• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

Broken Float Towers on 81 GS550

  • Thread starter Thread starter mmills37
  • Start date Start date
M

mmills37

Guest
Hi, I've researched many of the carb rebuild articles on this site (great by the way), but I have a problem I haven't seen mention of. Two of my fragile aluminum (zinc?) float towers in two different carb bodies have broken (one was from po, one I think was my fault during a rebuild. So, my question is, does anyone know of a way to repair aluminum that is going to be submerged in fuel?? Unlikely, I bet. So, does anyone have a used set of carbs for sale? I'd like to know what years and sizes are interchangeable. I hear talk of some Kawasakis that might fit. Any help is appreciated. I've scoured ebay, but no luck yet.

Mike
 
1st you can use carb bodies from the 550 through 750. They are the BS32 CV carbs and except for jetting and the needles are compatible.

The carb rebuild instruction page is great but it instructs to tap out the float pins with a hammer. That breaks the towers. Use a small pair of wire cutters to grab the big end and gently pull them out.

Third, I've see towered repaired with wire through the tower. Two small holes are drilled, one on the piece and one on the tower left behind. A stainless steel safety wire is threaded through and tightened. Believe it or not it worked. I used ceramic epoxy made by Belzona to repair mine when I followed the carb repair page. Ceramic R is what it is called and gasoline cannot affect it. IT is very strong and hard. Rock solid in 5 minutes, I had to grind the material with a dremel tool to remove material so the bowl would fit.

Note the bowl holds the pin in place so I am at a loss to explain why they would make it so hard to get the pin out in the first place.

JB weld allegedly fails eventually when immersed in gas. Of course this is critical so a failure here will ground the bike by flooding the engine.

I would search for another carb body, or two, and be very careful about pulling those pins.
 
Thanks Duaneage

Thanks Duaneage

Where can you find the Belzona Ceramic-R? I've found links to information about the product, but can't find any for sale.
 
If you tap the pins out, just back them up with a small socket and you wont have any problems.

I have also repaired float posts by drilling and tapping the carb to accept a screw that has the head cut off (after assembly) and a float pin sized hole drilled through it in place. Works great and with blue lock tight, its pretty permanent.

You should be able to use any two part EPOXY, just do a test to check.

Or....

Put a want ad up and just wait, it wont take long.
 
Last edited:
There is a lot of traffic around here right now, I'd try posting an ad in the Wanted to buy forum for some carb bodies. Failing that, Dwaneage has a good suggestion. Lots of people have had failures tring to repair float posts with JB Weld so keep this in mind.
 
mmills37 said:
Where can you find the Belzona Ceramic-R? I've found links to information about the product, but can't find any for sale.
Click to expand...

Contact them here
and get in touch with the local distributor. There is a conditioner that needs to be applied so that it adheres to the metal and then the Ceramic R is mixed and applied. You would not believe the heat generated by the chemical reaction when it is curing. I used a small amount and worked it after it cured with a dremel.

This isn't Mighty Putty or some other 2 part epoxy , but a serious industrial grade material used to repair machines, like crankshafts, boat impellers, and other outrageously expensive machines. It is designed for reconstruction and buildup of material when metal is lost or broken.
 
sleeve

sleeve

I had also slipped a brass tube (made from an empty shell ). Cut the tube to make a "C" so it slides on top of the aluminium pillar. the opening of the "C" should align with the bridge. Crimp it. The epoxy (i used areildite) and the sleeve makes sure it does not move. The sleve just reinforces the joint (for next carb overall)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top