Linkert Drain Plug Seeping

Linkert related issues
Post Reply
steve_wood
Senior Member
Posts: 953
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 12:32 am
Bikes: 56 FLH, 2007 FLHRCI
Location: Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Has thanked: 49 times
Been thanked: 28 times

Linkert Drain Plug Seeping

#1

Post by steve_wood »

I noticed that the drain plug on my M74B is seeping. Not a big deal, just a small drip of gas every few hours, but I'd like to fix it. I've tried the original fibre washer, a washer made from gasket material, nothing works.

Any suggestions?
Casaba
Site sponsor
Site sponsor
Member
Posts: 243
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2014 12:43 am
Bikes: 2014 triumph tiger explorer
1976 FXE 93" stroker
1953 FL
1960 FL
1958 45” frankenbike
Location: Cedartown, GA
Has thanked: 25 times
Been thanked: 20 times

Re: Linkert Drain Plug Seeping

#2

Post by Casaba »

The bowl nut? Use a copper crush washer from the fuel rod. Fits perfectly and will stop the leak, plenty of threads about it. If you are talking about a different plug I don't know
RUBONE
Moderator
Senior Member
Posts: 8378
Joined: Sat Nov 15, 2008 4:09 am
Bikes: Multiple H-D, Ducati, BMW, Triumph, BSA,...
Has thanked: 478 times
Been thanked: 2933 times

Re: Linkert Drain Plug Seeping

#3

Post by RUBONE »

Steve,
Corrosion in the bowl often causes that sort of leak. The area around the threads becomes compromised and won't seal well. And combined with modern gas it makes sealers redundant. Check the bowl closely for pinholes in the casting.
Robbie
Excalibur
Senior Member
Posts: 882
Joined: Mon Jul 27, 2015 1:01 pm
Bikes: '61 Pan
'83 FXWG
'74 T150
'41 Indian, '29Norton
'25 HD
'13 JAP
'12 BSA,
'11&'12 NH
'08 Triumph
Location: NZ
Has thanked: 505 times
Been thanked: 361 times

Re: Linkert Drain Plug Seeping

#4

Post by Excalibur »

Loctite 567 (white, Teflon based) is what I use in situations where I don't have a replacement washer or the new washer leaks anyway or if I want to install without a washer! There's always some in my toolbox.
58flh
Former member
Senior Member
Posts: 3332
Joined: Sat Jun 26, 2010 1:54 pm
Bikes: 1958flh 1969sporty,had a knuckle but sold back to original owner
Location: NEW JERSEY
Has thanked: 195 times
Been thanked: 277 times

Re: Linkert Drain Plug Seeping

#5

Post by 58flh »

Excaliber---It is good stuff/,but Ethanol gas will eat that!--Its just a matter of time.Usually if you get a month on a teflon based sealer thats used for fuel,is considered pretty good.I have seen some sealers like the #2 Permatex-(brown stuff in a tube non-hardening)-leak the next day on bowl nuts or anything associated with Fuel.The olny way to tell is seal something & stick it in a glass jar & see how long it takes to get eaten-away!.A guy that use to belong on this site ,COTTEN -He checked about every sealer out there & they dont last long.If you want some of his test stuff is in the K-BASE if you feel like reading up on this type of thing.---Respectfully-----Richie
steve_wood
Senior Member
Posts: 953
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 12:32 am
Bikes: 56 FLH, 2007 FLHRCI
Location: Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Has thanked: 49 times
Been thanked: 28 times

Re: Linkert Drain Plug Seeping

#6

Post by steve_wood »

Good comments all-round guys.

I took Robbie's advice: I cleaned up the bottom of the bowl area so it was spotless and dry. Then I turned on the gas and watched the area closely for pin-hole leaks. To my surprise, the leak wasn't coming from the drain (although the gas seemed to collect into drips there) - it was coming from the crush washer! So I tightened the bottom cap and problem solved!

The loctite 567 is also in my toolbox - great stuff. Even better if you get the primer which drastically speeds up the cure time. But it's expensive stuff. I use it on all my oil fittings. I put it on the fitting for the float bowl lever pin and it doesn't leak.

Time to gas up and ride !!

steve
Excalibur
Senior Member
Posts: 882
Joined: Mon Jul 27, 2015 1:01 pm
Bikes: '61 Pan
'83 FXWG
'74 T150
'41 Indian, '29Norton
'25 HD
'13 JAP
'12 BSA,
'11&'12 NH
'08 Triumph
Location: NZ
Has thanked: 505 times
Been thanked: 361 times

Re: Linkert Drain Plug Seeping

#7

Post by Excalibur »

58flh wrote:Excaliber---It is good stuff/,but Ethanol gas will eat that!--Its just a matter of time.Usually if you get a month on a teflon based sealer thats used for fuel,is considered pretty good.I have seen some sealers like the #2 Permatex-(brown stuff in a tube non-hardening)-leak the next day on bowl nuts or anything associated with Fuel.The olny way to tell is seal something & stick it in a glass jar & see how long it takes to get eaten-away!.A guy that use to belong on this site ,COTTEN -He checked about every sealer out there & they dont last long.If you want some of his test stuff is in the K-BASE if you feel like reading up on this type of thing.---Respectfully-----Richie
Who'd have thought ethanol could be so vicious?? I remember ethanol being touted as a "save the planet" scenario back in the 70's!! Little did we know...
I routinely use 567 on gasoline fittings here but then my gas has no ethanol. I've also use 567 on my dragbike which runs 100% methanol. However 3 - 4 days is the most the methanol has ever stayed in the tank/lines/carbs though.

