Idle screw caps?

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DanMcG

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I've been searching for a simple way to get these Hardened caps out so I can get to the Idle mixture screws. I got a hole in one and was hoping I could get a screw in it and tap it out but no luck yet.
Can anyone direct me to somewhere with a way to do this? The only thing I seem to find is small engine brass welch plug removal.
 

Taylorb27

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What i did was slotted the caps with a dremel thinking I could turn them out with a screwdriver. They turned but didn't screw out so I went after it with a drill bit and it caught in the slot and pulled out pretty easy.
 

DanMcG

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Thanks Taylor, I'm going to soak it in some carb cleaner and then give it a try. I started with a slot, but it didn't budge. thats when I drilled the hole.
 

Taylorb27

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Thanks Taylor, I'm going to soak it in some carb cleaner and then give it a try. I started with a slot, but it didn't budge. thats when I drilled the hole.

You may need to knock the aluminum off from underneath the plug. Most rebuild instructions tell you where and how to remove the aluminum from the baseplate itself.

But do try to take the plugs wthout cutting up the baseplate first and let us know!
 

DanMcG

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Most rebuild instructions tell you where and how to remove the aluminum from the baseplate itself.
Any chance you have a link to this? I haven't come across it as of yet.

Edit: I found the instructions in the factory Service Manual... who would have thought to look there.:emotions33:
 
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CorvairGeek

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Any chance you have a link to this? I haven't come across it as of yet.

Edit: I found the instructions in the factory Service Manual... who would have thought to look there.:emotions33:

The factory suggested method looks like such a hack when they are broken out.
 

Backfoot100

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I got mine out with a drill bit that was as close to the size of the caps as I could get.
The drill just bottomed out on the end of the adjustment screws when it finally went through but didn't hurt them at all.
I was amazed how hard those damn caps were.
 

DanMcG

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The factory suggested method looks like such a hack when they are broken out.
I don't disagree but this is for a driver and I'm ok with that. And it did work slick as sheet.
 

dsteelejr

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Thanks Taylor, I'm going to soak it in some carb cleaner and then give it a try. I started with a slot, but it didn't budge. thats when I drilled the hole.

Try using xylene, also called xylol. It's a solvent that's stronger than paint thiner and is used to thin enamels and epoxies. You can pick it up at any hardware store, next to the paint thinner.
 

WesN

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I removed hundreds of these caps back in the day. Remove carb turn over use a hack saw and make short cuts below caps and then use the corner of a small chisel to drive the cap out. It is hard to believe that you can find a carb in this day that still has them. I never found one that didn’t improve with an adjustment in fact I do remember a Caprice that from the day he bought it it idled poorly and when I removed the caps found that one screw was in tight = smooth idle = very happy owner.
 

Raider L

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dsteelejr,
Back when I worked for the airlines as a aircraft mechanic, our upholsterer told me that you could use xylene to remove adhesives from aircraft clear finishes like Emron, without damaging the clear coat. Just don't soak the rag, just lightly on the rag and don't press hard, it'll do the job. He used it a lot to remove adhesives from all kinds of materials including aircraft finishes. Try it on a scrap piece before you try it on the $3,000 paint job on your show truck, ha, ha.

You can find it at Lowe's. Also, you may try what we used a lot of to remove all kinds of adhesives and other things, it's called MEK, or Methyl Ethyl Keytone. But Lowe's took real MEK from their shelves and replaced it with what they call a MEK "substitute" But DON'T use it on any finish, it will REMOVE IT, paint and all right down to the metal! But it's excellent for removing most any automotive substance, paint, grease, oil, other fluids from most anything, except plastics. It'll melt them, except things like nylon, teflon and that group of materials. Most of us just use gas, it doesn't cost anything. It's in the mower gas can, you don't have to go anywhere or get any specialized solvent. That is unless you are using Emron to paint your truck, then you have to use it because it's what's recommended to cut it with.


And what's weird is Lowe's removes real MEK but they still have xylene which will kill brain cells much faster than MEK. I figure someone, like people these days are, must have drank some thinking they could get high off of it and it dissolved their guts, then they went blind, and then they started puking blood. And just before they died they were high for about two seconds. Xylene and MEK are so dangerous it's not even funny. Make sure when you're working with them you have plenty of ventilation, like, OUTSIDE!!
 

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Once the caps are removed you need one of these tools to make life easy.
 

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