Honda Car Forum

Hello all,
A few months ago I reconditioned my 1986 Honda accord carburator. The
original problem was caused by lots of white fluffy material floating
around in the float bowl. I cleaned it very well, blew out the
passages, replaced fuel filters, added a new clear filter two inches
prior to the carburator inlet. Put it back in the car and with the
help of you guys adjusted it to run again.

Well it broke again, the exact same problem, white fluffy stuff
floating around the float bowl clogging up the jets. The new clear
filter is still clear as it was on day one.
This time I looked more carefully into the float bowl.I let all the
gasoline evaporate over night. It looks to me like the zinc float
bowl is corroiding on the inside. My first guess was electrolysis from
stray currents. I checked the idle cutoff solinoid for current
leaks, and the electric choke for current leaks. Each one showed very
high resistance to ground 40,000 ohms or more. So what is causing the
rapid corrosion of the float bowl? The gasoline is not old, but we do
use 10 percent alcohol in the gasoline. Has anyone every come across
this proble and found a solution???

TIA

Bill

geek wrote:
> Hello all,
> A few months ago I reconditioned my 1986 Honda accord carburator. The
> original problem was caused by lots of white fluffy material floating
> around in the float bowl. I cleaned it very well, blew out the
> passages, replaced fuel filters, added a new clear filter two inches
> prior to the carburator inlet. Put it back in the car and with the
> help of you guys adjusted it to run again.
>
> Well it broke again, the exact same problem, white fluffy stuff
> floating around the float bowl clogging up the jets. The new clear
> filter is still clear as it was on day one.
> This time I looked more carefully into the float bowl.I let all the
> gasoline evaporate over night. It looks to me like the zinc float
> bowl is corroiding on the inside. My first guess was electrolysis from
> stray currents. I checked the idle cutoff solinoid for current
> leaks, and the electric choke for current leaks. Each one showed very
> high resistance to ground 40,000 ohms or more. So what is causing the
> rapid corrosion of the float bowl? The gasoline is not old, but we do
> use 10 percent alcohol in the gasoline. Has anyone every come across
> this proble and found a solution???
>
> TIA
>
> Bill

without seeing it, it's hard to say. does it dry to something hard and
flaky/powdery? if so, it does indeed sound like corrosion. not sure
what to suggest since fuel definitely shouldn't be causing this. you
could try plating the insides with copper [from copper sulfate
solution], but i doubt that would give a sufficiently coherent
protection to prevent it. whatever you do, drain the tank and discard
that fuel. refill with fresh fuel throughout.

On Wed, 10 Jan 2007 22:07:48 -0800, jim beam
<spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote:

>geek wrote:
>> Hello all,
>> A few months ago I reconditioned my 1986 Honda accord carburator. The
>> original problem was caused by lots of white fluffy material floating
>> around in the float bowl. I cleaned it very well, blew out the
>> passages, replaced fuel filters, added a new clear filter two inches
>> prior to the carburator inlet. Put it back in the car and with the
>> help of you guys adjusted it to run again.
>>
>> Well it broke again, the exact same problem, white fluffy stuff
>> floating around the float bowl clogging up the jets. The new clear
>> filter is still clear as it was on day one.
>> This time I looked more carefully into the float bowl.I let all the
>> gasoline evaporate over night. It looks to me like the zinc float
>> bowl is corroiding on the inside. My first guess was electrolysis from
>> stray currents. I checked the idle cutoff solinoid for current
>> leaks, and the electric choke for current leaks. Each one showed very
>> high resistance to ground 40,000 ohms or more. So what is causing the
>> rapid corrosion of the float bowl? The gasoline is not old, but we do
>> use 10 percent alcohol in the gasoline. Has anyone every come across
>> this proble and found a solution???
>>
>> TIA
>>
>> Bill
>
>without seeing it, it's hard to say. does it dry to something hard and
>flaky/powdery? if so, it does indeed sound like corrosion. not sure
>what to suggest since fuel definitely shouldn't be causing this. you
>could try plating the insides with copper [from copper sulfate
>solution], but i doubt that would give a sufficiently coherent
>protection to prevent it. whatever you do, drain the tank and discard
>that fuel. refill with fresh fuel throughout.



It dried to a white flaky power stuff, which comes off easily.
When removed, the under lying metal is discolored.
I will drain all the gas, clean the carb, and reinstall when it gets a
bit warmer in the North East.