On a funny note, a local beer making company started producing ethanol fuel from their waste. The sole gas station chain that sells ethanol gasoline is marketing the blend as "Brewtoleum". :lol:
drinner-okc
Member
Posts: 254
Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2006 3:38 am
Bikes: 1965 ElectraGlide
1953 HydraGlide
Pan Super Glide
47 EL Knucklehead w/ Sidecar (Basket)
Location: Oklahoma City
Has thanked: 13 times
Been thanked: 57 times

Re: Linkert Drain Plug Seeping

#8

Post by drinner-okc »

Guys, I keep saying it's not just the alcohol content in our fuels. They are adding chemicals that 10 years ago were hazardous waste. Amazingly one prevents carbon deposits on valves, another does something else wonderful, blah-blah.
Straight gasoline will not suspend water particles, it simply fell to the bottom of the tank. Alcohol WILL mix with water, to a 1 to 1 ratio. So a gallon of 10% fuel could be 61 oz gas, 3.2oz alcohol & 3.2 oz water. So start subtracting gas & adding MTBE and a dozen other 4-letter abbreviations.
Original Linkert & Schebler floats were cork sealed in Varnish, Varnish is made by de-hydrating alcohol & charred wood.
Ethanol will dissolve that coating, the old floats are dry enough to just turn to granules.

But back on topic, I have a couple of Linkert carbs with a drain in the bowl. The screw/plug has a small copper washer.
When I first bought them I could tell that drain had seeped.

In my job I often have machine shops make parts for our company machinery. A couple years back I could not seal the gas valve on my 65 tanks. I had a machine shop make the washers that go between the tank & cross-over & valve from a material called Delrin. I asked them to use PEEK, but they showed me PEEK was not listed against petroleum compounds, and Delrin is. In fact this shop makes parts for gas pumps and meters, and use Delrin for this.
They made washers the same dimensions as the fuel valve washers, and I took them a tank, cross-over line and valve.
They tightened the valve way tighter than needed to see if the washer would distort or crack. It did not. Just snug and it seals, no weeping or dripping. I have used one under the bowl nut of one Linkert, but have not placed the carb in service yet. Since it is thinner than a crush washer, I dry assembled the carb with no bowl gasket or washer on the nut and made sure there was enough space and threads the nut would not bottom out. Then I installed the bowl gasket, the Delrin gasket and snugged the nut.
drinner
kfelt
Member
Posts: 66
Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2010 12:43 am
Bikes: '65 ElectraGlide
'56 BMW R69
'87 Heritage Softail
Location: mass
Been thanked: 11 times

Re: Linkert Drain Plug Seeping

#9

Post by kfelt »

Stop messing around...go to the hardware store and buy a tube of "Seal-all", your problem will go away.
Casaba
Site sponsor
Site sponsor
Member
Posts: 243
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2014 12:43 am
Bikes: 2014 triumph tiger explorer
1976 FXE 93" stroker
1953 FL
1960 FL
1958 45” frankenbike
Location: Cedartown, GA
Has thanked: 25 times
Been thanked: 20 times

Re: Linkert Drain Plug Seeping

#10

Post by Casaba »

drinner-okc wrote:Guys, I keep saying it's not just the alcohol content in our fuels. They are adding chemicals that 10 years ago were hazardous waste. Amazingly one prevents carbon deposits on valves, another does something else wonderful, blah-blah.
Straight gasoline will not suspend water particles, it simply fell to the bottom of the tank. Alcohol WILL mix with water, to a 1 to 1 ratio. So a gallon of 10% fuel could be 61 oz gas, 3.2oz alcohol & 3.2 oz water. So start subtracting gas & adding MTBE and a dozen other 4-letter abbreviations.
Original Linkert & Schebler floats were cork sealed in Varnish, Varnish is made by de-hydrating alcohol & charred wood.
Ethanol will dissolve that coating, the old floats are dry enough to just turn to granules.

But back on topic, I have a couple of Linkert carbs with a drain in the bowl. The screw/plug has a small copper washer.
When I first bought them I could tell that drain had seeped.

In my job I often have machine shops make parts for our company machinery. A couple years back I could not seal the gas valve on my 65 tanks. I had a machine shop make the washers that go between the tank & cross-over & valve from a material called Delrin. I asked them to use PEEK, but they showed me PEEK was not listed against petroleum compounds, and Delrin is. In fact this shop makes parts for gas pumps and meters, and use Delrin for this.
They made washers the same dimensions as the fuel valve washers, and I took them a tank, cross-over line and valve.
They tightened the valve way tighter than needed to see if the washer would distort or crack. It did not. Just snug and it seals, no weeping or dripping. I have used one under the bowl nut of one Linkert, but have not placed the carb in service yet. Since it is thinner than a crush washer, I dry assembled the carb with no bowl gasket or washer on the nut and made sure there was enough space and threads the nut would not bottom out. Then I installed the bowl gasket, the Delrin gasket and snugged the nut.
drinner

Me thinks you should have a few dozen made for your "friends" here... Buddy ole Pal! Ha
Post Reply

Return to “Linkert”