'84 RS, sticky floats

[dwerbil]

My left carb sometimes overflows, and a couple of raps near the fuel bowl will loosen the floats. Could I use a bit of teflon grease on the float posts to help the situation, or would the gasoline thin out the teflon grease and negate that little attempt of a quick fix.
I'm off for a weekend camp/ride in the Hill Country and don't have time to buy new floats.

[ME 109]

I don't think grease will do anything Randy.
How old are your float needles? It may be that the needle has developed a 'wear ring' where it contacts the seat.

If the fuel leak is occurring when the engine is running, I would further suspect the needle to be the culprit.

[dwerbil]

When I pulled the float bowl, it was full of gas and both floats were low in the fuel. It's like they're a little grabby on the posts. The carb never leaks when the riding.
I changed the float needles about four years/30k ago.

[dwerbil]

I'll try shining up the float posts a bit with some steel wool; maybe a pipe cleaner through the float post holes.

[Major Softie]

Something more like jeweler's rouge or rubbing compound would probably be better. That shaft normally has a very polished surface.

Maybe it's just varnish in the outer pivoting part. That would be easy to clean up with carb cleaner.

I thought of needle valves first too, but I'm responding to your comments about the pivot feeling sticky.

[Deleted User 72]

The way Randy describes it I think he has the alcohol floats that slide on a fire pole rather than pivoting thru an arc.

I think wooling the post and reaming the float is a good approach. I hope the post is not bent.

[ME 109]

The way Randy describes it I think he has the alcohol floats that slide on a fire pole rather than pivoting thru an arc.

Aha! I wondered why Randy used the words 'floats' and 'float posts'

There's always more to it......

[Garnet]

The way Randy describes it I think he has the alcohol floats that slide on a fire pole rather than pivoting thru an arc.

Aha! I wondered why Randy used the words 'floats' and 'float posts'

There's always more to it......

And here I thought all the posts where about floats.

[Major Softie]

And here I thought all the posts where about floats.

Where? Like, where the posts are?

[ME 109]

And here I thought all the posts where about floats.

Where? Like, where the posts are?

I think Garnet meant where they were wearing?