Float Bowl Gasket Rehab

How do you all clean and reuse your float bowl gaskets? Any tricks to "fluffing" them out a bit? Soak them in something?

I usually brush them well with a toothbrush and slather them in grease.

I know what most would say, "What's $20 more dollars, just buy new ones!" But when dropping a large chunk of change on carb parts, $20 more dollars can be a big deal to some. I can buy a box of diapers (read that as "I don't want to buy a box of diapers, but I also want my baby to have a clean butt."), I can drive to and from work 3 times, I can get about a weeks worth of food for myself, I can get a few tools/cans of paint/grinding discs/sandpaper/welding wire/cleaners/polish....

I'm not poor or anything, just on a motorcycle budget (a motorcycle that doesn't run budget) and I'm cheap.

 

I would replace the 30-year old originals; then lightly oil them with MMO or motor oil, so they can be reused going forward. But the originals are likely baked beyond salvation.

 

Austerity, dude, it's the new modern. The kid needs to take one for the team...... :lol:

 

Haha, chacal. Yeah, It's hip to sit in s...

FITZ, I replaced these about 14 years ago when I first got the bike. I had greased them at that time. When I tore down the carbs a month ago, they popped right off. No tears. My friends that tried to get the bile going used silicone cauk on everything on the carb. So I had to clean all of that off with a soft brass brush and toothbrush. Now that I think about it I should probably just replace them. After I do the valves.

 

Yep, now that's a great marketing angle you've come up with! Could be the tag line of an ad campaign featuring some useless boozy rich starlet to pout across the TV or in magazines showcasing their new "Sit In Shi...." line of "streetwalker" cosmetics and silicone-caulk earrings to convince the 90% to accept their austerity, to enjoy their austerity, to even clamor for even greater austerity......

Yes, valves first, then the rest. I predict a bright future for you in every way!

 

When I replace Bowl Gaskets, ... I make sure I won't be needing another one soon.

I use an Artists-type Paint Brush.
I "Paint" the Carb Body, both sides of the Gasket and the Float Bowl with Marvel Mystery Oil.

(If you get into a jam and have to reuse an old Gasket that feels pretty hard.
Take 3 squares of paper towel and fold them in half.
Soak them.
Lay the Gasket on the paper towels.
Cover the Gasket with 3 squares of soaked paper towel.
Put in Microwave.
Place saucer on top.
25 seconds.)

 

Lemme guess, it won't fix the gasket but now while you're repairing your microwave you can look back on how good you had it when all you needed was a new gasket?

jkjk ;-)

 

No, it does the same thing boiling your carb-to-airbox boots does, forces some moisture back into them.

Unfortunately, in the case of fibrous carb gaskets they'll dry back out rather quickly.

These particular gaskets were meant to be re-usable. But not necessarily thirty year old ones. The same goes for a lot of other gaskets on the bike: reusable, once replaced. But you can't expect the original ones to perform like a new one in that respect.

 

Even being careful taking Bowls off can cost you a Gasket if it rips.

If you work on Carbs a lot, ... you might have a finishing nail where you hang the Gaskets you removed when you installed Carb Kits.

Having a used one is better than a goop-job.
Steaming it, ... then ... Oiling it ... will save the day.

It does perform like a new one.
It don't leak.

You read a helpful hint.
Someday, it might prove to be helpful.

 

It was a joke, that's what jk (just kidding) means, and the winking face.

 

How possible is it to make your own gaskets?

 

You need the right tools and patience.

A set of X-Acto Cutting Tools
A "Self-Healing" Cutting Board
T-Headed Pins
High-quality Scissors - Precision
Leather-working Hole Punch - Select wheeled
Paper Punch - Single hole
Comfortable well lighted work station.
Masking tape.

If you have a Gasket to trace, ... your are way ahead of the game.

If you don't, ... you need to make a Pattern to trace.

Sometimes, ... you can place the gasket material on the cover you want to seal, then ... use a small Ball Peen Hammer to gently tap around gasket material on the outer edges of cover with Flat end of hammer.
Then use the ball end to gently tap around the inner circumference.
Use round ball end to gently tap over any place there's a hole.
For smaller Holes, ... flip-over Pin Punches to make an indentation to remove.

It leaves a nice impression in gasket material easily cut out with razor knife or Exacto.


Google: "Making your own gasket"

Read some of the stories in old CYCLE Magazines, about what some people had to use as the gasket Making Materials:

American Express Travelers Checks
Passport Covers
Cereal Box Tops

 

Great info. Rick, I like the steaming & oiling direction. As long as a gasket is not torn or baked like a stale nacho, I usually try to reuse.