Topic: Seized float pins

[drumgod]

I started cleaning and disassembling my carbs and ran into a problem.  Three of the four floats where completely seized.  After after a couple of days of soaking with PB Blaster I was able to free up two and remove their pins using needle nose, lock jaw pliers.  The end where I grabbed the pin is a bit buggered up, but they are still reusable.  A third seemed like it was going to come out but seized again half way there.  I was rotating the pin trying to loosen it up and though it was coming... and instead I separated the brass "sleeve" from the float itself.  I'm not too worried about that.  It should be pretty straight forward to braze it back in once I get the pin out...  It's getting the pin out that's the problem.  The fourth pin was pressed in with an equal amount of pin sticking out both sides.  Neither end has enough showing to grab with the pliers and I haven't been able to budge it in either direction with awls, nails, pliers, etc.

It looks to me like I have two options:

1.  Get (or make) replacement pins and use some careful Dremel work to remove the remaining two pins.  I inquired about replacements at the Honda dealer and they told me they came with the float, $45 aftermarket.  I think I need to look around at available brass wire and see if there is anything that will work.  I can also ask the guys at our company machine shop if they could/would make me some.

2. Make a pin press that can apply some pretty good pressure without braking off the pin stanchions.  I have access to several different presses of varying sizes but I would still need to make some sort of fixture to support the stanchions.  I'm also thinking about trying to modify a small c-clamp to work as a press.

Any help towards finding a solution would be much appreciated.

[1timduke]

Hmmm...If they are brass floats you could try a little heat, it may loosen them up w/o melting the float.

[Popwood]

You mention nail. So maybe you've done this, but I have used a nail after clipping off the point and grinding it so it doesn't have any sharp points, to drive out a stuck pin. I use a nail as close in dia. as the pin. But you must be careful because hitting the brass pin too hard could slightly enlarge the end compounding the problem. But I've never had one that I couldn't get out. Good luck.

[bikebitzofvt]

First off, soak them with carb clean.  Likely dried up fuel residue is keeping everything glued together.  I use a tiny machinist's ball peen hammer and a small brass drift to get the really stubborn ones out.  Be careful to brace the body of the carb where the float pin goes through against something so you don't break one of those tabs (stanchions, I need to use that word more often  !!) off.  You may need to seperate all 4 carbs, but if they're as stuck as they sound to be they'll likely need it anyways.
Good luck!

[fmctm1sw]

2. Make a pin press that can apply some pretty good pressure without braking off the pin stanchions. 

Be extremely careful.  I broke one of the my stantions off in a carb set I had.  My '73 350F carbs are all stuck like this too.  To this point, I've just let it go since it is running.  I have an extra set of floats, so I considered using a rotary tool to cut off the floats so I could grab and twist the pins.  The worry I had with using a nail or other pointed object was that I'd end up flaring out the brass and getting it really stuck. 

[drumgod]

Woohoo.  They're out.  An extra set of hands, a piece of scrap aluminum to brace the lower post, and a 2mm steel pin as a drift was all it took.

Thanks guys!

[fmctm1sw]

Woohoo.  They're out.  An extra set of hands, a piece of scrap aluminum to brace the lower post, and a 2mm steel pin as a drift was all it took.

Thanks guys!

Man, I'm still chicken.  It would seem like you would still put undue pressure on the top post even if you held the lower post.  Nicely done, I'm glad it worked for you...

[gane]

For the next guy/gal.. after at least freeing w. carb clean, an automatic (spring loaded) marking punch works well. with less risk of damaging stancions G