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MG MGA - carb floats and needles

One of my floats is sunk. I drilled a hole to drain, and plan to try resoldering it. Anyone have an opinion on this?

Also, how do you get the pins out that hold the Y-shaped yokes for the needles/float level? They are knurled at one end - unscrew or hammer?

If I replace these with Grose jets, which part number and what is the best place to purchase them - Moss?

Thanks.

JIM in NH
AJ Mail

Jim

I have repaired my float as you describe. Worked fine.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Jim - Once you solder the hole you drilled in the float closed, toss it in a pan of water and heat the water while looking for a stream of bubbles from the float to locate the source of the leak (it doesn't do any good to drill and drain the float if the crack that is leaking is still there. Some of the floats were damaged by worn or damaged dies used to shape the two pieces and they wind up with multiple cracks in them. If this is the case, it is best to just purchase a new float.

Regarding the Gross jets, don't bother with them. The present day Gross jets are not as good as the standard needle valves. Too bad as the original Gross jets were a great unit.

You should be able to get the float lever pin out just by using a pair of needle nose pliers. push the pin toward the the knurled end. While you have the lever off, you might want to take a look at the article, Float Lever Drop in the Other Tech Articles section of my web site at: http://homepages.donobi.net/sufuelpumps/ and make the adjustment described there - particularly if you have trouble with the float bowl overflowing when the ignition is first turned on after the car has sat for an extended period of time without being run. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Thanks for your kind answers. I will read the article and let you know how I make out.

JIM
AJ Mail

Soldered the bad float and adjusted the float needle yokes to 7/16" per the manual. One float is now a bit heavier than the other - but I am thinking that will not be a big problem...I might have to play with the float height in that float chamber later on.

I believe I will order a carb rebuild kit to get new rubber pieces. The PO says that this was done and I believe him, but the rubber grommets used to seal the float bowl to carb are already disintegrating - 8 years or more of sitting, not being used though. More Moss Chinese rubber problems?

AJ Mail

Got the carbs back on and the engine installed in the car tonight - hooray! I did it while waiting outside for the trick or treaters - hadn't planned on getting that far, but the time was right. Thank God I purchased the engine hoist last year - what a great tool. I wouldn't want to have tried that if I had had the body on the frame, either - much easier with body off.

Pics to follow.

JIM in NH
AJ Mail

Jim

My Father-in-Law used to tell me that back in the 30s soldering floats was standard practice for the penniless motorists of the time. He reckoned that some of his floats had more solder than brass in them!

If the soldering is done correctly (cleaning properly and fluxing) I would imagine that the difference in weight is minuscule. I do not remember having to make any allowances when setting up the carbs. I found the leak in the way David describes, drilled it out slightly and also drilled another hole to aid drainage, then soldered both holes.

Steve
Steve Gyles

I got a little heavy handed with the solder I think. I resoldered all the joints so as to hopefully eliminate the hole that started it all. No hole was obvious (except for the one I had to drill to drain it...)

Here is a pic of the engine back in the car!



AJ Mail

Must be a story behind the way you've painted your driveline.
Ray Ammeter

Looks like a neat restoration! Spirals are used on propeller nose cones, but drive shafts? Please share why...
Russ
Russ Carnes

Caution - Rotating Equipment!

In the Navy, the guarding around the ship's prop shafts and other rotating equipment (coupling guards) were painted in black and yellow stripes to let you know not to stick your hand in there. The (larger) shafts themselves were sometimes painted as well. I thought it was cool and it doesn't show once covered.

The prop shaft was pretty rusty and ugly, and I had to paint it anyway...so why not?

JIM
AJ Mail

An old Air Force pilot in our local 'T' register took a page from the air force and painted stripe across each fan blade to indicate when it was turning. I have often though that would be a goo idea, but have never gotten around to doing it on our cars. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

I love it when we wander away; nothing whatsoever to do with floats! David's story reminded me of a fellow trainee pilot in 1966 at Syerston, Nottingham. By chance he had a white MGA Coupe. However, he ejected one morning with his instructor when they ran into the station formation team coming out of a loop. Needless to say we decorated his car so it looked something like the image attached.

Steve


Steve Gyles

Steve, I never noticed that sign when you gave me ride in your car last week! Had I known you had an ejector seat fitted I may have declined bearing in mind James Bond's car!!
By the way Jim in NH - I like your solution to the problem mentioned on another thread regarding the felt lining in air filters (and the possible blocking of air flow in the block causing pressure to build and displace oil)- your air filters should give a free flow !!
Cheers Cam
Cam Cunningham

Woops - that wasn't me. I have been following the air filter threads recently however - I am about to post a new one...so we can let this one die instead of picking it up here - we are now wayyy off topic.

JIM
AJ Mail

Cam

The tricks of Photoshop/PowerPoint.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Cam

Despite what you see in James Bond cars, ejector seats are quite bulky bits of kit, since they have to contain 3 parachutes of differing sizes, a dinghy with other survival aids, a 10 minute oxygen supply and a rocket pack. Bit too tall for an MGA cockpit. This is my used one.

Steve


Steve Gyles

This thread was discussed between 31/10/2009 and 02/11/2009

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