carburetor float problems

Mr moe

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May 19, 2010
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I have a brand new Skyhawk 66cc motor kit installed on a Firmstrong cruiser. The third time I fired it up and rode a couple blocks I shut it off and gas started poring out of the carburetor. I turned of the gas and took the carburetor float out and found it was full of fuel and therefor it was no longer a "float". I have looked and looked but can't fined a hole. I know there has to be one. I am just curious if this has happened to anyone else. Also if anyone knows where I can buy just a float and not the hole carburetor? Its obviously a flaw in workmanship but I don't want to go through the hassle of sending it back.http://www.motoredbikes.com/images/icons/icon8.gif
 
Even if you find the hole, there's not much you can do to empty and fix it.
Gasbike sell all parts separately. (Might take a while to find the float, there's 9 pages of parts.)
Also, ThatsDax sell many individual bits and pieces.
 
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You might try bicycle-engines.com as well.

They have TONS of everything and one of the few places I have found that actually keeps things IN STOCK!

Only bad thing is make sure you order the right part and call to double check ... only issue I had with them is they screwed up on the part I was supposed to get.

But shipping is VERY fast ordered on tuesday and had a part by thursday
 
Finding the hole is easy. Submerge the float in a bowl or pan of hot water and hold it there.
The pinhole will start bubbling immediately, just like a hole in an innertube would when held underwater. It will not last for long though, as the pressure is only created while the fuel and air inside the float expands from the heat difference. With the volume of space inside the float, we're only talking a second or two till you will have to let air cool and then go back to the hot water again.
Be careful though as it will be leaking fuel into whatever container you have the hot water in, and you don't want to use something that will have food in it ever again.
Now that you have found the leak, I have no suggestions as to how patch it reliably.
If it were a brass float, I would solder the hole shut. With a plastic float, I would try to melt the hole shut with a soldering iron or something similar; but again, no guarantees on that holding up long term.
 
I checked the other day and posted a link, but the post disappeared during the move.
ThatsDax sell floats, for $4.49 from memory. At that price I wouldn't mess about trying to do a repair that might fail in the future.
 
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