Ariel, Riding, Breaking and Fixing Diary 2022 Retired!

[Steven.Carter]

Today I'm at Black Fly for a spin tomorrow, shes been running very rough of late, think I've found the culprit. Plastic float in the carb. I think the ethanol has softened the plastic around the needle valve. The new ones are metal now.

I had help too.

[dave.owen]

I spoke to Surrey cycles earlier in the week, he told me the white floats are ethanol proof.

Dave

[JohnnyBeckett]

h,i that is what i was told the new stay up floats are ethanol proof by Amal

[Simon.Gardiner]

The 'stay ups' are the dark ones. I think I also saw that they've changed the needles and they advise using the new ones (aluminium) 'cos the old ones (brass) are too heavy and don't let the float work properly.....

http://amalcarb.co.uk/new-amal-concentric-stayup-float

Needle Valve
If your float chamber is fitted with a brass needle valve you may find the valve sealing under its own weight before the float has risen far enough to press it shut. Symptoms of this problem can be that the carburetter takes a long time to tickle, hesitates on pickup, and does not idle reliably. A Viton-tipped aluminium needle valve is now available that overcomes this problem. It is being fitted as standard equipment to all new Mark 1 Concentric carburettors.

SG

[Steven.Carter]

This part of the white plastic seemd a bit soft, the other one has a metal part that could be bent slightly to adjust the float height.

Although you have a point about the needle Simon, the grove in my brass needle was a bit too wide for the metal clip. The float would go up and down but didnt move the needle much. Then I remembered Basil Brush and his twisted jaws. I bent one side up and the other side down to fit better in the grove.

[Mike Nash]

Steve,
In your visit to The Good Intent" pub who owns that lovely VB you've photographed? If possible, I'd like to talk to him re especially the seat.
MikeN.

[Roger.Baker]

Mike,
PM sent
Roger

[Mike Nash]

Corr! that was quick. Thank you Roger.
MikeN.

[Mike Nash]

And sent another to you Roger 'cos I forgot to include my address!
MikeN.

[Steven.Carter]

I flew to Ireland last week from Gatwick but came home in my car (long story) Anyway this meant my Honda Deauville ended up stranded at the airport, so catching a train from Eastleigh I set off to bring the Honda back home.
It all went so well till I got very annoyingly close to Chobam services on the M25, I started to hear a loud buzz and shortly after no drive. At least I had a hard shoulder, a luxury nowadays with all the smart motorways.

Back home on the flat bed of shame.

Out of concern for my Ariel's I had the Honda dropped off around the corner from my house. My Huntmaster is going to Holland next week. Don't want her gettinv worried

I thought modern bikes were easy to remove wheels, but the Deauville was a real pain. Everything was a fight.
But it wasn't hard to see the cause of my grief