Pics posted: An idea for making new floats..

[Lucky]

I bought an 83 carb from Mark that has an adapted float from an 82, and it isn't going to work.

I had a thought that I might get a block of balsa from the hobby shop, carve a float out (the rear float is stock & I can copy it) and then seal it with POR-15. I have to coat a tank anyway...

I think it would be importaint to match the weight as well, so if nessacary, I could hollow it out & glue or epoxy the halves together before coating with the POR.

Think it might work?

--Lucky

[ArrrGeee]

possibly, I can't remember if they are the black plastic or hollow style. probably the black plastic type that soaks up fuel when they get old. I think some of the additives people add to their fuel actually break the floats down....
it might be hard to match the weight tho' with wood.
how about making a plaster mold and then use an epoxy.
or possibly find a brass one from an old ford or something and tweak it to fit ?


-Ron

[Lucky]

The floats are a closed cell foam plastic.  these aren't the same material that they used in old Q-Jets, these things don't get fuel-logged.

I thought about brass, and it still might be an option, but good luck finding a brass float in a junk yard!, for that matter, good luck finding a float at all...  if I use brass i'll fab it out of very thin brass from the hobby shop, but i'll probably start with balsa.  there are different grades of balsa, based on weight, and I can carve with a dremil better than I can bend & solder brass. plus it's cheaper. for $3 I can get enough balsa to make several floats.

Hmm, plaster mold... messy & possably destructive to the good float.  if I went that route I think I'd go with an epoxy mixed with glass mat fibers though.

[Lucky]

Did a little carving on some Balsa tonight. this float is actually lighter than the stock one by several ounces, so coating it with POR-15 should put it in the ball park.
I'll have to adjust float hight & drop, and actually do the fuel level test to set it, but i think it might work!

it'll be a while till i buy some POR, coating this tank isn't high on my priority list right now (tank is really clean) and I have to free up the frozen pilot screws. just playing for now. I might get this thing on the bike this fall, poss next spring.

--Lucky