Hey All,

I am not having much luck finding a replacement float for my Carter BBS.

I am going to have a whack at re-soldering the original float this weekend. I've got nothing to loose.

Anyone ever done this or have any pointers for me?

Thanks!

Chris E.

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-76 Cordoba, 360 4bbl
-68 Valiant, 273 2bbl
-67 Dart /6 4bbl, Leaning Tower of Power!!!

I have some good used ones.
Send me a PM if you need one.
DD

New float:
Walker #100-125
Niehoff #FS568
BWD #CF287B

Probably also available from Standard-Hygrade and NAPA Echlin, but I haven't got p/ns.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Well heck, if Doc is sending you one, you are home free...

But in case you want to try to teach yourself a skill , here is how I have fixed both carb and gas tank level floats.

InFor any such float I assume there is gasoline in the float that I don't want vaporizing and blowing up, since I am going to use an open flame repair.

I wouldn't trust that a float has no pinholes just because it floats in water, it will float 'til so full of gas it sinks, and it can have vapor in it and not have fluid gas to hear shake. So I hold the float under water to see if it bubbles from air leaving it. If so, I keep holding it under water a tad to get some water in it, then shake it a while. If I have located a leak via bubbles, I LIGHTLY secure it in a bench vise with the pinhole away from me.

I then get a pole and tie on one of the tiny $1.98 butane torches from Harbor Freight , light the torch, step back, and quickly roast the float...vaporizing the water and/or fuel and driving them from the float. Heat application doesn't need to exceed a matter of seconds, else you can melt the existing solder joints. I have used my oxy acetelyne rig for this process and also melted the brass float in a skinny second...the butane pencil torch is much more controllable. I do the same on floats that didn't have air entry, too just for good luck.

Upon cooling I polish the pinhole area with steel wool, put on a little paste flux, untie the tiny torch and fire it up, then pass it quicky over the paste flux area...while holding resin core solder in the other hand. The paste will boil almost instantly and you then touch the solder to the area and remove the torch. You should have a nice smooth shiny paint of solder.

Literally this takes only a few minutes and the moment of truth is a matter of seconds. If you are not used to soldering, practice with your tiny torch on a piece of copper pipe, but realize the floats are thinner than paper and things go swiftly!

rock
'64d100

Well guys, I tried a repair tonight.

I could not tell where the one float was leaking. Holding it under water produced no bubbles. But the float was full of gas. The only thing I can figure was when the carb got up to heat in the car thermal expansion would make it leak at one of the solder joints. One side of the joint did look suspect.

I opened up the two holes on top of the floats with a pin. One had quite a bit of fuel in it. The other was dry. Then I used my heat gun to heat up the floats until I was confident there was no fuel or fumes left in them.

Then I cleaned the joints with my dremel wire brush, fluxed them and put a bead of solder where I though the problem was. Then I sealed up the tops with solder too.

The floats are soaking in a dish of water right now. I'll leave 'em there over night and then see if they are still dry in the morning.

Thanks for all the advice rock. Dan thanks for the part #'s. I was able to use the Neihoff # to cross reference a Wells part that sounds like the right part. Doc if none of this works I'll be pm'ing you for a price!

Thanks a million guys!

Chris

_________________
-76 Cordoba, 360 4bbl
-68 Valiant, 273 2bbl
-67 Dart /6 4bbl, Leaning Tower of Power!!!