Repairing brass floats

1979 KZ750 twin.
both carb floats are gas filled...

is it possible to repair them (solder) ?

The problem I see is getting the old gas out and finding the pinhole...

maybe they can be filled with an expandable foam and soldered up tight?

Welcome to KZR John, I've never had any luck soldering the holes. What I've done is go to M/C salvage yard and look through some floats and find one the same size and change the float on to your holder.
Mark

I did it a few times back when I was working car carbs. If you heat it carefully with a "small" flame on a propane torch the gas will heat up and come out the hole. I don't recommend it but it works. Don't hold the flame right on the float just hold it back enough to warm it. And if you do it, do it outside. They usually leak somewhere on the seam. After, you get all the gas out you can heat the seam and let the original solder flow back in. Put some flux on the seam though to clean it. You don't want to add more solder or it will raise the weight of the float and it will probably be useless. You don't want to get the float too hot or when it cools off the contracting air inside will collapse the float,,, I did that a couple times too,,, :blush: :blush: :blush:
But, Mark's suggestion is much safer. Maybe, I just got lucky with the ones I did using the torch.
Ride and Mechanic Safely

One more thing, after you get the gas out, you want to let the float cool off so it sucks air back in before you resolder it.

One more thing,, hopefully the last,,, use a soldering gun, not the torch to reheat the seam to flow the solder back into it.

Post edited by: The Milkman, at: 2007/07/21 19:16

thanks Guys.

This is a side project I'm working on, so no hurry.
I have them sitting in the sun in attempt to let the old gas evaporate....

then I'll fire up the soldering iron and give it a shot..

I reckon I'll submerge the floats in a bowl of water and look for the bubbles....


I won the bike on ebay for $53.00 :evil:

this site has a lot of good ideas...

I'm really liking the 750 twin cafe racers...

anyone know the best place to buy New replacement Floats? :huh: