Float or sink?

[Dale_W]

Tecumseh 5 hp H50 65422L ser 9250D
Carb is 631927

Gasoline was overflowing out of the carburetor. I figured needle not seating properly.

I take out the metal float and give it a shake. Sure enough - it has gas in it. I dry it up all nice and shake some more. Do you think any gas leaks out?

Sure I could put a little hole in the float, drain it, and soldier it back up.

But this won't solve my problem. How do find the stupid leak?

I'd like to fix this rather than buy a new float, but I will rely on your advice.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,

Dale

EDIT: I see a new float is around $6 shipped. I think I see my solution here. Do you guys recommend the plastic or metal float?

[Skywatcher]

Hi Dale

For what these little floats cost vs the time and effort you can put into a repair that may not always work, you're way further ahead to replace the float Tecumseh P/N 632019A (Stens # 525-817). However, if you were wanting to find the leak just for interest's sake, warm the float up with a heat gun on low or a hair drier on high. This will boil the fuel in the float and you'll either see a jet of vapor or a stream of fuel exiting through the leak. Hope this helps and all the best,

Sky

[RoyM]

You don't have a leak, gas is spewing out the bowl vent in the carburetor throat. A new float along with a needle and seat should cure the problem.

[Arkie]

Hi Dale

For what these little floats cost vs the time and effort you can put into a repair that may not always work, you're way further ahead to replace the float Tecumseh P/N 632019A (Stens # 525-817). However, if you were wanting to find the leak just for interest's sake, warm the float up with a heat gun on low or a hair drier on high. This will boil the fuel in the float and you'll either see a jet of vapor or a stream of fuel exiting through the leak. Hope this helps and all the best,

Sky

Sky

Check your PM and email.

Arkie

[bgsengine]

You don't have a leak, gas is spewing out the bowl vent in the carburetor throat. A new float along with a needle and seat should cure the problem.

Huh? He said he has liquid *in* the float - meaning float has a hole in it, so it does not , well, float..

[RoyM]

Tecumseh 5 hp H50 65422L ser 9250D
Carb is 631927

Gasoline was overflowing out of the carburetor. I figured needle not seating properly.


Dale

[bgsengine]

Tecumseh 5 hp H50 65422L ser 9250D
Carb is 631927

Gasoline was overflowing out of the carburetor. I figured needle not seating properly.


Dale

And then..

I take out the metal float and give it a shake. Sure enough - it has gas in it. I dry it up all nice and shake some more

[RoyM]

There seems to be a misunderstanding here. I read that he had a problem with the carb leaking which led him to the float. My point was that the carb itself wasn't leaking, it was actually flooding from the bowl vent. As you point out the float leaks which is the root of his problem.

[bgsengine]

There seems to be a misunderstanding here. I read that he had a problem with the carb leaking which led him to the float. My point was that the carb itself wasn't leaking, it was actually flooding from the bowl vent. As you point out the float leaks which is the root of his problem.

Yeah no probs there but I still don't see where he said he thought he had a leak - he seemed to diagnose it correctly (as I read it) as gas overflowing out the carb.. ? I dunno, as I read the original post it seemed he was right on target, and the rest of the advice was pretty much what I'd have said.. so I was kinda confused by your comment after all that... no biggie.

Edit to add - I think I see where the confusion happened- he was talking about the float leak (as in tiny pinhole or crack that doesn't show up readily until you get the right temperature or pressure) - seems that's what he was talking about not able to find the leak.. I can remember trying to see where the liquid came from on some floats that seemingly just would not leak out the gas that got into them.. but if you chill it enough all of a sudden the leak would show up (or heat it enough to create pressure inside the float)

[KE4AVB]

The term leak is used a lot as a general term when related fuel or oil problems when excess of either one is visible. We all probably get customers bringing equipment as saying its leaking fuel or oil. Once the equipment is in our hands it is our job to find the source of the problem be it an actual leak or overflow problem. Sometimes this simple and at other times it is enough make us to want to take BFH to it.

I know guy that took a EBFH to his brand new push mower because it would not start then he the bright to check the fuel which it was out of.

From what I gather is he was trying to find how the fuel got into the float.

Personally it is not worth the time to find to problem with the float as Sky referred to. It is the same with any float that get fuel laden it best to simply replace it and save the time for something else. You got pick and chose your battles; the float battle is one that I usually lose so I just install new floats.

It is just too time intensive as many floats as some as you fix one leak another shows up as with metal floats the metal has thin even further than the paper thin metal initially used. Even the act of soldering which involves an aggressive type of flux (acid and not rosin) to wet the metal so the solder sticks which erode away the metal. It is like trying to weld rusty metal.

Dale once you install the new float you should pressure test the carburetor before saying all is resolved as you may have multiple problems all looking like the same thing.