Repair overflow stem in float bowl

I opened up a rack of carbs off a '80 KZ750 E, lo and behold, the PO had broken the overflow stem in one of the float bowls and had attempted to repair it with RTV or something. It was flopping around and clearly wouldn't hold.

I was able to work out the remaining portion of the broken stem out of the bowl. The stem is a hair over 1/8", so I bought some 1/8" brass tube at a hobby shop. Its already annealed and very malleable. The top of the stock stem is turned in to a small hole. I replicated this by softly and slowly taping the end of the tube with a hammer and turning every hit. I slowly hammered the end of the tube down to a small hole close to the same size. I then cut the stem to the desired length and then opened up the opposite end slightly with an awl to get it to fit in the bowl snugly. I then heated it on a stove until it was barely glowing and quenched it. This hardens the brass considerably, it can no longer be bent by hand. Im going to press it in fully but before i do i will put a small smear of Threebond on the tip to ensure a good seal.

Will be interesting to confirm threebond's reputation for being gasoline proof over the long term when continuously submerged.

If threebond passes the gasoline proof test long term while being continuously submerged, perhaps it could also be successfully used to mend broken float towers,

Reportedly, several owners have successfully used JBWeld for repairs to overflow tubes and float towers, where the JBWeld has survived several years and counting, while being constantly submerged in gasoline..

Good Fortune!

If it isn't snug enough you could take a sharp punch and swedge around it. Three bond works in gas?
Steve

If the Threebond doesn't work, I used Permatex Liquid Metal to repair a leaking fuel level switch.
Seal-All is another option: someone here on KZR mentioned it & it seems to be readily available. I think the HomeDepot carries it or Lowes or maybe both places & some auto parts stores.

Seal-All. click! .

I repaired a 1/2 inch gash in the bottom of a gas tank in a car I had with seal all (a big gob after sanding) and it lasted for 4 0r 5 years without even getting moist.

Nice to hear about the good results from experiences using Permatex Liquid Metal and Seal-All, both of which appear to be applied directly from the tube without needing to mix anything together.

Wondering about set-up and cure times required before permanent submersion in gasoline or exposure to gasoline.

It used to be that gasoline-resistant meant lesser immunity than gasoline-proof to the deleterious effects of gasoline.

Good Fortune!

The reason I asked is, I've soldered the float ball on my 69 Ford gas tank. It still leaks in fuel. Been thinking of dipping the whole magila arm and ball in some kind of coating.
Steve

As it stands, the stem is nearly a press fit. Once i push it in all the way it's not coming out. I just wanted to put a little something around the edge so I don't have to revisit this later. I'm not sold on Threebond, I think i will try Seal-all.

Nice job Doc. I slipped a piece of new brass tube over the old split one and soldered the bottom where it met the bowl body. It has been like that for years now but is a little bulkier than the original. I like the way you got the new tube to press fit