Home Made Tool: Float Adjusting Bowl

[Paul]

I reworked an old carb base that was damaged at the secondary well and turned it into a bowl to properly adjust the float. I placed a gasket on the lower half of the carb and measured down ⅝ of an inch and milled a ⅝ inch hole through the casting. Next I use a ¾ inch mill to create a counter bore/rim where I siliconed in a circular piece of clear lexan to create a peep hole to monitor the level/height of the float. (The fuel level should be ⅝ to 11/16 below the bottom of the upper half of the carb.)


The carb base slides onto a piece of wood with a metal dowel attached to it.The wooden base and dowel keeps the carburetor parallel to the table and allows the carb to be easily removed for dumping of the water when setting the float.


An old fuel line with a funnel attached is used on the upper half of the carb to add the water.


They say not to bend the float, but I disagree. I have tried to use combinations of different thicknesses of gaskets for the float valve to no avail. The tolerances of the new stuff is not Henry Ford and the gaskets are either too thick or too thin. Instead I designed a tool to do a controlled bend. Bending it ever so slightly with every adjustment.

Looked all over for a small tin funnel. Something that use to be so common is now 28 dollars in an antique shop.

[BudP]

Paul, I like your commitment to precision. I myself use one red gasket (they are 0.030) and one grey gasket (0.015) and that seems to work for me. I am too afraid to bend the float but you are in good company with Les Andrew's recommendation in his red book. Thanks for sharing.

[Mitch]

Paul you showed and proved that there is more than one way to skin a cat. Thanks for the informative thread topic on another way to set the carb float along with your great tool that you made. The details and specs that you posted on your tool are fantastic
I plan to start a carburetor info thread in the technical forum and this will be a great addition to that. This will also make a great addition to the home made tools thread that we have going in that same forum. Il'l add your name to the wall of fame sticky to boot.
For those that do not know who Paul is, he is the creator of the animated information web site that was recently added to the tech forum.
Paul your a great addition to have around here posting, thanks for everything you do to help the hobby. I now know how much time and effort it takes to accomplish what you did with your website.

[Mitch]

Paul i'll wait for your revisions and findings before adding it to the tech forum

[SAJ]

Hi Paul, the level of fuel to bring the float up to the cut off point will be greater than that of water due to the lower density of fuel. Water SG of 1. Petrol SG of 0.7.
A floating body displaces its own weight of liquid. So less water than petrol needed to bring the float up to the needle valve.
So for an accurate float level petrol not water should be used.
Maybe not that important. I dunno. Not trying to be pedantic.
Nice job on the carb base.
SAJ in NZ

[Paul]

BudP good point. Try the gaskets first.

pAAt you just bend ever so slightly and evenly, stressing ever so lightly

SAJ your right, I have posted a little prematurely; I wanted to support Mitch and his endeavor. When I started messing with adjusting the float height I was dribbling gas everywhere, and figured there has to be a safer way to this. My intent is to go in the barn and play/experiment. I will post what I believe to be the correct level when using water a little later.

Mitch that link to Gaskets is not mine. It just appeared when I posted.

[Mitch]

I find that setting the float level to 15/16th is optimal height and this also prevents stalling. This is gone over in the carb rebuilding book by Rex Reheis. I also found that two washers one thick one thin get me to that setting.
I don't have the actual washer thickness specs recorded, but what BudP mentioned above sounds right...
Yes i agree with SAJ to use fuel instead of water for the live float level check and height. I have seen folks tweak the float by bending it to do a fine tuning and the tool Paul showed can possibly do that without damaging it. Personally i have never needed to bend one when using the correct washers. I wonder if when checking the float level with the good renners tool will if it will make a difference from the engine being turned off compared to a running motor?
I do like your tool prop and would buy one

my two cents

Paul regarding those word links, that is happening because of viglink is installed on this site. It creates pennies a day of revenue and i mean pennies. It's actually so little i am thinking about removing it soon but i shall see.. Other sites use this viglink including the other one!!! I agree it can be annoying and not worth the nickel

[DaWizard]

While I was thinking about the great idea and posting, I was also wondering if the float level at the cut off of liquid would reflect the specific pressure of the weight of fuel in the gas tank?

Also, just to add my 2¢ worth to this, since I have been back into fine tuning Zenith carburetors, I have also found that at the 1" height it also helps to get the float level ALL around the perimeter. I find that if it is lopsided it won't work as well.

[Ray Horton]

Paul, that is a fine piece of work. Thanks for sharing.

[RENNER'S CORNER]

Our test stand for setting the A Zenith float level has a reservoir the same height the fuel tank is from the carb on the car. For the B Zeniths the reservoir is about 10 ft above the carb to simulate 3-4 psi fuel pump pressure. We use mineral spirits to set float levels. With its oily properties and being far less flammable it does an excellent job.

[Mike]

Excellent, nice work.
mike

[jquinlan]

I really like this tool of Paul's and may try to replicate it. Thanks for taking the time to document this Paul. I'm still fine tuning my carburetor as it will sometimes stall if I don't have the idle up high enough when coming to a stop abruptly. Building or accumulating tools for the Model A is something I enjoy. I'm kind of new to this forum and Mitch mentioned a technical forum and a thread of home made tools. I just cannot figure out for the life of me where this technical forum is to find that thread on the home made tools. Any hints would be appreciated : ) Thank you

Jim

[Mitch]

I just cannot figure out for the life of me where this technical forum is to find that thread on the home made tools. Any hints would be appreciated : )

Try typing this in the search box

home made tools

Then go down a few thread results and you'll see a few links to it

[jquinlan]

Try typing this in the search box

home made tools

Then go down a few thread results and you'll see a few links to it

Thanks Mitch. What a great resource !
Jim