No love from my Linkert...

[Kuda]

So I spent my day off yesterday trying to switch from a CV back to a Linkert (M-35 if it matters).  Freshly rebuilt carb purchased from In The Wind Trading, came with a foam float, which immediately got replaced with a PEEK one from Cotton.  Set up EXACTLY according to the manual, .250" from the top of the float bowl to the float, .003 free play on the float (might be .004, I won't lie), float offset 1/16" off to the left looking down on the bowl.  I've tried increasing the depth, decreasing the depth (from 1/8" drop to 3/4" drop), tried a new rubber float needle, and a new steel float needle. 9 times out of 10 it just gushes out of the carb when the gas is turned on, once, and once only, it started but immediately sucked the bowl dry and stalled out, but would restart for a few seconds once it sat for a few minutes. Not sure what the heck else to try here...

-Kuda
'49 panchop

[ohio-rider]

Any time I mess around with a linkert float setting I always test the float action before reassembling the bowl to the carb. To test the way I do, you’ll need
1)- A wine cork big enough to plug the hole in  bottom of the bowl.
2)- A 2ft. piece of rubber gas line.
3)- A small funnel. A one cup funnel is big enough.

Use the cork to seal the bottom hole in bowl, attach one end of the gas line to the bowl inlet and the other end to the small funnel. Suspend the funnel above the carb and fill it with water. Now watch the float for any interference.

[jellero]

are you removing the float before doing any bending? otherwise you can easily bend the little tab that presses down the needle which gives you a free flow of gas as you described. j

[Kuda]

Any time I mess around with a linkert float setting I always test the float action before reassembling the bowl to the carb. To test the way I do, you’ll need
1)- A wine cork big enough to plug the hole in  bottom of the bowl.
2)- A 2ft. piece of rubber gas line.
3)- A small funnel. A one cup funnel is big enough.

Use the cork to seal the bottom hole in bowl, attach one end of the gas line to the bowl inlet and the other end to the small funnel. Suspend the funnel above the carb and fill it with water. Now watch the float for any interference.

That's a pretty slick idea, gonna have to give that a try this weekend. Thanks!

-Kuda

[Kuda]

are you removing the float before doing any bending? otherwise you can easily bend the little tab that presses down the needle which gives you a free flow of gas as you described. j

Oh yeah. I'm well aware of how fragile the PEEK floats are. Plus, one of the real PITA's of setting the float level was reducing the "freeplay" to .003" at the tab. I'm sure they're all the same, but on mine the "tab" is actually three fingers, two underneath that fit into the slot on the needle (one on either side) and one in the middle on top that pushes down on top of the needle. It was pretty finicky getting it all lined up without binding. At least I hope I got it not binding, I'll find out this weekend with the recommended bowl check...

-Kuda

[ohio-rider]

Since you have both, metal and rubber float valves in hand, heres a thought. Set the rubber one aside. Put a very small amount
of lapping compound on the metal one and lightly kiss it around in its seat. Clean every thing out real good and install the rubber
one and then test it again.

[fulldress79]

I never bothered with the .003 clearance thing between the fingers.I kept 'em looser to keep from binding. Did it by eyeball not too tight, not too loose,I never felt that was as important as float level.then when it was all together I would tip it upside down,right side up, upside down a few times and listen if the float moved freely back and forth. That was a few decades ago when Pans were owned by people who couldn't afford late models like cone motor Shovels.Back when I was young and foolish. Now I'm not young....

[drinner-okc]

After you lightly lap the steel needle in, throw away the rubber tipped one as far as you can. Modern fuel will cause
it to swell. Sometimes the tip even comes off. Steel needles can still be had, too.
the float is not PEEK, the Intake seals for plumber intakes are. Peek is ultra-high temp 'plastic'
Cotten's floats are 'Durable' (& great) ok, & easy to crack.

[jellero]

i didn't know what a PEEK float was. i have a stock brass float and can't imagine the stock settings would work for a lighter, non stock float. does cotten give other specs for setup?  g'luck, j
edited to add- (if gas is gushing, then not flowing the float must be hitting bowl and hanging up don't you think?)

[fulldress79]

 The original the floats were cork.Brass ones are repo. You used to have to shellac 'em every once and a while.Thats before they changed the gas...

[Kuda]

i didn't know what a PEEK float was. i have a stock brass float and can't imagine the stock settings would work for a lighter, non stock float. does cotten give other specs for setup?  g'luck, j
edited to add- (if gas is gushing, then not flowing the float must be hitting bowl and hanging up don't you think?)

In order: the settings for the Durable floats (thanks for the correction!) are exactly the same as stock.  He designed them with less volume so that the specs would be the same, 1/4" from the top...

Nope, it's not hitting the bowl, or the center. It's either a wonky float needle/valve or binding up on the needle. I'm gonna rig up the tester recommended above (thanks again!) and give it a shot this weekend. I have a rubber cork that I was going to whittle down (used to use it for pressure testing intakes) but I've since reconsidered: the gas is going to eat the rubber for sure. So I've either got to make it out of cork or use water for the test. Since gas is thinner than water, I'm inclined to use cork and gas...

-Kuda
'49 panchop

[4DWUDS]

1)- A wine cork big enough to plug the hole in  bottom of the bowl.
That's the part I never seem to get past, I just couldn't leave a bottle of wine without a cork till there was no more wine. By that time it was Linkert Schminkert , who cares.

[ShovelheadDave]

I had similar trouble with my Linkert and Durable float.  I also did not think there was any interference issues, but after a few frustrating days determined it was just that.  It was hanging up on the center casting.  Once I relieved a small amount of float material on the ID it worked like a charm 

[Kuda]

Fixed.  Sometimes I really wonder if I should be trusted to turn a wrench. I rechecked the float dozens of times, used the cork, fuel line and funnel trick to check the needle and seat (just fine), but every time I reassembled it poured everywhere. About the 30th time I pulled the bowl and rechecked it hit me like a brick: I was offseting the float 1/16" of in inch...in the wrong direction. Sheesh. Moved it over and she's not leakin' any more. Still working on the adjustments, but got it pretty close before I shut everything down to pull the heads.  At least now I won't be starting from scratch when I finish going through the motor this winter.  Thanks again for all the help...

-Kuda
'49 panchop

[ohio-rider]

Kuda...Glad to hear you got it all sorted out. 

[CraigArizona85248]

   Glad to hear you got that squared away.  I can see myself doing exactly the same thing.  Especially when I'm looking up at the bottom of a carb then trying to translate that into left vs. right when I'm no longer stairing up at the ceiling.

I have to say... I will never complain about getting a 52 week riding season in Arizona, but sometimes I'm jealous of you guys have a "down season" where you can catch up on needed maintenance without feeling like you are missing good riding weather.  The closest we have to a down season is the summer here.  I don't always feel like riding when it's 110F outside, but when it's the same temp in the garage I sure don't feel like wrenching either.  LOL

-Craig

[ohio-rider]

Craig, This weather is nothing to envy. It only takes a few days to tear a panhead all the way down and about a month to put it all back together. That leaves us another 3 months of wishing we where in Arizona. 

[Kuda]

 Glad to hear you got that squared away.  I can see myself doing exactly the same thing.  Especially when I'm looking up at the bottom of a carb then trying to translate that into left vs. right when I'm no longer stairing up at the ceiling.

I have to say... I will never complain about getting a 52 week riding season in Arizona, but sometimes I'm jealous of you guys have a "down season" where you can catch up on needed maintenance without feeling like you are missing good riding weather.  The closest we have to a down season is the summer here.  I don't always feel like riding when it's 110F outside, but when it's the same temp in the garage I sure don't feel like wrenching either.  LOL

-Craig

Glad I'm not the only one, thanks for that.     As for riding season, I probably shouldn't admit this but I've now got two other bikes to ride while the pan is down.  I ride year-round, as long as the snow's not too deep (after 3-4" I call it quits) or there's not a lot of ice...

-Kuda (yeah, I'm not too bright...)
'49 panchop (and others...)

[76shuvlinoff]

That leaves us another 3 months of wishing we where in Arizona.   

ain't that the truth.....

[CraigArizona85248]

Supposed to get up to 71F today.  It's mid 50's right now.  I think I'll go throw on my jacket and take a ride.   

Sorry... couldn't resist... 

[76shuvlinoff]

Craig,
  as directed another time by another moderator.... bite me.   

Kuda,
I read about your trip on the pan on JJ, I believe you rode that rigid out to Sturgis SD.

Impressive ride. 

[MBSKEAM]

LOL......


mbskeam