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Re: Float adjustment

Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2017 1:51 pm
by Ken in Oklahoma
I am quick to install new floats when the existing floats are questionable. Sure, you can adjust old floats to whatever level works, but my experience has been that keeping the old floats right, with or without regularly diddling with the float level is hard to accomplish. I believe that heavy floats can and do give you less 'headroom' for adjustment.

If you install new floats, and it doesn't look like you needed them, well, it's not that hard to pull out the new floats and put them back into your spares stock, and stick the old floats back in.

In a similar vein, I always keep a new set of coils in stock. Old coils are another thing that I have 'chased' and seemingly corrected by narrowing the plug gaps, only to have the problem crop up again. Two new Bosch coils are expensive, but to my reckoning are more expensive to the psyche trying to make the old ones work.

I understand how satisfying it can be applying my brain to a problem, thus saving a significant chunk of money. On the other hand, if I'm wrong, then the specter of having a dead airhead way too far away from home to walk it, and with non-existent cell phone coverage, is something that I don't ever want to see myself doing again.

Sermon ended!

Ken, preachy in Oklahoma

Re: Float adjustment

Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 5:36 pm
by richard t
I was thankful one time you kept a extra set of wheel bearings on hand. Spare are good!

Re: Float adjustment

Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2017 6:03 pm
by Ken in Oklahoma
richard t wrote: Fri Apr 28, 2017 5:36 pm I was thankful one time you kept a extra set of wheel bearings on hand. Spare are good!
And as you know, I've even been known to keep a spare airhead or two, or three. And band saw, and radial arm saw, and . . . .

Not that I've ever tried it, but I think a spare sweetie would be a tad problematic.

Ken

Re: Float adjustment

Posted: Sun Apr 30, 2017 9:07 am
by dougie
Ken in Oklahoma wrote: Sat Apr 29, 2017 6:03 pm Not that I've ever tried it, but I think a spare sweetie would be a tad problematic.
Ken
And you think bikes and tools cost too much money. :shock:

Re: Float adjustment

Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2024 8:26 am
by 1991 R80RT
I find that removing the float bowls to measure can result in 'some' petrol coming out of the fuel line when the float drops.

Better to use a clear plastic bowl.

Re: Float adjustment

Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2024 7:01 pm
by SteveD
Welcommen 1991 R80RT. :)
float bowls-clear..jpg
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Re: Float adjustment

Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2024 5:21 am
by barryh
1991 R80RT wrote: Sat Feb 24, 2024 8:26 am I find that removing the float bowls to measure can result in 'some' petrol coming out of the fuel line when the float drops.

Better to use a clear plastic bowl.
Agreed, back in 2017 at the start of this thread I was saying that measuring the level in a removed bowl was flawed, not just because of excess fuel flowing out of the fuel line but also because it's dependent on float buoyancy. At best it's an indirect method that relies on using new floats or floats of known weight. A clear float bowl is a direct method that shows the actual operational float level and it's surprisingly high. I came up with another direct method which was to drill and tap the float bowls and fit a level tube. With new floats fitted that gave me a benchmark to refer back to when checking the levels.

20170928_161859A.jpg
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Re: Float adjustment

Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2024 5:27 am
by Blapper
Nice idea Barry. Cheaper than the clear bowls.

Re: Float adjustment

Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2024 3:08 pm
by Blapper
SteveD wrote: Sat Feb 24, 2024 7:01 pm Welcommen 1991 R80RT. :)

float bowls-clear..jpg
Thanks Steve. Did the other forum close down?

Andy.

Re: Float adjustment

Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 3:03 am
by SteveD
Blapper wrote: Sun Mar 03, 2024 3:08 pm
SteveD wrote: Sat Feb 24, 2024 7:01 pm Welcommen 1991 R80RT. :)

float bowls-clear..jpg
Thanks Steve. Did the other forum close down?

Andy.
Yep, that's been the talk for a while and it finally happened. :(