VF500 Pilot Jets: Pull & Clean or Not?

Discussion in '1st & 2nd Generation 1983-1989' started by Mind_Surfer, Jun 19, 2015.

  1. Mind_Surfer

    Mind_Surfer New Member

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    VF500 Pilot Screws: Pull & Clean or Not?

    On a VF500F carb overhaul, should the pilots be pulled for cleaning or not? And I assume if so new plugs would be needed?
     
    Last edited: Jun 23, 2015
  2. squirrelman

    squirrelman Member

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    Have you studied the service manual ?? Of course any real carb repair requires removal and cleaning of pilot jets, main jets and their holder tubes, idle mixture screw hole. Removing vacuum slide caps isn't always necessary unless there is a bad diaphram (slide won't rise) or slide needle damage.
     
  3. Mind_Surfer

    Mind_Surfer New Member

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    Yes I have studied it a bit, and did already pull the pilots. I have the emulsion tubes and jets soaking now. When I overhauled them four years ago I had a couple of corroded float valves, so they were replaced at that time, plus gaskets, rubber lines, and full cleaning. Previously I did not even look at the manual, so obviously I overlooked drilling out the caps and pulling the pilots. Just trying to be thorough. What I have found today is a couple of slow jets clogged.
     
  4. squirrelman

    squirrelman Member

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    IMG_1069.jpg

    Soaking, chemicals, compressed air won't clean idle jets properly if they're clogged. Only by passing a steel wire (.010" diameter) through the jet can you be sure it's really clear !!
     
  5. Mind_Surfer

    Mind_Surfer New Member

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    Thank you squirrelman for the replies and your expertise. I have been reading your posts for a while. Using the wire probe is how I found some clogs.
     
  6. desktopdave

    desktopdave New Member

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    I always remove the pilot screws (and washer/o-ring/spring) to clean carbs. I never replace the plugs...but I've only seen them installed once out of maybe ten bikes.
     
  7. Mind_Surfer

    Mind_Surfer New Member

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    Just a follow up, I have put the carbs mostly back together, I ended up sealing the old pilot jet plugs with a dab of blue RTV from the inside, and after it cured I drifted them back into place. Couldn't chance leaving them open because if nothing else got in there the mud daubers would have. They'll fill any hole that's in their size range! I did not end up doing any cleaning with the wire probe, everything came out of the cleaning bucket looking good, just rinsed and blew out.
     
  8. jrodrims27

    jrodrims27 New Member

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    the pilots JETS are completely removable and just easier to buy new ones if the old ones are too crusted up, you can get a set for about $20 bucks, EBC brand I think and they work perfectly fine for me. If you're talking about the choke enrichner jets, those are bear... I totally clean mine with wire, worked great and about 3 weeks later, the choke was useless again OR are you talking about the pilot screw? that's easy to pull out and clean?...
    the choke won't work at all unless you can clear those passages... not easy, other than that, if everything ELSE is in order, the bike will run and idle just fine without the choke enrichner being clear, however, starting in cold weather could prove a little hectic using the part throttle and hold method. There's no reason to reseal those covers over the pilot screws.
     
  9. jrodrims27

    jrodrims27 New Member

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  10. jrodrims27

    jrodrims27 New Member

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  11. Mind_Surfer

    Mind_Surfer New Member

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    Jrod I suppose l am using the wrong terminology, I was referring to the PILOT SCREWS my apologies.
     
  12. 74ullc

    74ullc New Member

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    Mixture screws? That's what I usually hear them referred to as. But the book calls them pilot screws.

    How did you adjust them? My manual says to adjust all 4 screws out until idle drops (rich), then 1 at a time screw them in until idle drops (lean), then turn them out 1 turn from there.

    I've usually just adjusted mix screws on my other bikes to highest idle. But I still have my VF700 at 3 turns, haven't fine tuned them yet.
     
  13. Mind_Surfer

    Mind_Surfer New Member

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    I just went by the Clymer manual and counted turns.
     
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