A small tip when replacing carb needles or moving the circlip

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I have had to move the circlips to the central position 3 on my 500 carbs. I was able to remove the two screws at the base of the slider/plunger without the need to remove the plunger arm from the slider first. I just removed the bolt at the pivot end and slid out the the gubbins.

Many folk here will know how fiddly it is putting the two screws back in place with the arm still in place so thought I would share my tip here. As a former Tropical fish keeper I still have odd bits of Neoprene & Silicone air line pipe (5.5mm ish o/d) in my garage. plus an old bit of steel similar to a barbecue skewer.

The Silicone tubing I found best as it was easy to push the head of the screw into the pipe so you have a length of tubing that will easily reach the bottom of the slider. I then placed a metal rod that was a loose fit inside the pipe to give the pipe a little rigidity.

This enabled me to place the screws visually in line with the thread in the slider - by turning the pipe with my fingers it was very easy to screw them in with no fear of a crossed thread. When both were in place fully screwed down by just using the pipe I was able to easily nip them up with a JIS tool. The Silicone pipe is easily pulled off the screw head when it is done with.

This tip is for us amateurs not the former professional here.


.PXL_20231013_095540299 by Macabe Thiele, on Flickr

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[taysidedragon]

Or use a screwdriver with a magnetic tip. 😉

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Or use a screwdriver with a magnetic tip. 😉

That was my first thought but none of my JIS ones are magnetic plus with the plunger in place it's not easy to get one of the pair in place due to the arm getting in the way - on my 400 I removed the arm as well this just seemed easier.

Back in 1967/8's I would take my spanners & screwdrivers to work and leave them on the 3.5 volts 20k amp DC buss bars on the Kellner-Solvay cell beds. Not easy to pull them off the Buzz Bars at the end of the shift - even worse if some joker had wet the floor with Brine Solution.

[K2-K6]

That's a really good idea Ted. Nice lateral thinking there.

A few years ago I bought a Carhartt tool roll to hold little things like this all in one place. Now I know where to find them when needed instead of being left with other conventional stuff.

A friend during apprenticeship called these type adapted tools collectively "oicary & pokery" for doing fiddly things outside of normal toolage 

Stainless bicycle spokes, I've a few broken one's  and stainless brick ties are really good for bending, filing into end shape etc, to help make a compliment of problem solvers.

[Seabeowner]

Or use a screwdriver with a magnetic tip. 😉

Magnetise the one in the tool kit. It's ideal. Also use the tee piece as it will get the tightest ones out without slipping out.