mrcvs Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 If you see my other thread, it is about installing a K D Carburetor, which is the original carburetor for the car. But, it is not a simple swap-out of the existing Johnson carburetor. Problem with the Johnson carburetor is that it frequently blows out gas and needs cleaning regularly. This time, I cleaned it out, and turn on the gas, and gas comes POURING out the back side of the carburetor onto the engine block...STILL after all this! I assume that it is the cork float that is the problem, and I am in touch with a fallow who can replicate this float...but it ain't cheap! Or, does ANYTHING else come to mind as to why it is pouring out gas now, and is always problematic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rp1967 Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 (edited) Remember years ago seeing my father dry out a cork float on top of a light bulb and recoating it.I don't know what he used and unfortunately he has passed on.Also remember him using lapping compound on needle and seat when both were metal.After giving it some thought it may have been Bill Hirsch gas tank sealer that he brushed on those old cork floats.You would want the alcohol resistant type today of course. Edited June 12, 2015 by Rp1967 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Shaw Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 You can make your own cork float with three wine corks. Just use a belt sander or grinding wheel to flatten the sides and Crazy Glue to glue them together for a large enough piece. Then grind it into shape and coat it with gas tank sealer, airplane dope, or Crazy Glue to resist modern gas. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcvs Posted June 13, 2015 Author Share Posted June 13, 2015 That is an excellent idea! Or, can you buy a sheet or block of cork anywhere, maybe even at the hardware store? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Shaw Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 Wine corks are more fun.... as long as you and the missus empty the bottles... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickelroadster Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Bill Hirsch gas tank sealer will not stick to cork. It comes off in sheets. I would use very thin CA glue or model airplane dope ( make sure it is Buterate). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcvs Posted July 4, 2015 Author Share Posted July 4, 2015 Is there something I should try to use to replicate the cork float, or is there ANYWHERE one can buy a float, brass or otherwise, that will simply replace this one? The car would turn over and fire, and idle a little bit before flooding as the float gets saturated. Does anyone know if the problem is simply because the float is old OR is it because of the junk ethanol we have now (e.g. the inability to get REAL gas)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cahartley Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 Post a pic of the float along with dimensions.......I have some ideas....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcvs Posted July 4, 2015 Author Share Posted July 4, 2015 Post a pic of the float along with dimensions.......I have some ideas....... Wow! Much thanks! I will pull it apart tomorrow (hopefully) and take pictures. It is circular with brass fittings and a pin, with a crevice cut out on the inner circular part to accommodate a central cylinder which otherwise would catch on it if the crevice were not cut out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Mead Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 Restoration Supply sells blocks of the new black wonder stuff, said to be better than cork... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe in Canada Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 My 1930 Johnson Carb would flood over all the time. I took out the brass clip that held the needle to the float 3 years ago no more flooding over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbking Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 Nothing you can do will turn the Johnson into a reliable carburetor However, if you are convinced a better float would help, try whittling one out of a chunk of balsa wood (from a model airplane shop or a flower shop). Reuse your old float arm, and seal both the float and arm. Model airplane fabric dope, or POR-15 is resistant to gasoline. Jon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcvs Posted July 5, 2015 Author Share Posted July 5, 2015 Nothing you can do will turn the Johnson into a reliable carburetor However, if you are convinced a better float would help, try whittling one out of a chunk of balsa wood (from a model airplane shop or a flower shop). Reuse your old float arm, and seal both the float and arm. Model airplane fabric dope, or POR-15 is resistant to gasoline. Jon.Well, that's what I wanted to know. Not sure if the Johnson carburetor is unreliable, or if it is the float being old, ethanol in the gas, etc. Not quite sure if the K-D carburetor was reliable in its day or not. This Maxwell is 90% original, so nothing was replaced unless it HAD to be. I WAS going to photograph the float in the Johnson carburetor today, but let sleeping dogs lie--For now! It was so flooded yesterday, I couldn't get it started, after rebuilding it. Today, started right up, didn't leak, drove the car a few miles. Turned it off by turning off the fuel, went to start it again, and some gas poured out of the carburetor, but once running, no gas coming out. Okay, not ideal, but best in a long time. BTW, a small piece of debris was cleaned out of the carburetor float adjust, so that was the problem before. As it is now is typical functioning status. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbking Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 Maxwell used lots of different carbs. Some they made themselves; others from (chronologic order) Holley, Kingston, Zephyr, K & D, Johnson, Eagle, and finally beginning in 1922, they started using Zenith for export and Stewart for domestic. If I owned a Maxwell that I wanted to drive, it would be a "1922 or later" regardless of the actual year of manufacture. (Opinion) of the top three carburetor brands prior to 1932, Zenith and Stewart were two of them (Stromberg the third). Just a comment on Johnson: as most of you know, many carburetors of the day used some form of device, generally a water jacket or exhaust jacket, to heat the air/fuel mixture for better atomization. One of Johnson's methods was to install a "heating plate" in the bowl above the gas, and ran an electric current to the heating plate. Jon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Gates Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 I bought a float slug T6201B from Snyder's Antique Auto and sliced it on a spindle and then used hole saws to make 3 ring style floats for KD carbs. Just used small brass screws to fasten to KD float arm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe in Canada Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 I have a Johnson model D 40 1913 anyone know what it is for????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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