leakin carburator

[mr41cadillac]

question ? could cleaning a copper float in a strong acid toilet bowl cleaner cause  a carb. to leak. ? the float came out bright shiney and does not bubble in hot water. but if the acid took off some weight would this maybe affect the buoyancy ? thanks john

[dplotkin]

There is no reason to clean a float like that and it can certainly break down the joints or eat through areas already thin. but if you cannot find fuel inside the float, it is likely your problem is elsewhere. What carb are you dealing with?

Dan

[Scot Minesinger]

Generally if the float is not operational in that it will not stop the flow of gas due to defect, adjustment or etc., the car will run rich and stink of gas all the time, at least in a Quadra-jet.  You know how it is, when you think you did something wrong, probably did.  I would buy another float (I know not easy) and then investigate, this way you have it if needed. 

[Fred Pennington 25635]

When you say the carb is leaking the question is from where?
If it is leaking from the gasket between the top horn and the body, that could be an assembly or a warped part problem.
If fuel is coming out of the overflow and running down into the carburetor then your float is the problem.
That carb has a screw in brass plug on the side of the carb to check the float level and adjust accordingly.
You can remove that plug, if fuel is at the bottom of the hole or just barely comes out your level is correct.
If buoyancy was increased the opposite would happen, your float / fuel level would be low.
If the cleaning caused a leak in the float then the level will be high and fuel will poor out of the overflow.

Hope this helps

[Bill Gauch #23121]

Most toilet cleaners are not acidic. They are usually basic (lye-based) or neutral soaps and surfactants. Also, even if you used some form of acid, if it dissolved the surface slightly and changed its weight slightly, it would likely have no appreciable affect on its buoyancy, which is a function of its surface area. It is possible that you could have dissolved something that was plugging up a pinhole or that you could have in some way damaged it. However, it would be full of liquid and be instantly obvious (heavier, hearing fluid when you shake it, etc.).

[dplotkin]

I asked what type of carb as that info is material in the diagnosis.

Dan