...of the top of the carb?

-Frustrated Dwarf

Grip the head with vice grips and turn.

replace with allen socket head screws

Cold chisel it out.
Impact driver.
Drill.
Japanese screw driver.
Cut a slot across the top with a dremel.
Vise grips.


Just a few methods.
I got an impact driver and now I only take "stock" screws out with that. Works great every time.

Got 3 out with vice grips. The fourth is being stubborn. I'm running out of screw to grab.

I'm a little concerned I've already damaged the diaphragm. The whole top was twisting when I was trying to get that last screw out. I ended up putting the screws partially back in to hold it.

Between taking the tank off and these 4 darn screws, I'm pretty sure the machine is in worse condition than when I started.

Of course, I'm too stubborn to stop trying.

I tried using an impact driver I got from Harbor Freight, but it seemed like it was just bouncing (carb isn't removed).

-D. Dwarf

Wow, yours must have been in there better than mine, or I just got lucky.  I used the "redneck impact driver".  That is, a phillips screwdriver and a hammer.  Put a little bit of twist on screwdriver while whacking it with the hammer.  I didn't have to hit it hard enough to knock it into the battery box, but it did take a fair amount of repetition to finally get each one loose.  They must Loctite those things in.

And I scraped the frame getting the tank off too; gloss black model paint for the touch up.

DrunkenDwarf wrote on 06/06/09 at 11:37:17:

 I have always had sucess by using a small set of vice grips with good teeth in the jaws to break them loose. Then a screw driver will suffice. DO NOT put them back in. Replace them with same size butthead allen screws of stainless steel. The bottom ones on the float bowl can use regular allen screws of stainless steel but for the top of the daiphrahm use the butt head ones. (Button head allens)
If the heads are to much diameter, chuck them into a drill press and spin them while using a file to reduce the diameter of the head. The butt heads will clear the frame better than the regular ones. Stainless steel will not grow roots in the alloy carb.

Phelonius

I didn't use button heads allen screws. I wasn't in a mood to search through every drawer at TrueValue, so I got the first ones I found (and I hadn't read your advice yet). I guess they're called "smooth head" stainless (as opposed to knurled). They fit well enough, although I do wish they were knurled.

I do need to buy some ball end hex keys.
I did use anti-seize.

Today was not as successful as I had hoped.

Things removed:
tool box
seat
left side panel
gas tank
chrome engine covers
screws from top of carb
white spacer

Things damaged (superficially):
gas tank
frame
top of carb
head cover

Things put back together:
carb

Questions:
* How is the clutch cable supposed to route around the decomp controller? I didn't take a picture before I started moving stuff and I'm pretty sure I didn't get it back quite right. In some pictures the clutch cable is on the outside of the frame. On mine it's on the inside.
* throttle cable clamp - That just wraps around the throttle cable. Anything special?
* the carb breather hoses - These are just stuck up into the frame, right?
* I didn't see any pictures of general cable, hose, etc routing. Do these exist? I'm going to have a hell of a time figuring out how to get the crankcase breather tube back in place.

-D. Dwarf

D. Jim - You da man.

In my case the decomp controller is being forced crooked by the clutch cable. I don't remember that being the case before my hack job. I tried to take pictures, but they don't really show anything.

-D. Dwarf