Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums Performance Mods D tool

Could someone summarize the collective wisdom on the D tool to adjust the mixture screw on the '04 bikes? I've read thru some of the archives and become even more confused. Looking for a reliable, inexpensive alternative.....but if that's what I need......Thanks
Warren

I don't know, man... for $22, it's not so bad
http://www.newbonneville.com/html/d_tool.html
On the old board, a couple of folks had come up with home-made tools to do the job. The shop backed the screws out 3.5 for me when I took it in for service.

a $22 screwdriver? It hurts....I know, the EPA is an expensive thing.....
Warren

Take a short piece of brakeline and hit one end of it with a hammer to form the D. It may take some tweaking to get it to fit right but it will.

Before I bought Brent's D tool, I used a small piece of plastic 1/4 drip hose, then used a hacksaw to make a groove for a standard screwdriver. The D tool I got from Brent, to me, was well worth the price. D-Tool post

o,
Before you get the D tool, why not get a set of the knurled screws and just have them replaced. They then can be adjusted with your fingers. You just need to find someone to take them out first, maybe the local shop? Anyway, not a big difference in price, but they do make things tons easier. I didn't think they would matter but I find myself adjusting as the year goes by for temps. A quarter turn makes a noticable difference when it gets really hot and humid out.

Dinqua,
I already have the D tool from Brent. As for the knurled screws, I always worry about someone messing with them "kids and the like". I just carry the D tool in my tool pouch in case I might have to make an adjustment. I try to not adjust unless I am home or near home. I find the TA does a real fine job in different altuides. Many times I ride from 2000' to 8500' and don't want to adjust every hour or two. BTW. Thank you for keeping your site avalible! It has been a real blessing for me as a "very novist" with carbs. Without it I would of had my bike in the shop.

Time for somebody (with a micro-lathe? haha) to make a screw driver hex bit to fit the typical screw driver handle. MUCH cheaper than a whole tool!

OK, I guess BonnyUSA's idea of blacksmithing a piece of solid break line into a "D" shape on one end is a start. The other end could then be soldered onto a spare phillips/cross screw driver bit. Guess Pops here will have to do that for DanB's bike.

Wow, I'd forgotten this post of mine. This thread deserves a BTTT, too. (Bump To The Top for those of you from Rio Linda, CA)

ooooya,
The knurled screws are the way to go. Take a Sharpie and mark one of the "knurls". Then you have a reference point in case someone messes with them. Of course, if they take them all the way out, you can use the Sharpie to write "Help!" somewhere visible. Then, if you find out who did it, you can use the Sharpie in many creative ways....

Hmmmmm, I guess a Sharpie may be more important than the knurled screws.... oh well, your results may vary...

If you want, I have the Triumph tool, and will send it to you for $10 bucks. Let me know.

Thanks Dude! Broke down and bought one when I did the AI removal. I MISS the 'poppin' and fussun' on the closed throttle! I guess I'll get used to it.... :-(

I thought I'm not going to pay that price for the tool like everything that's high priced. Tried the brake line trick.Finally, I took a shorty straight $1.00 screwdriver and cut it down to fit the screw slot.Then I put marks on the handle to tell how many turns I was going in and out.Works like a champ!

FYI: 1/4" brake line, a hacksaw, and a few minutes - you don't need a D-tool.

I'd be interested in knowing if any of you figured out a way to get the plugs out to make the adjustment screws accessible without having to pull the carbs???

TIA,

Keith