Topic: Needle jet removal

[BoCoJohn]

I have a 1973 cb500. 

Can I get the needle jet out by just removing the float bowl and pulling on the needle jet.  I tried lightly pulling on it and it didn't budge. 

[dave500]

if you mean the needle itself,no,you have to take the top of the carb and remove the slide,its a bit of a fiddle,hows your metric tool collection?

[TwoTired]

The main jet is at the bottom and pulls straight out.  There is an o ring on the jet. If hardened, it is difficult to remove.  And, if it is hardened it will never seal again unless replaced.
The needle jet is above that and part of the emulsion tube.  The whole tube comes out the bottom where the main jet sits.  It is usually pressed out from the carb bore side after the slides are removed.

Cheers,

[BoCoJohn]

thanks guys.  First timer here and a little confused at what I was looking at.  I think I got it now.  I'm hoping not to pull out the slide. what do you think about cleaning the carbs without pulling the emulsion tube and slide out?  I've had the carbs soaking for a few days and blow them out and re-soak them each evening until my carb kits arrive tomorrow.
Just a little nervous at pulling apart the top end of the carbs

[TwoTired]

Depends on how clean the carbs were.  The emulsion tubes have tiny holes bathed in gasoline.  If you have varnish and gum elsewhere in the carbs, it has plugged up the emulsion tube holes, too.  Soaking may, or may not, get them clean inside.
Emulsion tube bleed holes plugged means it'll run funny. 

Cheers,

[dave500]

the emulsion tubes have some fairly fine holes along them,you get a little white corrsion crud in that area on stored bikes,if you use a pressure pack of carb cleaner and blow air everywhich way over and again you might be ok,id like to see them out,if you do pull the slides itll need a vacuum sync,itll probably do with one anyway,but removing the slides will really throw it out of kilter,try your best at blowing air but make sure the throttle or the slides are at full throttle so any crud blown upwards has a place to go,you might just move crud from one area to another if you dont get it all out,if the carbs looked basicly clean and not full of like white dry stuff or rust in the bowls you have a good chance of cheating here.

[MattFreeman]

I had a hard time getting the needle jet holder screws out until I got my hands on a JIS screwdriver.

[Deltarider]

I had a hard time getting the needle jet holder screws out until I got my hands on a JIS screwdriver.

+1, don't ruin them little screws, get hold of the right screwdriver.

As for the needle jets or emulsion tubes, you don't have to remove much.
step 1 Remove float bowls
step 2 Remove main jets
step 3 Twist the throttle say halfway in order to raise the needles some and then insert from below a match or wooden toothpick into the needle jets. When it is snug in the needle jet, cant or turn the wooden toothpick a mm or so and you can wiggle the emulsion tube out easily.

For all you people that order carb rebuild kits: ofcourse it's OK to change O-rings, but wear of the genuine messing parts is not likely. After cleaning I would put the original parts back in.