I haven’t pulled the carbs apart on my Max yet, but when working on the Mikunis from the older XS and XJ bikes I have found using a tiny “pencil” type butane torch and heating the body around the pilot will help soften the grunge and also expand the area around the jet to aid in removal.
Be careful with any heat source. The metal will appear intact, until it suddenly collapses, with the use of excess heat. Potmetal doesn't have a very high melting point anyway.
The search feature is your friend. A thread for those with knackered pilot jets or other ones.
https://www.vmaxforum.net/threads/h...-a-broken-screwdriver-slot.49066/#post-489249
The guys who are the professional mechanics will agree with me, it's better to replace the parts with OEM new ones, than to count on re-using the jets, the rubber plugs, and the jet block gaskets. Yes, if you're exceedingly-careful, you might be able to remove the jet block without tearing the gasket underneath. However, if you replace it, you have a newly-gasketed surface and should get many years of use out of it. The rubber plugs often become deteriorated after decades in a gasoline bath; they harden, they fall-apart when you're trying to remove them, and they play 'hide-and-seek' when you drop one under your workspace, never to be seen again. Spend the few bucks, you'll be glad you did.
Item #36
Needle valve assembly
1FK-14190-15-00
$16.40 Replace all four. This is what keeps your gas where it should be and where it
shouldn't be.
Disclosure: I have used K&L needle valve assemblies, they are cheaper than OEM. However, I've said, "Use OEM," so that's the part # and price I included here. I normally don't replace the needle valve seat, if your bike has 40,000+ miles on it, you might want to consider replacing the neelde valve and seat together. There is a kit including the cap for after you press-out the old seat, and insert the new one.
Item #10
O-Ring
93210-03119-00
$4.78 Buy a couple, like the rubber plugs for the jet block holes, these have the habit of playing 'hide-and-seek' with you. These are the
tiny O-rings under the Constant-Velocity (CV) Caps, easily-lost if you don't-know to look-for them and to save them. IF you're not tearing-down your carburetors to tank them, like I'm doing, you don't have to remove the CV caps and you won't lose them. However, for the minimal price of these, you'll have a replacement when yours run-away from you. Same carburetor fiche link.
Item #22
Pilot screw set
12R-14105-00-00
$6.51 These are the screws under the CV carburetor caps. It's a good idea to have a couple of these around should you need them, as a prior bike owner may-have buggered yours, and that's why he sold it to you so-cheap, because he never fixed it, and it runs like-it.
"It just-needs a set of plugs, man!" Same carburetor fiche link.
OK, back-to the carburetor jet block. Let's say that you've managed to remove the four float bowls. Did you have a tough time trying to get the float bowl cover past the float bowl vent pipes? That's whay I gave some input about having to loosen the brackets holding the carbs in two pairs, so you could remove the rubber gas lines, and replace 'em. You
do not have to break the carbs down into for separate units! You just have to give yourself enough wiggle-room to get the float bowls off. Then you can remove the jet blocks.
About removing the jet blocks: they're held by two phillips screws. Remove the screws.
Before you try to remove the jet blocks, grab your trusty mechanic's pick, the one that looks like what the cute dental hygenist uses on you during your semi-annual teeth cleanings. Dentures? 'Never-mind!'
Us the mechanic's pick to carefully separate the gasket from the carb body. I usually try to leave the gasket attached to the carb jet block. Work the edge of the pick entirely-around the jet block gasket, below it actually, with the pick tip resting on the carb body. You can see the gasket nearly the whole way around the jet block, and as you use the pick, you should feel the jet block release its bond to the carb body and the gasket. If the jet block detaches from the gasket, carefully-remove the jet block. Be sure that you aren't pulling up on the jet block, with one-half of the gasket stuck to the jet block, and one-half stuck to the carb body. You want to try and save the gaskets.
If the jet block gaskets tear or delaminate, that's why you've bought four new ones. Clean the surfaces, use the new gaskets. On the re-assembly use the new gaskets and save the old gaskets for spares if you were successful in removing the old jet block gaskets, intact.
OK, now we have the jet block on the workbench and you were successful in removing the main bleed pipes. Maybe you were successful in removing two of the pilot jets, but when you tried the third and fourth, you felt the screwdriver slip, and when you turned upside-down the jet block and tapped it on the workbench, all you were able to see were gold slivers from a fragmented pilot jet. No pilot jet came-out! Now, you did use some type of carb cleaner solvent, before trying to unscrew all-four, yes?
OK, so only two came-out. Spray more carburetor cleaner into those holes, let 'em soak. Go to your local hardware store or Amazon, or Harbor Freight
Left Hand Drill Bit Set, 13 Pc. $(8.49) and buy a set of left-hand twist drills. Regular drills have a right-hand twist, you're buying a set which turns in the direction that
unscrews a screw, as you're drilling.
Carefully align the drill bit in the hole. I used a 9/64" drill bit. Be sure that you have your cordless drill set to -Reverse- and slowly pull the trigger. You don't need to bear-down with a lot of force, the jet is brass. Brass is soft. The bit should start to grab and drill. Use a slower drill speed, and less-force than if you were trying to drill a hole in steel plate. You should feel the bit working, and if you have a sensitive touch, you may-feel that suddenly the resistance of the drill working is much-easier. Stop drilling. Remove the drill. Invert the jet block, and tap it on the workbench, and you'll likely see the pilot jet and some shavings fall-out of the jet block. Your left-hand drill unscrewed the pilot jet as it was drilling the brass, and your problems are over. Use solvent and compressed air to blow-out the passgaeways. Use your new jets and new gaskets if you're keeping the bike.
You can also use this method on the pilot screw, the one under the bottom of the CV cap.
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