Grasping at STRAWS to fix broken carb post.

[cywelchjr]

I would agree with Marty there, the piano wire is stronger, probably too strong for this job. The safety wire would be a closer fit strength wise.

[79XS11F]

It's a little late, but here is a thought.
The part you are replacing is fastened to the carb body by what those in the trade would call a butt connection.
Butt connections are not very strong, due to the limited joint area, and the cantilevered stress.
So, since you seem to be comfortable with small work pieces, the next time you have to do one, take a piece of piano wire, get a drill bit the same size, drill two holes in the post base, one on either side, positioned such that they are centered in the area that will be along side of the pin hole, bend the piano wire into a U shape, push the U down into the holes with a smear of epoxy, then pot the rest of the epoxy around the pinned post.
Now you have a reinforced epoxy post, less apt to come apart at the seams. JAT CZ

I was going to do that and was thinking about a loop that was into drilled holes in what is left of the base but decided to keep it simple. I have a replacement carb body coming to replace this one but still wanted to try to find a fast, simple, cheap fix that anyone can do with minimal skill and tools. If this Z- Poxy stuff proves to be fuel proof it will help out many with broken carb posts.
Rob

[fredintoon]

FWIW, I reckon that any plastic/adhesion style salvage will only work in the short term.
Chop the broken post off short with a Dremel tool.
Tap the stub end M4 or M5 mebbe 6mm deep.
Thread in a cross-drilled brass pin.
No need to lock the threads, the float pin will stop it turning.

[CaptonZap]

.020 stainless safety wire is what you need for that.

That would work, but it is a little soft for what you are trying to do. Think rebar. Stiff stuff. and a few notches, spaced randomly around the shank, imparted with a pair of dikes, for the epoxy to key on, would probably not hurt anything.
Makes me almost want a broken carb to test it out on.
Almost. CZ

[79XS11F]

The Z Poxy stood up to the gasoline pretty good but there is some crystallization of the product. Like a skin that can be peeled off so that would be a no go but it was tons better then the JB weld.
Next up will be the low temp solder.
Rob

[kwats]

FWIW, I reckon that any plastic/adhesion style salvage will only work in the short term.
Chop the broken post off short with a Dremel tool.
Tap the stub end M4 or M5 mebbe 6mm deep.
Thread in a cross-drilled brass pin.
No need to lock the threads, the float pin will stop it turning.

I used your idea and made a new post out of aluminum on my lathe. I wrapped the threads and even pinned the post for extra measure.
http://s1230.photobucket.com/albums/...t=carbpost.jpg

[DAVINCI]

You've got one good post, install the pin with the head on the good post. They are an interference fit, so you can tap it in snug. been running mine that way for 7+ years no problems. My #4 carb came with one broken post and I never got around to replacing or repairing it.

[CaptonZap]

After a search in the internet , it seems that there is an epoxy that is suitable for this application. it is called
PHENOL NOVOLAC EPOXY
<http://www.caswellplating.com/aids/epoxygas.htm>
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be available in small quantities at the local hardware store. CZ

[79XS11F]

After a search in the internet , it seems that there is an epoxy that is suitable for this application. it is called
PHENOL NOVOLAC EPOXY
<http://www.caswellplating.com/aids/epoxygas.htm>
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be available in small quantities at the local hardware store. CZ

39.99 is not bad and even easier to handle if you happen to need to do your fuel tank at the same time. The post repair required about 3 drops into the straw that's been cut to the right height.
Rob

[Winterhawk]

If you still have the bottom half of where your pin sets on I'd drill a small hole and safety wire the pin on. I've did it several times on different bikes including XS1100's.

[TopCatGr58]

Update on the QuickSteel Epoxy!

Hey folks,

I've been busy trying to get Godzilla back in shape for the fall rally at the Iron Horse lodge...North Carolina area. I had to repair the belt guard on my Mini-alt mod...the bent flaps I made and bolted thru were tearing off of the guard! So...I cut all of the single walled flaps, and had some leftover sheet metal, folded several pieces into double thick, bent to make the 90 degree angles, then fitted them onto the single walled guard sides, and drilled and rivetted them in place! I also had to cut off the end of one of the Alt mounting bolts so that the drive belt wouldn't flex and rub/hit it possibly cutting/fraying the belt!

