Broken Float Post

[Guest]

You'll need a file, 1/8 drill bit, 6/32 screw, hack saw, center punch, hammer, pliers with flat sides and a drill with a level bubble on the back.

Measure the exact height of the post as it shoud be.
File the post and the surface on the carburetor side flat enough for you to drill a 1/8" hole in the center.
By flat enough I mean take off as little metal as you can...just get the center flatened.
place the carburetor on a flat level surface.
Punch a locating mark in the center of the surface where the post goes.
Drill your hole atleast 3/16 or 1/4 " deep with the carburetor flat on the table and the drill bubble leveled.
Just a suggestion on the depth as you don't want to drill through the base metal into the body.
Screw in the screw and make sure you have about 3/8" or more of thread sticking up.
Cut off the head of the screw so that it is 3/8" high or atleast no higher than the shoulder of the other post.
Go slowly and deliberately on the cutting. Start by runing the saw backwards the entire length of the blade.
File the threads on the end of the stud you just made to a slight taper.
stand up the post head down on the table and punch it's center.
lay your flat sided pliers on the table and open them up enough to drop the post head down on the table.
Still holding the pliers flat on the table clamp down on the post and keep it that way.
Drill a hole 1/4" deep in the post but no deeper than it's shoulder and keep the drill level.
Screw the post down on the stud you made till it is at it's original height or as close as possible.
you also want the float pin to go straight through.
to accomplish this for certain put the pin in the repaired post and turn it till it points dirrectly at the other side.
Post's may have a little less room for the float between them now so you may need to modify the float.
If you file the float make sure you de-bur the hole so the pin rides smooth.

Good luck, your gonna need it.

Chris.

[texaninseattle]

is this the answer to the question that no one asked?

[posplayr]

You'll need a file, 1/8 drill bit, 6/32 screw, hack saw, center punch, hammer, pliers with flat sides and a drill with a level bubble on the back.

Measure the exact height of the post as it shoud be.
File the post and the surface on the carburetor side flat enough for you to drill a 1/8" hole in the center.
By flat enough I mean take off as little metal as you can...just get the center flatened.
place the carburetor on a flat level surface.
Punch a locating mark in the center of the surface where the post goes.
Drill your hole atleast 3/16 or 1/4 " deep with the carburetor flat on the table and the drill bubble leveled.
Just a suggestion on the depth as you don't want to drill through the base metal into the body.
Screw in the screw and make sure you have about 3/8" or more of thread sticking up.
Cut off the head of the screw so that it is 3/8" high or atleast no higher than the shoulder of the other post.
Go slowly and deliberately on the cutting. Start by runing the saw backwards the entire length of the blade.
File the threads on the end of the stud you just made to a slight taper.
stand up the post head down on the table and punch it's center.
lay your flat sided pliers on the table and open them up enough to drop the post head down on the table.
Still holding the pliers flat on the table clamp down on the post and keep it that way.
Drill a hole 1/4" deep in the post but no deeper than it's shoulder and keep the drill level.
Screw the post down on the stud you made till it is at it's original height or as close as possible.
you also want the float pin to go straight through.
to accomplish this for certain put the pin in the repaired post and turn it till it points dirrectly at the other side.
Post's may have a little less room for the float between them now so you may need to modify the float.
If you file the float make sure you de-bur the hole so the pin rides smooth.

Good luck, your gonna need it.

Chris.

pics would help give some idea of what you are doing

[cdnoel]

Thought this is what tips and trick were for.

pictures would help but I did it without taking any three times so far. I think we all know what I'm talking about though. You try to take the float pin out, it's stuck and the float post breaks off. Or you open the bowl and find them falling off because the JB weld from the previous owner failed.

Suppose I miss understood what tips and tricks posts were for. Thought if you had one you could post it before someone needed it so they could find it in the search.

[cowboyup3371]

is this the answer to the question that no one asked?

