybe the float bowl screws aren't going too well. Personally, mine are frozen and I have no desire to get them out. For one thing it's a guarantee they aren't leaking! You can run the bowls dry before you take the carbs off if you want.