Dellorto Carb float sinking--a fix

[dilligaf]

Yep, that's what they are doing, filling up with gas and sinking.  :(   I replaced the needles on the carburetors of my LeMans and since I had the carburetors apart I replaced the floats with the new white ones. They looked so pretty in the pictures.   Not a good idea.  Two of the three floats, so far, one side, the same side on both , has filled with fuel and sunk. And to make matters worse I've tossed the old floats.  When this first happen I contacted the suppler who, with out hesitation, shipped me a replacement that also filled with fuel and sank.  The leak is in the same place on both floats.  I have a new float coming from a separate source but, hell, a Dellorto, is a Dellorto no matter who sells to you. So..............Any one had this problem?  I attempted a repair with some epoxy but the fuel softened it so anything else that you know will work?   :BEER:
Thanks,
Matt

[guzzisteve]

Get the older brown ones, that's the fix!!

[Triple Jim]

Coating them with Caswell's Phenol Novolac epoxy should work, but the problem is having to buy 600 times more than you need.  I don't know if anyone is selling small amounts of that stuff or not.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Get the older brown ones, that's the fix!!

 :+1

The white ones are simply crap!

[dilligaf]

Get the older brown ones, that's the fix!!

OK.  Aaaaaa where do you get the older brown ones?  :BEER:
Matt

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

I've bought some on eBay and others from Eurotrash Jambalaya: http://www.eurojamb.com/ . Looks like I may have bought their last two though.

[guzzisteve]

There was a post on here last year maybe of someone selling NOS w/Benelli parts or Duc parts. Can't remember who.
I have a few of the white I got from Herdan I could send ya, I haven't tried em.
Bout 20yrs old, was early white ones.
Going to check.

[acogoff]

    I'm curious, Where do they leak, at a seam?

[dilligaf]

Yes, at a seam, same side in the same spot.  Look close and you can see the fuel in the upper left.

  :BEER:
Matt

[guzzisteve]

Got more of them than I thought, 4. Testing them now under fuel.

[dilligaf]

Got more of them than I thought, 4. Testing them now under fuel.

Steve, it's a very slow leak.  When I attempted the epoxy  repair it took about three days for the leak to show up.  :BEER:
Matt

[acogoff]

    At this point I would attempt to repair similar to the old brass floats by drilling a very small hole to drain the gas and repair the hole with a chemseal product and also run a tiny bead around the seams. It should not alter the weight all that much if used sparingly. I always have a kit of this stuff on hand and use it for a lot of off the wall fixes on unobtainium things. It is what Boeing has used for 40 years to seal their fuel tanks when riveting them together. It turns into a impervious rubber substance when cured. The kits come in many forms, but this is the one I use as it ends up being the cheapest.
             http://www.aircraftspruce.com/pages/cs/fueltanksealants/prosealant.php

[Rich A]

You might try a plastic welder to strengthen the seam.

Rich A

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Or use a needle to squirt a sealer inside and "slosh" that around?

[dilligaf]

I found some tank sealant from a previous job.  Doesn't say anything about plastic but I giving it a try.  Stay tuned.   :BEER:
Matt

[dilligaf]

Or use a needle to squirt a sealer inside and "slosh" that around?

That's an idea.   :BEER:
Matt

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Coating them with Caswell's Phenol Novolac epoxy should work, but the problem is having to buy 600 times more than you need.  I don't know if anyone is selling small amounts of that stuff or not.

I might have enough "residual" Caswell left in separate cans to mix up a very small batch. Free for shipping costs if I do.

[dilligaf]

Less give it a couple of days and see if my current repair works. All depends if the stuff I'm using will stick to plastic.  I also have a new float coming and I need to test that.  Who knows it might work.   :BEER:
Matt

[skromfols]

Just a thought, but would using a soldering iron with a flat tip allow you to heat it enough to seal the leak?  I've done that before on radio control plane fuel tanks with good success.

[Rich A]

Just a thought, but would using a soldering iron with a flat tip allow you to heat it enough to seal the leak?  I've done that before on radio control plane fuel tanks with good success.

This is what a plastic welder would do with better heat control. I did some floats for an MGB this way years ago and they're still good.

Rich A

[dilligaf]

Right now I have a repair in progress using fuel tank sealer.  One way or the other I need to get it fixed.  Think about it, the motorcycle is OOC due to a $18.00 part.  Sucks.  That ladies and gentlemen why they invented  :BEER:.  :BEER:
Matt

[lazlokovacs]

+1 on the white floats being useless.

I've had 2 out of 3 leak

[dilligaf]

+1 on the white floats being useless.

I've had 2 out of 3 leak

Thanks, I needed that.  ;D  ::(  ???  :winer You just made my day.   :BEER:
Matt

[Matt Story]

How about the 2 part epoxy sold in auto parts stores for fixing rust pinholes in car tanks.  Its made to adhere to steel.  I don't know if it would stick to the plastic, but it certainly sticks to itself.  I had a repair last for at least several years (until I sold vehicle). It was leaking through the hole as I did the repair.

[Morizzi]

Its happened to me too.

If you arenīt in a rush then place the float in the sun with the leak down. It will heat up forcing the fuel out and at night it will suck air in. It works but it takes an amazingly long time to clear, months and months. Funny when you consider how fast they fill.  :D

I then use a good quality marine 2 pack liquid epoxy to seal the leak. It then becomes the spare.

I wouldnīt fit one of those white floats now without running some epoxy around the join. I heat them in the sun first, apply the epoxy then sit them in the shade. The cooling volume should help suck the epoxy into the join. Thatīs my theory anyway.  :BEER:

So far so good.

[redrider90]

Check out http://www.rebootguzzispares.com in France.
pete and vikki morcombe <rebootguzzispares2@hotmail.co.uk>

[Wayne Orwig]

Another reason to like fuel injection.



 ~;

[dsrdave]

The chemseal works really good.  I believe it's allowed for repair to fuel cells in aircraft.  I always carried some to the track for repairs.

[Andrew Thomas Evans]

    At this point I would attempt to repair similar to the old brass floats by drilling a very small hole to drain the gas and repair the hole with a chemseal product and also run a tiny bead around the seams. It should not alter the weight all that much if used sparingly. I always have a kit of this stuff on hand and use it for a lot of off the wall fixes on unobtainium things. It is what Boeing has used for 40 years to seal their fuel tanks when riveting them together. It turns into a impervious rubber substance when cured. The kits come in many forms, but this is the one I use as it ends up being the cheapest.
             http://www.aircraftspruce.com/pages/cs/fueltanksealants/prosealant.php

That sounds like the best way to do it.

[dilligaf]

Right now I have a repair in progress using fuel tank sealer.  One way or the other I need to get it fixed.  Think about it, the motorcycle is OOC due to a $18.00 part.  Sucks.  That ladies and gentlemen why they invented  :BEER:.  :BEER:
Matt

The repaired float has been submerged in gasoline for about four hours and so far looks good.  I attempted a similar repair using a two part epoxy that I happen to have but after three days submerged the epoxy softened and the repair was a failure. I have a new float on order but got the supplier to agree to keep it submerged for a week before he sent it.  ;-T  :BEER:
Matt