Best cork carb float coating

[archangel]

I am starting another tune-up and plan on reusing the existing cork float. There was a thread that discussed the best coatings others had found to use on cork floats though I can’t find that thread now. I am thinking it was on the lost blue board discussions. What recommendations do you all have for this?

[wedgie]

Crazy glue works

[kevinrude]

I use fuel proof model airplane dope available at your local hobby store. For $10-$15 you’ll have enough of this stuff to last the rest of your life. FYI, I find that dipping the float into the dope gives it too thick of a coat so I just brush it on with a small hobby paint brush.

[aquasonic]

SIG brand model airplane dope works great. It is getting tougher to find these days. I bought some online a little over a year ago, and there were only a couple of vendors that I could find.

Edit: This dope comes in all kinds of colors. The clear is what you want.

[archangel]

Terrific. Thank you! There is a SIG dealer not too far from me, as it turns out.

[seakaye12]

Here’s what I’ve been told to use; I got mine at a local hobby shop:

[joecb]

I too have used the SIG clear Hot Fuel Proof Dope for years and have not had a problem… HOWEVER, A friend that does quit a few carb rebuilds did an experiment. Left a dope treated cork sit in a jar of our normal 10 % ethanol for a couple of days and the coating did not hold up. Now, normally I don’t have fuel in my carb bowl for that long, so I guess that is why I’m not seeing problems. Further testing proved that the best coating he could find was "Red Kote" fuel tank coating, This is a single component coating that is impervious to the alcohol in our gasoline. Red Kote is available at most auto parts stores.
Joe B

[bobprock4200]

Joe, any idea how long the paint had to cure before it was soaked in fuel? That might make a difference. I’ve noticed "fuel-resistant" paint needs at least a week to cure. That being said, when I use Crazy glue, I’ve only let it set up for a few minutes with no apparent problems (yet). One thing I have noticed though, when you go to re-coat an old cork float, make sure it’s completely clean of any old fuel. I use Gumout carb cleaner or lacquer thinner and then let the cork dry out completely before attempting to recoat.

[aquasonic]

Very interesting. I like Red Kote, but it never occurred to me to use it for floats.

I just have a couple of questions. How long did he let the SIG coating cure before his experiment, and did he also test out super glue? I have no idea what kind of curing time the SIG coating requires, but I can’t say I have ever had a problem with it to date. I would guess that I usually don’t use the motor for at least a couple of weeks after coating the float.

I’m not trying to refute the findings, but just trying to learn.

[archangel]

Are there any Canadian members out there who know where, or if, Red Kote is available in Canada?

[Author]

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