I then recharged the new battery overnight, and the next day rolled it out to start it and take it for a little ride around the "hood"! It fired up, but would NOT take any throttle, and I remembered smelling the odor of stale/sour gas/fuel when I was working on the guard! I could have sworn that I had put Sea Foam in the tank when I got back from my XSEast rally ride, but possibly I forgot to....so I had gummed up carbs!

SO I pulled the carbs to inspect and do a teardown cleaning....found the mains clogged, etc! I also found that the #2 carb post that I had repaired with that QuickSteel, and had checked it a couple of years ago when I had to replace my worn viton tipped valves, and the Quicksteel repair was holding up fine! But when I took the bowl off this time, there was a rubbery piece of the Epoxy laying in the bowl, and the post was loose!

SO I have to recall/retract my earlier suggestion of using Quicksteel as a repair option! I like the idea suggested about the safety wire, but would think drilling holes in the remaining base and the broken post and just wiring them together without any epoxy would be satisfactory...I have some wire, wish I had thought of this idea a few days ago!

I took some piece of 1/2" thick aluminum, drilled a ~1/4" hole in the piece, wallered it out just a little because the base is slightly tapered and a hair larger, just trying to make an interference type fit. Cut a slot in the side of it for the slot/wedge piece of the body that joins the base of the post to the body, then used a grinder,etc. to cut off excess material so that the bowl would fit down over it. Regrettably, they designed it with a very tight/close tolerance between the base of the post and the bowl, and after lots of filing, grinding,etc. I ended up making another slot in the piece towards the outside edge next to the recess area of the bowl! This weakened the interference fit a fair amount! So I then cross drilled the base piece and the repair piece so that I could stick a brad/nail into both to provide a little more tension and security to the fit!

My concern with the steel wire is that I've seen other screws and such inside the carb/bowl area RUST, and so the steel wire could also do that, both weakening and even breaking, as well as just putting rust particles directly into the float bowl to clog the pilot jet! Aluminum wire might work as well, wouldn't have to be twisted supertight, just enough to secure/hold the post...like Randy/Davinci said, there's not much tension/stress on the float post, but leaving the post off could cause the float to slide too far, skewing the needle valve or such and causing a leak!? Regrettably Mine leaked after I put it together, so I have to take it apart and investigate the post repair a little closer!

T.C.

[jetmechmarty]

My concern with the steel wire is that I've seen other screws and such inside the carb/bowl area RUST

.020 stainless steel safety wire. No worries.

[79XS11F]

I have not had a chance to move forward with this "find a cheap easy fix" for this broken post issue lately but I'm not done. The Z Poxy is very well bonded to the top of the broken post so I do not think pins would be required but the Z Poxy is not up to the interaction with gasoline. Yes, if the person doing the repair has a drill and tiny bits, pins could be added.
Next up will be Z Poxy coated with fiber glass resin followed by straight fiber glass resin which is good with gasoline. I just don't know if fiberglass resin will ad hear to the metal as well as the Z Poxy does.
Rob

[jetmechmarty]

I'm beginning to believe "cheap" and "easy" are not mutually inclusive.

In my case, I decided to use a carb body from a XS650, it having what I believed to be the same carburetor. Long story short, it isn't. I ended up having the post welded back together. In my case, if I had spent $500 on a rebuilt set of carbs (ready to go, as advertised), I would have been time and money ahead. In the end, my carburetor is permanently repaired.

Just the same, I am following this thread with great interest.

[cywelchjr]

Well, the XS650 does use the same model carb, but it's a slightly different variant, and without know exactly what those differences are, I suspect it's very close to impossible to make one work. I know some of the differences are things like different spring rates on the carb slides and I'm not sure how many other little things like that which add up to not working together. I suspect you could take 4 XS650 carbs and fit them into a bank and make them work together on our bikes, but I'm not sure it would be worth the work unless you already had them sitting around.