[G.M.]

I got stuck on the road with a sunk brass float in my 39CS carb about 20 years ago. I pulled the top off the carb and removed the float, It was 1/2 full of gas and had a small crack below the fuel level. Gas was comming out of a small split about 1/2"long when it hot. As it cooled the the fuel stopped flowing out and was still heavy. I held the float with pliers up to an exhaust pipe of a modern car and all of the gas came out. I rebent the arm on the float and put it in upside down and continued about 25 miles to the show. After the show drove it home and drove it for several weeks. I thought I better fix it before I forget. Soldered the split, turned it over and rebent the operateing arm and it's still working. I would say in years most of these brass floats crack. The problem is when brass is "worked" or in this case "drawn" it work hardens. This is to much of a draw to do at one shot. They should have been drawn halfway, annealed and then completed but this would have added an extra 1/2 penny to the cost. When soldering clean good and solder with an iron just hot enough to do the job. Just cover the crack with less than a 1/32" coat. Look close at any old brass float and most will show stress lines. I dip the cork floats in the gas tank coating material Red-Kote. Last year I removed the brass tank float in my 39 P/U and found the new gas along with moisture it attracted ate the thin brass float. G.M.