Hey Texan, actually this is related to my 81 gs550 project here in Colo Springs that I posted about in Projects/Rebuilds. The previous owner really jacked up both posts in one carb and I just found tonight it looks like it started on another and I finished the job tonight. I'll talk to CD and see if we can't take pics to do this next carb instead of him just taking it back to his place. I sure would like to learn how in case I ever need it again later (HOPE NOT )

[KC1908]

Broken Float Post

Great tip. Have a spare set with a broken post. Never got round to thinking about fixing it but will now. Thanks

Ken

[chef1366]

Thanks for the write up. Nobody is giving you crap for it. Some people relate to pictures more.
That's all.
I just did one recently but it was fugly. Someone used epoxy which did not hold up. They drilled the post and the carb off centered and then used epoxy. Didn't make sense to me. I redrilled, tapped and installed the post off centered but the float pin was long enough to make up the difference.

[Suzuki_Don]

is this the answer to the question that no one asked?

You don't need to ask questions on this forum, just follow the advice (tips) give by others and get the job in question done. Are you familiar with what the inside of a carburettor looks like?

[texaninseattle]

Yes, Suzi_Don i am familiar with what the inside of a carburetor looks like.

It just seemed oddly worded for a first post, and thought that maybe the real 1st post had been deleted, and yours was a reply to that post.

The formatting just looked funny to me.

[Turtleface]

How do most people break a post? Is it when they miss-strike, and hammer it? Or do the float pins just get stuck and break the post when one post release tension and the other doesn't? I've popped my floats on and off about a dozen times (mostly due to boredom). I use the hammer and itsy-bitsy (eyeglasses) screwdriver method. Am I just apparently good at this, or have I just been getting lucky? I only ask because I need to fix a sticking needle valve and I don't want to have to repair a float pin post this close to being done.

FYI, I use a relatively light weight hammer, and slowly build up tap force over about 9-10 strikes, starting from very light.

[chef1366]

On old carbs the float pin gets welded in there. Stainless steel in Aluminum I do believe. I use PB Blaster and let it sit on the jets and float for a little while and they do usually come out without incident. If all else fails heat works but you'll need to replace the float.

[tkent02]

Hitting the pin without a proper anvil is what usually breaks them. I use a tiny socket on a 1/4 - 3/8 adapter on a 3/8 - 1/2 inch adapter as the anvil. The socket just barely fits over the head of the pin. Small hammer and a tiny pin punch does it, very light tapping.

The pins are slightly fatter at the shoulder under the head, so it should only be stuck on that one side. The other side should move freely, unless the pins are mushroomed.

Once the pins are out I put them in a drill, and using a file turn them down to a smaller diameter at the shoulder, so they just slide in and out. The interference fit is not required.

[Turtleface]

Hitting the pin without a proper anvil is what usually breaks them. I use a tiny socket on a 1/4 - 3/8 adapter on a 3/8 - 1/2 inch adapter as the anvil. The socket just barely fits over the head of the pin. Small hammer and a tiny pin punch does it, very light tapping.

The pins are slightly fatter at the shoulder under the head, so it should only be stuck on that one side. The other side should move freely, unless the pins are mushroomed.

Once the pins are out I put them in a drill, and using a file turn them down to a smaller diameter at the shoulder, so they just slide in and out. The interference fit is not required.

That's pretty much exactly what I do, minus the turning. I like the interference fit, makes me feel warm and fuzzy. Took all of two minutes to remove the float, clean the offending needle valve and reinstall the float. Appeared to gotten cat hair in it. (walks away mutter about cats)

[tkent02]

That's pretty much exactly what I do, minus the turning. I like the interference fit, makes me feel warm and fuzzy. Took all of two minutes to remove the float, clean the offending needle valve and reinstall the float. Appeared to gotten cat hair in it. (walks away mutter about cats)

Are you putting cats in your gas tank?
That's so cruel.

[Nessism]

Broken float posts can be avoided with a little care. At Tom mentioned, it's the flare under the nail head detail that locks the pin in place so that's the post that always snaps off. If you support the post on that side before you drive the pin out the post won't snap off.