Scotch brass floats compared to OEM - Weight Measurement

dcarver220b
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Scotch brass floats compared to OEM - Weight Measurement

3 days 1 hour ago

#34223

2025-11-23 Scotch Brass Floats weighed against OEM

I'm curious about how Scotch float compared to an OEM float, weight wise.

Turns out, pretty much the same.No particular order, Scotch float #2 is 11 g.

The same for float number three.

Float number one was 1 g less, measuring at 10 g.
It was obvious number one was a different batch, an earlier batch.
Two and three looks much better from a builder perspective.

Here is the stock quote, 11 g.

The end.

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scotch
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Re: Scotch brass floats compared to OEM - Weight Measurement

1 day 1 hour ago

#34232

"Float number one was 1 g less, measuring at 10 g.
It was obvious number one was a different batch, an earlier batch.
Two and three looks much better from a builder perspective."

I guess this was inevitable so it's time to get ahead of the potential controversy and come clean. I don't actually make the floats.

I have an arrangement with a Chinese vegetable farmer who makes them as a "side-gig" for $1.00 (CDN) per piece, including shipping !

Don: Heat them gently with a plumbers-torch - they'll pop apart and inside you'll find your "Fortune" !

1980 KZ 1300 sr# KZT30A-009997
Always High - Know Fear !

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Kawboy
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Re: Scotch brass floats compared to OEM - Weight Measurement

23 hours 22 minutes ago

#34234

Call me stupid but I see Don's scale only reads in 1 gram increments, so 10.0 grams - 10.4 grams would read 10 grams and 10.5 grams - 10.9 grams would read 11 grams, so if all 3 floats were in and around 10 - 11 grams, it would make sense that some could read 10 and some could read 11. ( This should not be a secret to an instrumentation technician) Soldering up the joints on handcrafted floats and some floats might need slightly more solder to seal them up and that would account for the slight difference.

Now "my scale" only has a range of 1 gram - 300 grams and reads out in 1/10 gram increments. I paid $250 for it back in 1985. I wanted more accuracy for blueprinting engines.

Bottom line- a difference of +- 1 gram is inconsequential. When the float level is set, all 3 floats will do their job and maintain the float at set level.

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dcarver220b
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Re: Scotch brass floats compared to OEM - Weight Measurement

23 hours ago

#34235

Kawboy wrote:

Call me stupid but I see Don's scale only reads in 1 gram increments, so 10.0 grams - 10.4 grams would read 10 grams and 10.5 grams - 10.9 grams would read 11 grams, so if all 3 floats were in and around 10 - 11 grams, it would make sense that some could read 10 and some could read 11. ( This should not be a secret to an instrumentation technician) Soldering up the joints on handcrafted floats and some floats might need slightly more solder to seal them up and that would account for the slight difference.

Now "my scale" only has a range of 1 gram - 300 grams and reads out in 1/10 gram increments. I paid $250 for it back in 1985. I wanted more accuracy for blueprinting engines.

Bottom line- a difference of +- 1 gram is inconsequential. When the float level is set, all 3 floats will do their job and maintain the float at set level.

Absolutely correct, Sir KB! It's called buoyancy and leverage, working across the needle and seat (Pressure = Force / Area).

I hope no one read my posting intentions incorrectly - I was just curious and damn amazed Sir Scotch could be so consistent with a hand made product, even if it's made in a rice patched hut in China!

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scotch
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Re: Scotch brass floats compared to OEM - Weight Measurement

22 hours 58 minutes ago

#34236

"Soldering up the joints on handcrafted floats and some floats might need slightly more solder to seal them up and that would account for the slight difference".

Initially, I was weighing the floats. More out of curiosity. As my soldering skills and techniques became more refined I found there was no need for this procedure. I can assemble floats within +/_ 1 gram.

1980 KZ 1300 sr# KZT30A-009997
Always High - Know Fear !

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KZQ
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Re: Scotch brass floats compared to OEM - Weight Measurement

5 hours 40 minutes ago - 5 hours 29 minutes ago

#34240

Within some limits, I doubt that the weights of the floats are that important. Correct me if I'm wrong but you don't specify a float height do you Scotch? Instead you and I recommend setting the fuel level by the wet method which automatically compensates for small weight differences. Another property of any float is it's volume. I don't know how these respective volumes compare but once again the wet setting method accommodates.
Bill

1947 Indian Chief, 1968 BSA Shooting Star, 1970 BSA 650 Lightning, 1974 Kawasaki W3, 1976 KZ900 A4, 1979 KZ750 B4, 1979 KZ750 B4 Trike, 1981 KZ1300, 1982 KZ1100 Spectre, 1985 Kawasaki ZN1300, 2000 Honda Valkyrie Tourer, 2009 Yamaha RoadLiner S

Last edit: 5 hours 29 minutes ago by KZQ.

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