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Author Topic: What exactly are floats made out of?  (Read 1678 times)

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Offline Hush

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What exactly are floats made out of?
« on: July 02, 2008, 01:11:28 AM »
OK so I fitted new float valves into all my 1979 CB650PZ carbs today, shiny new allen (hex) key screws to replace annoying cross head screws that held bowls on.
All wonderful until I turned on the gas, number 1 carb leaked like a stabbed balloon!!!
Took it apart could not find anything visually wrong with float system.
Dropped the float and valve out, still none the wiser.
Filled the empty bowl with petrol and set the float in it and they sink to one side???
Can you "hole" a float?
Exactly what material are they made of?
Are they hollow plastic?
Not having a spare one to cut up for an answer I'm hoping someone else has done this in the past. ;D
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Offline SteveD CB500F

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Re: What exactly are floats made out of?
« Reply #1 on: July 02, 2008, 01:23:12 AM »
Not familiar with the 650, but my Bandit 600 had a pinhole in one of the (plastic) floats with exactly those symptoms.

I couldn't see anything wrong until I took out the float, held it up to the light and found one side full of fuel!

Araldited (epoxy) the hole and all was well - just as well as Suzuki wanted £35 for a new float!
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Offline Hush

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Re: What exactly are floats made out of?
« Reply #2 on: July 02, 2008, 01:33:00 AM »
Cheers Steve, out to the shed to find my araldite, though wreckers would probably have a few old ones I can buy for cheap.
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I think the thing I most like about motorcycling is the speed at which my brain must process information at to avoid the numb skulls who are eating pies, playing the ukulele, applying make-up etc in the comfort of their airconditioned armchairs as they make random attempts to kill me!!!!!!!

Offline SteveD CB500F

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Re: What exactly are floats made out of?
« Reply #3 on: July 02, 2008, 05:21:35 AM »
Maybe.

Believe me we tried to find a breakers that had floats.  They'll sell you the complete carb rack...
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Offline 333

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Re: What exactly are floats made out of?
« Reply #4 on: July 02, 2008, 05:55:24 AM »
If it sinks like that, you should be able to pick it out of there and shake it and hear gas schloshing about inside.

I like the old brass floats.  You could always solder them.
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Offline kghost

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Re: What exactly are floats made out of?
« Reply #5 on: July 02, 2008, 09:00:46 AM »
Shoot all the ones I've seen on the 750's are solid moulded plastic.

Thier uniform in density all the way thru.....

The 650 different?
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Offline goon 1492

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Re: What exactly are floats made out of?
« Reply #6 on: July 02, 2008, 09:49:42 AM »
Yes there are solid ones too but they can become broken down and gas saturated over time and just sink, its great when your about three hours away from society in the woods on a dirt bike and this happens. I had to turn the gass off until it started to back fire from running out of gas and then turn it back on just long enough to fill the boal back up and put along alllllll the way back to the truck, but at least I was able to limp back to the truck and not push it 5 miles through the trails and hills with my .75 human made horsepower. ;D
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Offline Hush

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Re: What exactly are floats made out of?
« Reply #7 on: July 03, 2008, 09:06:11 PM »
$10 float from friendly wrecker who did not hesitate to crack open a full set of old 650 carbs to get me a replacement, some good guys out there in the business who also like to see these old bikes still running. :)
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I think the thing I most like about motorcycling is the speed at which my brain must process information at to avoid the numb skulls who are eating pies, playing the ukulele, applying make-up etc in the comfort of their airconditioned armchairs as they make random attempts to kill me!!!!!!!

Offline scunny

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Re: What exactly are floats made out of?
« Reply #8 on: July 03, 2008, 10:34:15 PM »
small rocks ???  ;D
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Offline Porscheguy912

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Re: What exactly are floats made out of?
« Reply #9 on: July 03, 2008, 10:41:38 PM »
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Offline dustyc

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Re: What exactly are floats made out of?
« Reply #10 on: July 04, 2008, 03:10:16 AM »
I say in my very best Monty Python's King Aurthur.... "A duck!"
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