Yeah, for sure, typical carb cleaner does not play well with lighter density rubber - dries it out and expands it - spray sparingly! If you get a carb cleaner that is designated as safe for rubber parts, you won't have to worry about that, though I personally have only seen such labeling on carb dip solutions.

 

I followed the steps of the carb cleaning sticky. Having only delved into the carbs once (probably 4 weeks ago now) I can't remember there being four fuel screws.

I removed the three things indicated in the below picture (stolen from the stickey) and soaked them in cleaner.

 

Sorry JNS, I just realized what you were asking me. I did remove the fuel screws from all 4 carbs. They looked extremely clean and I didn't want to take the chance of not being able to get them back together, so I just left them. I did not run carb cleaner up into where they screw into, but I do believe I blew some compressed air up in there.

 

Gotcha... I was just getting ready to clarify on that!!

Anyway, the only way you'll know for sure that the pilot circuit is cleaned, is to clean those fuel screwpassages thoroughly, in addition to what I posted about before, with verifying flow from the pilot jet passage to the three little holes - there's just no way around it really... it's not the screws themselves you're worried about, but the small passages, which are very easily blocked.

Just be careful to remove all four items from each threaded shaft, the screws, springs, and the tiny washer and O-Ring, and put them in a small glass or whatever - using a very small electronics flathead screwdriver is a good helper for getting the O-Ring and washer out.
Then, when putting it back together, just slide first the spring, then washer, then the O-Ring, onto the screw, and insert it into the shaft with the carbs positioned on top, and your completed fuel screw setups threading "up" into the shaft, so the parts stay in line... it's no biggie to remove and replace these items, just as long as you know what parts to look for, and are careful not to lose them.

 

Ok so the issue definitely is not with the pilot screws. Looks like the carbs will have to come out again. I wouldn't hate it as much if dealing with the throttle cables weren't such a bear to work with.

 

Ah shucks! The throttle cables ain't no thing!

Just disconnect the carbs from the head first, and loosen the cable adjustment nuts enough to pop the ferrules out of the guides/holders, then feed the cable sheathing on back through the carb, to give yourself all kinds of slack in the actual cable ends, so that it's real easy to pop the ends out of the throttle cam... honestly, once you visualize what I'm saying here, after you already have the carbs loose from the motor, you'll be able to get the cables off and out of the way in about a minute!