<VV> How to destroy a carb float the easy way

[Jay Maechtlen]

Drill small hole in float, apply compressed air to reinflate/restore 
shape, solder hole?
If really stubborn, drill hole, dribble a bit of water in, seal hole, 
heat float.
then unseal hole, drain/dry float, reseal.


On 11/29/2021 10:15 AM, tony.. via VirtualVairs wrote:
>
> On 11/28/2021 9:36 AM, Grant via VirtualVairs wrote:
>> I occasionally find crushed floats in the hundreds of carburetors I 
>> take apart each year (maybe 5%). I have not really been concerned 
>> since I had spares, until I recently disassembled a set of 3 YH carbs 
>> from a 1953 Corvette (almost the same as the Corvair YH, but with a 
>> manual choke and twice the price), and found all 3 floats crushed to 
>> the point that they could not be recovered with the dunk in boiling 
>> water trick.
>
>
> Have you tried some carefully applied heat to the float with a heat 
> gun?   Not too much, you don't wanna unsolder the seams on the float.
>
>
>> These have become very rare, so I went on a web search to find out 
>> what might have caused it. Turns out that the best way to crush a 
>> float is to completely seal the inlet to the carburetor when trying 
>> to start the engine or when running. I recall reading on this forum 
>> some time ago that you might be able to clear some plugging in a carb 
>> by placing a hand over the inlet while it was running (I have done it 
>> on some secondary carbs to see if they were sealing properly), so I 
>> am sharing this to discourage such activity and save a float. Happy 
>> Thanksgiving weekend.
>> Grant
>
>
>
> I'm wondering...
>
>
> Not sure how making  vacuum across the carb inlet via capping it while 
> running (to suck out whatever might be clogging any passages etc) 
> could pressurize the carb fuel bowl.   It would create a vacuum 
> instead.   Something else must be causing the float to squish 
> itself.   If the carb were to be dry from sitting and the bowl vent 
> was clogged, incoming fuel from the fuel pump could build up enough 
> pressure in the float bowl to collapse the float.   Five PSI could 
> likely do it.
>
>
>
> tony..
>
>

Jay Maechtlen
61 Corvair coupe
custom fiberglass skin
GM3800 supercharged
4T65E