Funny HIF6 gasket failure

Tor

Tor

Well-Known Member
Hi all,

Our friend in Cape Town recently fitted new floats to our V8, as kits coming from Burlen with float chamber gaskets. These proceeded to fail on both carbs having barely been in contact with fuel at all, and started leaking as soon as the engine ran. On visual inspection he said they'd expanded. Now, the fuel in SA is known to have additives such as toluene or xylene to boost the octane rating. Does anyone with chemistry in their list of skills have experience with this affecting gaskets, or with gaskets from said supplier failing?

Some old seal kits have since been dug up and the NOS gaskets are working.

Tor
 
Hi Tor,

The gaskets that you speak of for the float chamber covers, these are box section rubber rings. Were the ones that leaked of the same design?

Ron.
 
Hi, I had this some years ago, I stripped a carb and cleaned it with thinners. when I tried to
reassemble it the gasket/'O' ring had swollen and the diameter of it was bigger than the groove
diameter, it was like trying to get a cat in a paper bag. Thinners contains Toulene. I always keep
them dry now.

Colin
 
Hi guys,

Sorry I think I had an IT fail replying to this in December: It's the box section type Ron. Two months later, the NOS replacements are still sealing right. I'll notify Burlen of our experience in case they can use it for something.

Best

Tor
 
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