Re: Coat the float?

[David Stanton]

I previously reported in this message string that I had not had any problems using Aerogloss Dope on floats. That has changed! I coated a cork float from a 1958 35 Evinrude with Aerogloss, and installed it in a 1961 40 Lark carb about a year ago. I never used ethanol-gas. I took it apart today due to poor idle unless choke was part way on, and found the Aerogloss was flaking off and had partially blocked the idle gas passageway to the needle valve. It appears that the stuff did not properly adhere to the factory float coating, which I had cleaned with carb cleaner and let dry thoroughly. Aerogloss may still work on bare cork – (maybe I’ll try that with a wine cork put on a gas tank gauge). I have a new float on order, and in the future will probably order OMC carb kits that have the float – the Sierra kits do not. When I can’t get a new float for motors in the future, I’ll try low viscosity super glue (just because I have some). I also have a ’59 35 Lark I rebuilt the carb on a year ago and I can’t get it to idle very good now – maybe the same problem??!!
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A side note – the 61 40 Lark I put the older float in had a float that had zero coating left on it when I got it and the cork was flaking off. I don’t know anything about the history of that motor, other than it hadn’t been run for a lot of years, original bad coils, etc., but something completely stripped off the factory float coating.
Dave