Arrrgh, that sinking feeling! Solex floats...

[Thomas Sottile]

Can the floats. Be 3D printed?

[Don Gale]

Can the floats. Be 3D printed?

Good idea. If someone has a cracked or broken/leaking float to sacrifice and send to me (PM), I will be happy to dissect it and take accurate measurements and generate a 3D solid model and export an Iges or .stl file and get some quotes and research the best type of material to print it with. It will probably require machining a brass pivot sleeve, which can be fixtured and 3D printed around it. One could get clever and embed a polished brass pad for the check valve pin to ride on.

[Phil Planck]

Wow, one more thing to check.

[Mike Wilson]

I was searching for "sunk Solex floats" and came across this thread again. I recently had two floats fail. Both were filled with gas. I'll be playing with different products to see if I can seal them. Also, I'm thinking that whatever is used to glue the two parts together eventually disolves and causes leaks including not only fuel but whatever you use to check float levels; denatured alcohol, thinner, kerosene, etc.

Has anyone purchased the brass floats previouly mentioned and used them? There was a comment thinking they might not fit.

Mike

[David Jones]

Exactly why I asked about the floats in the new Chinese solex 40,s.

[Mike Wilson]

I had forgotten about those, David. Apparently no more research on 3D printing, blown injection molding, etc.? There are also new materials out there that are impervious to gasoline. I'm thinking also of the float material in older fuel senders. As far as repairs to leaking ones, I'm looking at different sealers and warming the float to allow the sealer to wick into the seam by capillary action.

Mike

[Ron LaDow]

"...There are also new materials out there that are impervious to gasoline..."
Mike, the cannister design on the Pre Mat Auto Prime is a result of a discussion with a chem guy. Suffice to say, gasoline is well known and not a problem; ethanol is really, really miserable stuff.
I would not be surprised to find the recent Solex float failures are the result of subjecting them to ethanol rather than gasoline and whatever sealers you're hoping to use, it would be worthwhile to check with the mfgrs as regards extended exposure to ethanol.

[Adam Wright]

"...There are also new materials out there that are impervious to gasoline..."
Mike, the cannister design on the Pre Mat Auto Prime is a result of a discussion with a chem guy. Suffice to say, gasoline is well known and not a problem; ethanol is really, really miserable stuff.
I would not be surprised to find the recent Solex float failures are the result of subjecting them to ethanol rather than gasoline and whatever sealers you're hoping to use, it would be worthwhile to check with the mfgrs as regards extended exposure to ethanol.

Just another reason to search out and fill up with ethanol free gas whenever possible. Luckily I have to go about a 1/4 mile to get it.

[Ron LaDow]

In coastal CA, it takes a 200 mile ride to NV. Or a pilot's license, an N-number and a willing pump guy (don't tell anyone I told you about that).

[Vic Skirmants]

Mike Wilson wrote "Has anyone purchased the brass floats previously mentioned and used them? There was a comment thinking they might not fit."
There are no brass floats for these Solexes.

[Scott McAdams]

This seems like such an obvious product for Porsche Classic to reproduce. When you look at their product offerings, it seems to be a bit of a haphazard selection. But quality Solex float reproductions from them would be a no-brainer, in my opinion....

[Mike Wilson]

Hi, Vic:

Check out the last comment on the first page of this thread. It's about the brass float I was referring to.

Mike

[Vic Skirmants]

The link says NOT interchangeable with the plastic ones.

[Mike Wilson]

A swing and a miss! Thanks, Vic.

Mike

[Chuck Allard]

IMG_2216.jpg (2.4 MiB) Viewed 596 times

I purchased a pair of the cheaper Chinese made Solex replacement carbs but haven't put them on an engine to test as of yet. However, this thread about floats got me to thinking...From left to right:
I pulled a known good (original float - no holes), one that had been replaced by me several years ago after I had installed it and it then sunk within several months (big holes), one that hasn't sunk (small holes) and the Chinese version float.
An earlier post from 2019 showed the first three versions so I did the same and added the white Chinese version at the end. Three of the 4 floats weighed between 7.2 and 7.3 grams. The sunk version was a gram heavier but has no fluid in it.
Excluding color and lack of Solex designation, the Chinese version appears to be identical to an original Solex float in general shape and the pivot axis is identical in height as is the small hole version. The large hole (sunk) version pivot axis is 2 mm higher than the other three.
I would guess that the next test would be for someone to install the Chinese version carbs and use the car regularly for a year or so to see if the floats maintain their integrity.