You talking about the head of the screws stripped to where they won't take a screwdriver? Or the internal threads?

 

Thanks for responding, yeah It's the head of the screws.

 

I taken a thin saw or dremel with the thin cutter blade and cut a straight slot and used a straight blade screw driver, if there is enough room to work, and enough head to cut into.

 

Thanks I try that

Thanks I'll try that

 

I'm with HDfatbagger. Slot them and maybe hit them with a little heat. I'd use a heat gun instead of a torch. Some you may be able to clamp a small pair of vicegrips on to break loose too. I changed mine to socket head screws so they take an allen wrench. Lot easier.

 

I have a heat gun so I'll try that with cutting the slots. One of the first things I tried the little vise grips but they wouldn't hold. I'm definately going allen heads if all works out!!!

 

Depends on the screw. If there is room, just grab the head with a pair of battery pliers and break it loose. Or you can cut a slot in the head. For the ones that lack clearance, the left hand drill bit works well.

 

I have a small pair of needle nosed vice grips that work pretty good on small screws. Sometimes smaller is better!

 

With the idle mixture screw being abused, look into a new, not messed with CV. Save yourself the "joy" of chasing troubles from poor workmanship.

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The carb in that advert is a Chicom knock off POS.

 

OK I appreciate all you guys advice, for sure! I tried them all them but ,no dice. But you guys gave me an idea. What I did do is use the dremel tool idea in another direction and carefully ground down the screw heads flush and then tapped the float bowl somewhat carefully until it loosened from the main body. After that what remained of the screws i was able to just twist out. Now with the idle mixture screw I may be at a dead end. "Misters" may be right and I can save myself some agravation by getting a new carb but ya now what? , It' winter and I got time and I'm going to try and progressively drill the screw out without damaging the threads. I've done it before (on steel) and at a certain point you can actually pick out the remaining material. This will be more delicate but Hey ,I'll let ya's know. If nothing else you've all given me inspiration to think my way out of this. Mucho Thank you! PS Do you think those ebay carbs are any good?

 

PS Do you think those ebay carbs are any good?

Not those chinese knock offs.

 

Next time you should try a good pair of channel locks around the head of the screw. I've never had one not come out doing that or hitting the screw with a screwdriver and hammer and they've been on every shape imaginable. If you mess up your idle air screw slot, you can get on ebay and buy a used cv carb body and transfer everything over even cheaper than buying a junk Chinese carb. I think you'll be fine though. The threads are deep in the hole(usually you can't even see them with the screw in) . Once the bore is clean work the screw in and out a little at a time like a tap.

 

Ok I'll try that ,at this point I'll try any thing

 

I don't see how anybody can ruin the idle mixture screw since it is protected inside a hole. Maybe look a little closer with a powerful light to see what's up.

 

I did. The "slot" is ruined, torn up. The screw driver just turn out of the remaining bit of slot.

 

I've worked on a cv once the must've been dropped. The bore that the i/a screw goes into broke flush with the screw head. For some reason I was never able to keep it from leaking there. Might've been cracked. Also seen them corroded so badly the head is all that comes out(smaller mini bikes 4 wheeler type carbs) some people will remove the cap with a drill bit and ram it all the way through to the screw like they're drilling through 2 inches of steel.

 

I would say I'm smart but I ain't that stupid..............any way I'm almost through the threads and I'm hoping the rest will fall out

 

Bummer. You can use a left hand drill bit like Therm mentioned in post #8. That usually turns them threads out easily.

 

Thanks guy ,I'll try that

 

Try die grinder .make a flat blade slit on stripped screw

 

I would just grab the one I have on the shelf. But someone else might buy a used one and rebuild it. Or if they wanted new, and it had to be a CV, then Wood would be my first call.

When buying used, look for the ones that do not have the tamper plug drilled out. They are the most likely to be un-molested by the carb gremlins.

As for the OP's carb, its probably fixable. Just needs some experienced hands on. A glance down the back side of the suck hole will tell the tail on the mix screw.

 

I would just grab the one I have on the shelf. But someone else might buy a used one and rebuild it. Or if they wanted new, and it had to be a CV, then Wood would be my first call.

When buying used, look for the ones that do not have the tamper plug drilled out. They are the most likely to be un-molested by the carb gremlins.

As for the OP's carb, its probably fixable. Just needs some experienced hands on. A glance down the back side of the suck hole will tell the tail on the mix screw.

Thinking on it

 

Once you get your FLOAT BOWL Screws OUT ...
try replacing them with THESE:

https://cv-performance.com/stainless-steel-float-bowl-hardware

www.CV-Performance.com has plenty of UPGRADE Parts
&
Excellent Tuning SUGGESTIONS for KEIHIN CV-40 & Screaming Eagle CV style CARBURETORS
...
IMHO
...

I bought a 1997 FLH with 50,000 miles. Anybody got any ideas on how to remove stripped screws on the float bowl of it's cv carb I intend to rebuild. Wasn't expecting that. What's worse is someone had popped the cap of the idle mixture screw and that's F%$&*^#G stripped too! I know I'll try drilling or something but I'm hoping one of you guys have a better way. If I use a heat gun would that cause warpage? I'm open to all sugestions naturally Thanks
342567

 

Once you get your FLOAT BOWL Screws OUT ...
try replacing them with THESE:

https://cv-performance.com/stainless-steel-float-bowl-hardware

www.CV-Performance.com has plenty of UPGRADE Parts
&
Excellent Tuning SUGGESTIONS for KEIHIN CV-40 & Screaming Eagle CV style CARBURETORS
...
IMHO
...

