How to Get Plunger Out of Carb???

[XXX_Thumper]

I posted this early this year. Never fixed it cause I was lazy. Now that winter is here I need something to do.

My HS plunger is frozen/corroded in my carb. I have tried everything from WD40, silicone, anti-seze......everything to get it out. I've since taken my hot start completely off (lever, cable and capped the boot). It's a real pain if I lay it down in a moto, takes forever to start and I loose valuable positions. (IE: went from 1st to last (19th) in one moto, AHHHHH ? ) I've let it set for a week soaking and it would not come out. Now the little tabs that the cable attach to are broken off. Someone suggest awhile ago that I need to get it drilled out and replace it with a Dr.D. Is this something I should do myself or just spend the money to have a shop/dealership do? $$$ is not the issue, I would be more than happy to pay someone to do this if it forgoes me F'ing it up myself and having to buy a new carb. Any suggestions welcome. Thanks.

[myoung]

Just drill it out. I had to drill mine out as well. It's a little spooky because you don't want to mess up your carb, but when it was all said and done it wasn't that hard. Just keep stepping up the size of the bit and watch that the hole is centered. When you get close to the actual size of the plunger, the bit will break it loose and it should spin right out.

As far as the Dr.D one goes, they sieze too. That's what I had to drill out along with countless others who have posted here about them. I think it doesn't matter whose you use, you just have to keep it constantly lubed. Water gets into the cable housing and works it's way down to the plunger where it corrodes the plunger and the carb housing together. You would need to remove the plunger assy and lube it on a regular basis.

I have a 426 that I changed over to the 450 cam and haven't needeed the hot start since the swap so I just put the original plunger back in. I guess the o-rings in the original style plunger keep the water out because I've never had to service it and it always works. If yours is a 450, you need to still use the cable style. I'd just replace it with whatever you feel most comfortable with, i.e, stock or aftermarket, and keep it serviced and maybe cover the lever with a bag or something when you wash your bike.

[grayracer513]

Is your bike a 426 or a 450, and if was your hot start an OEM part, or after market?

The OEM cable hot starts on the '03s and later are better sealed, and the cable and bore are more out of the way than the earlier ones, and are less prone to this sort of thing. In fact, I haven't heard of a 450 doing this.

My 250F has a Dr.D unit on it though, and no matter how careful we are when we wash it, the HS valve will stick unless we do this little drill afterwards:

Start the bike and run it long enough that it will run without the choke.

Bring the revs up a little way and hold the hot start open. Run it like that for 15-30 seconds or so.

This draws any water that has gotten into the HS circuit out, and it never sticks when this is done.

[XXX_Thumper]

It is a 03' 450. Stock.

[harider19]

That happend to me to, except with the choke. Just fixed it yesterday...so this is what i did.

I took off the carb and put it in a vice,

Broke the shaft connected to the plunger. accidentally while pulling on it ?

drilled a small hole into the plunger

Threaded the hole and stuck a bolt in it.

Then use a hammer to pry it out. Took probably 30 min. You might not want to do that with yours, there were plenty of times that i thought the carb was going to snap in half, but it was ok cause i have 2 extras ? Good luck