So as many of you know, over the past week I’ve been having difficulties with my carb’s float. Apparently the plastic seam on the float has a small leak and it slowly fills with fuel (probably fills in 24 hours). My first attempt to fix the problem was to drain the float and seal the seam with epoxy. This did not work because the gas ate right through the epoxy. My second attempt was to use super glue on the seams. This worked for about 3 days or so, but it then failed like the epoxy. I then began a fruitless search on Google, eBay, and 5 local lawnmower repair/dirt bike shops in the area for anything that would work as a new float. No dice. I then decided to do the only thing I could; I fabricated my own float.
I decided to use a small chunk of cork that I purchased at a winemaking supply store. The cork was actually a large stopper for a glass carboy, and it cost me about $1. I then drew a pattern on the chunk of cork from the leaky float, cut the pattern with a band saw, and drilled an 11/32’’ hole in the center. I know it seems a little “ghetto,” but hey it works like a charm. Just thought I’d share my float solution…at least until I can find a new one.
Below see the pictures of the floats new and old as well as a picture of the buoyancy test. I welcome your comments and thoughts.
I decided to use a small chunk of cork that I purchased at a winemaking supply store. The cork was actually a large stopper for a glass carboy, and it cost me about $1. I then drew a pattern on the chunk of cork from the leaky float, cut the pattern with a band saw, and drilled an 11/32’’ hole in the center. I know it seems a little “ghetto,” but hey it works like a charm. Just thought I’d share my float solution…at least until I can find a new one.
Below see the pictures of the floats new and old as well as a picture of the buoyancy test. I welcome your comments and thoughts.
