How I Fixed My Broken Float Post Mount Tab Ear Pin Thing

Thanks guys. Just remember... I wouldn't use the cheesier wire method on the post that limits the downward hanging travel of the float. You need the height of the post to hit the tab on the float. I'd only do the wire method on the other one that doesn't need the post to limit the travel.

And just for the record... I did NOT use ANY duct tape.

 

Bill - you have to use a camera that has a "macro" mode in order to take pics like that.

 

Hello all, I know this is an old post, but the pics have been removed. Anyone have any idea how to get another copy of the pics. I have this problem, and I'm looking for a way to fix it. Thanks, John

 

I rather doubt i could do this again, but i did it once damit

 

I pulled the Mikunis off my SECA 550 for a rebuild because I've had a float stick a few times. The good news is that I found the smoking gun. One of the floats was hanging up on the inside wall of the bowl and sticking intermittently. I can see some small marks on the float and the bowl wall where the contact was occurring. The bad news is the reason the float was able to move that far to the side was because one of the float pin posts had been broken off by someone else in the past.

The other bad news is that I bought this bike brand new and am the original owner. The carbs have never been off before and nobody has ever been inside that bowl except me.

So this means that the mother effin, slimeball, cheatin, rat bastard Yamaha dealer that I bought this "new" bike from was a lying, untrustworthy, deceptive SOB that should rot in hell forever. Yes, that's right... My "brand new" bike came with used carbs on it? Worse yet, used carbs with shite BROKEN inside??? The busted off part was not inside the bowl, so I know it didn't happen while riding. Some of the screws were buggered. Some of the jets were a little smeared... Makes me wonder what ELSE on the bike was used? :twisted:

Anyway, I'm trying to look at it realistically and remind myself that I've never been disappointed in the quality of the bike until now, and if I'd never dug into the carbs, I'd never have known... Still pisses me off, but I'm trying to get over it. Deep breath...

So back to the sticking float and the broken float mount post. Here's what I did to fix it...

First, I filed the busted post off square and flat:


Then I marked the center of the stub that remained:


Drilled it out:


Made a replacement post tip:


Fit lightly into place:


Pressed the pin all the way home, and also cross-drilled for a retaining pin (a small brad nail). The replacement tip was a pretty tight press fit into the post stub and the cross pin probably wasn't necessary, but I'm a belt and suspenders kind of guy:


I filed the replacement tip flat to make room for the float and drilled the hole for the float pin:


Done. Good as "new":


Burnarr

 

Wow. Both of those were awesome!! Thank you for your inspiration. I don't have the kind of bike for this forum but had this problem. I know it might not help anyone here, but here's how I fixed my carb. I filed broken piece down and fashioned a stainless bracket I attached under the screw. I removed the washer and replaced it with the bracket. We'll see if it works tonight after I reinstall everything.

 

Nice work, never had to do it but nice to know it can be done. Looks so nice clean and even better the OEM.

 

Highly unlikely but it would be great fun if the original salesman was at the dealership you bought it from and you went back and confronted him . . . . bet he would remember doing a shyster move like swapping out carbs.

 

Yeah, I was pretty upset when I first saw that. Then bigfitz52 suggested that it may not have been underhanded, but just poor workmanship.

He said that there were a series of service bulletins back from when the bikes were new that dealt with rust gas tanks and debris in the carbs just from the voyage over to the US. He believes the bulletins included carburetor removal and cleaning and suggested that my posts may have been damaged as a result of pre-sale work cleaning done at the dealership.

I'll never know for sure exactly what happened, but I do know the bike still runs perfect after my fix.