Homemade FLOAT Works !!

longhorn6 · #1 (**permalink**) 10-24-2009, 02:02 AM

Sooo ever since i've had my motorized bike, i've had float problems, the generic white plastic floats filled up with gas twice on me.

So i saw posts about DIY floats and thought about making one. Someone used cork with all seal. and i did the same precisely exact to the generic float that come with these carbs. and it worked !! until it started to boog out one day.

So i took apart the carb and looked at my homemade float and noticed it was much larger and darker looking and was heavier so i thought did the cork expand? and yes it did there was a minor cut in the all seal and it expanded. How the cut got there IDK maybe from taking the carb bottom off to put some loctite on my jet to keep it from unscrewing LOL

So what else could i use?? I thunk to myself, other than cork?? What is lightweight floats and all seal attachable? all seal= clear oil/gas resistant coating/sealant LOLzz

My dad recommended Balsa wood, but i thought nothing of it

went to hobby lobby and got some wood tires the size of float, (was heavier then a whole block of balsa wood) of course i had to drill the hole bigger and modify it a bit. but it was to heavy and bogged out and failed. Fortunately, i did buy a block of balsa wood just incase took me about 2 hours to cut it down and sand it perfect to the width/height to generic float and to drill appropriate hole, took about 2 days to thin coat it twice, it was/is beautiful/flawless. it works great/perfect and have had no problems checked it recently and looks the same as when i put it in.

Sooo it IS possible to make your own float even if i could have probably went over the generic float with all seal first but wateva

jus takes patience, will upload photos of float in about 2 weeks possibly

Venice Motor Bikes · #2 (**permalink**) 10-24-2009, 02:57 AM

How many hours & how much $$$ did you spend making the new float?

bandito · #3 (**permalink**) 10-24-2009, 04:10 AM

I wonder if you could coat those OEM floats with a gas resistant gasket sealer and if that would work. Thin layer of silicone wouldnt add too much weight to the float. Maybe even paint them with a gas/oil resistant paint.

xlite · #4 (**permalink**) 10-24-2009, 07:01 AM

Thousands of bikes are using the stock float no problem. Out of few dozen I had only one fill up with gas. I noticed the factory had installed it upside down (seam down in the gas) but all my others it was above the gas level. Connection?

**Bikeguy Joe** · #5 (**permalink**) 10-24-2009, 10:31 AM

He made the replacement float out of nothing, more or less. It was the artful act of brainstorming, acquiring, sanding, brainstorming, coating, experimenting and final success that made this a viable project.

I commend you.

I would keep an eye on the seal all though. It doesn't last forever with some gasolines.

**Bikeguy Joe** · #6 (**permalink**) 10-24-2009, 10:33 AM

You may also look in the fishing supply area of you favorite place to shop for balsa bobbers, or even foam bobbers. (test the foam in gasoline first of course)