The Hodaka Club Forum

Found these on Amazon! They looked too good to pass up. They were only $7.99 and I am a prime member so free shipping!

Should clean passages, main & pilot jets and maybe more! Victor

Victor! What have you done to us! Soft brushes are great BUT Files? I`m waiting to sell my VM 20 Carbs to the first person that posts: I broke a itsy bitsy teeny weenie round file off in a Air Bleed in a VM 20 Hodaka Carburetor. How do I get it out? There is nothing to grab on to. My reply: Oral Surgeons sometimes break files while doing a Root Canal. They can get it out. Joe. Or, I cleaned my carburetor today. I did a GREAT job with my files! My first time! The problem is that now it won`t idle and it sounds like a dying Sheep at full throttle. It`s not the Jets because I filed them out really good. Just kidding around guys and gals! File Away!!! Joe.

At least someone said it. The soft bristle brushes for bigger holes. But if you have to force then anywhere, you'll be enlarging the hole and making that piece worthless. Carb cleaner and high pressure air. You can use wire size drill bits but you must be carefull to not use one that's too big.

Well I didn’t say I was going to use all of the pieces. Boy! You guys are a tough crowd! Victor

When I clean my pilot jets, I take apart sections of braided copper wire. I use about a 4-5” single strand of copper and run it through the holes in the pilot jet.

Since the jets are Brass and the zinc makes it harder than copper, I know the copper is soft enough to not damage the holes in the pilot or main jets. And it’s opened many a dirty pilot jet very easily, used along with carb cleaner. Victor

I was just being silly! That`s all. You can never have too many tools. You would be surprised at just how many people don`t know that a Micrometer is NOT a C Clamp! I`ve seen that one. That`s why I don`t lend mine out any more! Joe.

Man. OK here’s a How To question for you.

I had a tap break off inside the left steering head bolt hole for the fuel tank. I used my grinder to grind it flush with the surface of the steering head, but I can’t get a drill bit to go into the broken piece of tap.

What’s a good way to remove the broken piece of tap so I can get back in there & re-tap it if needed? Need to be able to hold the tank on securely. Thx! Victor

Small tap, very small handle and they do not go in very far. You probably only needed as much torque as a screwdriver. Were the threads messed up? I take my screwup's to a machine shop and pay so hopefully I'll remember. Hopefully someone will have a solution. -----------Clarence

Have you tried a broken screw extractor? Otherwise, you might be able to drill out the entire bore and ultimately tap it for a larger bolt. Tough problem. Those taps are pretty hard.

Fire up your search engine for "tap extractor". There are special extractor tools for removing broken taps. They have "fingers" which fit in the "hollows" of the tap. I don't have any direct experience with tap extractors, but the concept looks good.
Ed

I have a set of those. They break too! Try this: Get a Dremel with a cut off wheel and grind a slot in the tap. A flat screwdriver can then be used to turn it out. It would be easier with a bare frame. Every situation is different. A Machine Shop may be your best bet. Joe.

One more thing: If you take it to a Machine Shop, bring a new bolt. They may need to Heli Coil the hole once they get out the broken Tap.They need the bolt to install the correct Heli Coil. Joe.

get a piece of flat stock 1 inch wide 4 inches long, drill a hole in it on one end a little smaller then the size of the tap, center it on the tap and weld it to it to the tap and let it cool and then use the flat stock as a wrench to turn the tap out......albert

Nice tip! Joe.

I’ve seen many of those tank mounting bosses that are not drilled all the way through. If not drilled through the thread area is too narrow for a tap to be useful. Highly recommend just drilling the hole straight through.

When I broke a tap in that same location, I used a punch and just punched it out. Then, since the threads were completely damaged, I opened the hole larger and funnel shaped and filled it with weld, re-drilled and tapped it again.

I’ve also come to the conclusion that as many of those bolts I’ve seen broken off there, a 6mm bolt was a poor choice for a tank mounting bolt. Probably should have been at least 8mm.

$0.02

Roger

The tank is mounted in rubber and they are short bolts, just snug them not over tighten. -----Clarence

I suspect most of the broken front tank mount bolts have received "8mm torque" applied to the 6mm bolt. Wayeee too many folks over-tighten things "just to be sure" . . . and create self imposed problems.

In the case of the one I had to remove, they were using a 6mm bolt twice as long as the threaded hole. They must have assumed it would go in all the way not knowing how shallow the threaded hole is. But I’ll get there! Victor