Is it a good Idea to go to a machine shop?

I've been working on my carburetor all day and have only managed to clean one section of it because I CANNOT take out these float pins from hell. I am afraid that I will eventually break my "towers". Could a machine shop do a better job at just removing the pins so I can do the rest of the work? wise idea?

 

I have a machine shop. Do yourself a favor and go get a propane torch and heat them up and they will come right out. You will save yourself $100. It will take about 5 minutes total.

 

Where are you located? Maybe there's an experienced XJ'r near you that could help.

 

granted all an experienced machinist would need to do is give that pin a dirty look and it'll fall out but really, you oughta be able to get it w/o too much trouble. ya know they usually are only supposed to come out one side OR the other right? but that age and wear lets them come out either side so nobody notices.

 

I live in Austin Texas

 

Sorry Carlos, I'd be happy to help, but TX to the east side of PA is just too far...

I saw your other thread, and I thought you got the pins out? Or was that just one pin out of four?

 

I would say if your comfort level is a machine shop, then go for it.

I just had a similar experience working on my carbs. It was not going well and was thinking,
I should really take this to someone who does this for a living. Instead I ended up breaking a float tower and set my project back.
Hindsight I would of been better off going to a shop.

It's your project do what you feel comfortable with.

 

Yea i just got one of the four out hahaha. I'm going to try the propane torch (saw one for 20 dollars). If it doesnt work I'll go to the shop

 

Here's a closeup of what you're dealing with. Take a close look and you'll see that the pin is a larger diameter right under the head. The other end is supposed to be a slip fit.

So if you're going to try heat, you should only have to heat the post by the head of the pin. The other end should be a slip fit.

 

GIVE UP on forcing or tapping it out.

If you use a Dremel with a thin wafer (cut-off wheel) then you sacrifice the float pin and now have all the clearance to push the remaining stubs out.

You take a cheap pair of pliers and cut one of the jaws (fork it for clearance)
Gorilla-glue a short bit of pin to the other jaw, which presses the stub out.

Don't risk breaking the float posts is RULE #1

 

All that needs to be done is to support the end of the float tower on something substantial (block of wood with a hole in it works great) at the "head end" of the pin, and tap it out with a drift of the same size.