OMC cork floats?

[amuller]

I’m curious about why OMC stuck with cork floats for so long when (at least in my experience) brass ones are so much better. (They do, of course, have their failure modes such as springing a leak, but this is relatively uncommon and they can be soldered.)

I’m not totally sold on the foam (Nitrophyl®) ones either, as the manufacturer lists resistance to ethanol as "fair." (http://www.rogerscorp.com/ec/nitrophyl_ … ility.aspx). When I used to work on cars it was not so unusual to find a foam float saturated with fuel.

In any case, here’s my question. Do those of you who regularly service OMC motors feel like the cork floats need to be changed out as a matter of course? Or do you coat them? Or just what?

(I’ve coated a couple with POR15 and it seems to work, but I am not sure about weight gain as I didn’t think to weigh them before-and-after.) At one time it was possible to get weight specs for automotive floats and this was a good diagnostic tool. Is there such a think for outboard floats?

am

[Mumbles]

The BRP carb kits I use contain a new plastic foam float so I always install it. If the old cork one still looks good, I’ll save it for an emergency but usually they look pretty beaten and weathered.

Since OMC/BRP are only in business to make $$$ and plastic or cork floats being much cheaper to produce than a two piece brass float, I think it’s obvious why they went that route.

I did try to make a brass float for a TN once but haven’t had a chance to try it out yet. Maybe I should try again as my soldering skills have improved a bit since this attempt was made. ☺

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[dan-in-tn]

No doubt OMC left brass because of cost (both materials & labor). Not sure about cost of the nitrophil? float vs cork, but I guess cork was getting more costly. This might be one of those rare cases where newer is better. We have been dealing with ethanol since the mid ’80s. At first it would come and go according to fuel cost. Couldn’t afford to put it in unless fuel prices rose to a certain point. Ethanol still cost more to produce than it saves. (Different subject)! The new material floats have been with us through all of this and have done fine. I have not seen any failures of the float materials in big outboards & I saw a LOT of big outboards in my carrer. I now put new floats in everything I work on. The new style material come in the OEM kits most of the time. On the kits that don’t come with one I make one out of another from a different style float of a simular shape/style. the ones I have run into lately with cork floats are the 9.5 & RD/Big Twin kits. Not sure why they don’t get updated?
BTW: I put the little round Merc float in the TN, TD, etc. works like a champ.

Dan in TN

[eviltwin]

Mumbles that is interesting and would look good.(not that anyone but me would see it) I would just have to figure out how big to make it for a handitwin so it had the right measurements but not too heavy. Made me think of a float I had in a Tecumseh mower engine. It finally did wear a hole and leak, but I see potential in yours. Also worth noting the Tecumseh replacement was a semi clear hollow white plastic. How are your plastic forming skills? 🙂

With all the recent claims that various fuel proof sealing methods were failing this could be a solution for some.

[chris-p]

I can say, that the weight of the float does matter. I coated a float once too many times, and was too heavy to seat properly.

[RICHARD A. WHITE]

quote Mumbles:

The BRP carb kits I use contain a new plastic foam float so I always install it. If the old cork one still looks good, I’ll save it for an emergency but usually they look pretty beaten and weathered.

Since OMC/BRP are only in business to make $$$ and plastic or cork floats being much cheaper to produce than a two piece brass float, I think it’s obvious why they went that route.

I did try to make a brass float for a TN once but haven’t had a chance to try it out yet. Maybe I should try again as my soldering skills have improved a bit since this attempt was made. ☺

Mumbles, excellent attempt, my only comment would be your trying to add solder to the float, when you should be trying to "flow" the solder into the joint…BIG difference in weight and appearance. think like trying to solder a water line… they heat the joint, that has been properly prepared and fluxed, then once hot enough they then introduce a small amount of solder and it flows the entire way around the joint.. Hope I described it right, plumber can show you…after all that is their trade… Trying to help…

Regards

Richard

http://www.richardsoutboardtools.com
classicomctools@gmail.com

[frankr]

quote t2stroke:

BTW: I put the little round Merc float in the TN, TD, etc. works like a champ.
Dan in TN

Me too.

[amuller]

What is the number of the "little round Merc float?"

I’m not convinced brass floats are all that much more expensive, else Briggs, Tecumseh and the rest of the small engine world wouldn’t have used them. Not sure what they are using now.

I took put several floats in a pan of gas and the new OMC plastic one rode the highest. The cork floats seemed to vary quite a bit in buoyancy, but of course what matters is how they do after sitting in fuel.

[Mumbles]

quote FrankR:

quote t2stroke:

BTW: I put the little round Merc float in the TN, TD, etc. works like a champ.
Dan in TN

Me too.

Same here. Also used the Merc float in combination with an OMC float to replace the tired cork one in my PO.

[slim60]

Mumbles; Richard gave you some good advice. If I may add, wipe off the joint while it’s still hot with your acid brush. It will guarantee a good seal and look nice and smooth.

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