Carb plug removal on US spec carbs

On US spec GSX-R's the mixture screws have been plugged to prohibit tampering because of environmental regulations.
Don't get me wrong, we do care a lot about the environment but sometimes it's necessary to get to them in order to get the bike running properly at low revs.

I wrote this article after I received plugged carbs from a guy in the US, and after reading a message on the forum a while ago about a guy who completely destroyed the screws while trying to remove the plugs.

So what tools do we need to remove them?

1.) a small screw
2.) a drill bit which has a slightly smaller diameter than the screw
3.) a drill, preferably a manual one, or one operated by a battery because you want to be able to have full control, else you will damage the underlying screw
4.) a screwdriver that fits the screw
5.) pliers

Before we start, remember that carbs are very brittle, treat them very carefully or they will surely crack.

First we will drill a small hole into the brass caps.
The caps already have very small holes in them so you'll drill in the exact center automatically.
Take your time, use a very low rpm and apply as little pressure possible.
The caps are only about 2mm thick an the brass material is very soft so you'll be trough them before you know it.
I use a manually-powered drill to make sure I to be able to stop drilling immediately.

Once you have drilled the caps insert the screw into the hole, turning it in only three millimeters, again to be sure you don't damage the screws.

Then, using the pliers, wiggle the screw VERY CAREFULLY while pulling.
Don't just use leverage to get the caps out, or you'll damage or crack the surroundings of the cap.

Once you removed all caps be sure to remove all the burrs and debris, now is a good time to clean your carbs anyway, external and internally!

Before making any adjustments make sure to write down their original settings by counting the number of rotations they make before stopping by turning them inwards (clockwise).

Thanks to Petra for the pictures, the crappy scanner don't do them justice!

The tools needed, anxious to destroy your precious carbs.

Drilling the plugs, CAREFULLY!

Inserting the screw.

Wiggle it all about!

Finally! Daylight after being locked up for so long.