Thanks guy, I will if I can get out the stripped (rounded off) idle ajustment screw out

 

Those pesky Japanese screws need a Japanese screwdriver. They take a JIS bit not a phillips. The phillips will slip out of the slots and bugger the screwhead.

 

why beat a dead horse?...plenty of cv carbs new and used on the market

 

The OP states he has removed the float bowl screws and yet is still receiving posts about how to remove them. Amazing how people will post without reading what has already been posted.

OP - with the bowl off, and everything removed from the body that can be removed, try soaking that screw with penetrating oil over a period of several days. Like give it a squirt every other hour or so until the fluid is coming out the bottom. Rig it up in a vice so that the screw is vertical and the hole forms a pool. After the fluid is leaking out of the bottom, hit it with some heat and then a reverse drill.

One thing to consider is the carb body has a seat for the idle mixture screw. After everything is done, there is a good possibility the seat will be destroyed.

As for those cheap, horrible, awful chinese carbs. Keep in mind that most of the posters here have never had one in their hands. I have. The guts are cheap, but the castings are very good. The two that I had accepted every oem part needed to complete them. Just saying.

Oh, and about those float bowl screws, this is what you should do.........Hahahah.

Good luck.

 

The OP states he has removed the float bowl screws and yet is still receiving posts about how to remove them. Amazing how people will post without reading what has already been posted.

OP - with the bowl off, and everything removed from the body that can be removed, try soaking that screw with penetrating oil over a period of several days. Like give it a squirt every other hour or so until the fluid is coming out the bottom. Rig it up in a vice so that the screw is vertical and the hole forms a pool. After the fluid is leaking out of the bottom, hit it with some heat and then a reverse drill.

One thing to consider is the carb body has a seat for the idle mixture screw. After everything is done, there is a good possibility the seat will be destroyed.

As for those cheap, horrible, awful chinese carbs. Keep in mind that most of the posters here have never had one in their hands. I have. The guts are cheap, but the castings are very good. The two that I had accepted every oem part needed to complete them. Just saying.

Oh, and about those float bowl screws, this is what you should do.........Hahahah.

Good luck.

That's excellent first hand info about the ***** carbs. If the castings are that good I may go that route with good guts.Again thanks for the heads up!

 

Hey all you that replied to my call for help. That idle screw is in there good and stripped. I'll deal with it some other time, F it. I checked ebay and bought a used one that even has the bracket for the cruise control, not that I ever use it. I already have all the rebuild goodies so that' where I'm at. I'm fairly new to this site and am quite happy with the repsonse for help I received. THANK YOU ALL!

 

one important thing on used carb cv..needs a brass fuel inlet...and inspection and your good components if applicable

 

I will do that for sure , I can't believe Harley uses plastic ,thanks

 

when i was building up my used bagger ...found mine was leaking good at a gas station right by the pump... and my rear brakes were red hot bad from dragging...dodged a bullet....got all fixed after all that

 

if you follow a couply of youtube vids...that should put you very close to start as to the cv mods..then factor in eng/exhaust upgrades etc.

 

Well gb I'll tell ya, I've already put new Rineharts on. I also put in an Andrews 27 cam ,lifters and s&s pushrods with all the fixins. I guess I just can't leave well enough alone. I ain't no wrench though I do have mechanical skill. Even though she's running well I just want to upgrade the fuel system. Rebuilt carb , petcock, hoses,etc.

 

been there... but tweaking the carb/pipes years ago was a matrix of repeat cv tricks of do's and undoos to optimize it...a shop would call it a day after a few settings...good you can do it on yr time..finnaly gave up and now pleased an just ride it

 

I hear ya,when I put it back together I'll get her running right and that will be that. But while I've got the gas tank off...............

 

Glad to hear you went with a used keihin. You'll be happy you did. Hopefully it goes smoothly.

 

Yeah that was good advice thank you.Those ebay carb were tempting! I found a good used Harley carb that I think Just needs a good cleaning up. I'm going to rebuild it anyway
seeing how I've already got the kit.

 

I got one once for a Honda dirtbike I rebuilt once. It worked, the physical weight was much lighter and It seemed like I couldn't dial in tuning. It might idle rich but lean out somewhere else. I got 6 months out of it before going used mikuni. The other was for a Chinese 4 wheeler my close friend wanted me to fix for his kids. Un-tunable as well, it leaked right out of the box. I'm sure some China junk is better others, and the deal looks awesome. I hate to hear about this carb with the stripped thread. It's worth noting cheap carb rebuild kits are junk as well. I've used (all balls) with no issue. I'm sure AB is from China but the quality control seems very good.

 

Well I'm going to rebuild this harley carb using a James gasket kit so I should be good. The only thing I'll swap out is the bracket for the cruise control. It is identical except for the cable attachment tab. I've never used it what what the hell , it's there!

 

I sure would not try to run it on a 42.

 

Well then a 46 even 48?