I was cleaning my carb on my Yamaha 6hp outboard motor today and on this particular carb there is a spring that’s attached to the float and the float pin.

Absolutely sucks trying to reattach it.

While I was reassembling it I blinked and that spring was gone! Didn’t feel it spring away, didn’t hear it bounce off anything, just gone!!

So my question is, how important is that spring for having a good running motor? I’ve cleaned a lot of carbs on a bunch of different machines, and this is the only carb that’s had this spring.

Here’s some pics showing the spring I’m talking about.





Part number 18

No selfie?
I can't help you without a selfie

LOL! No selfies today. It’s hot outside and I’m in a bad mood!

Yeah, you’re gonna need that. Go to Lowe’s and look through the drawers in the hardware/fastener section. You won’t find that exact one but you will find something you can shape into that.

They didn't hang it on the motor for fun, it has a purpose.

The purpose was that the designer/engineer could laugh and laugh every time he thinks about someone trying to replace it.

Do you know what it’s purpose is?

It serves as a dampener for your float/needle in rough water.
Order one and put it back in.
I've heard of this once before at the marina shop
The guy had his motor giving him fits and jerks.
Take it apart and jiggle the float and it would run good for a while. Then out of no where it would give him problems. Finally he replaced the float spring and never had the problem again

Doesn't sound like you took it off properly, might check the crawdad holes ! You just never know.

What's considered hot in Manitoba?

"10 foot rule"
take a magnet and travel around that work area for a 10 foot radius
a pass mechanic taught that Johnny Bartley of Rennie
hopefully it is not stainless

I had a buddy who was a top mechanic.When he worked on something he always had left over parts that he just threw away.
He had the fastest car in town-71 GTO Judge.

FYI - It is called a ' Jesus spring '

A marine mechanic once described a certain retaining clip as a “Jesus clip”, because every time it shot across the room, a disgusted mechanic would shout “Jesus”. Fortunately, he had a bin full of spares.

You must have a Jesus spring.

There is a "Jesus" pin on a Huey.

My old boss when I was in my teens turning wrenches on the farm called the c-clips Jesus clips when you popped them off and they flew across the shop

It’s like 38C out there with the humidity. Hot in the summer and cold during the winter here.

Thanks Turtledale! I’ll see if the marina has a spare kicking around.

Wow, never expected it would be that hot there, and humid!....You get some southern acknowledgment of how miserable that is.

I have said bad words when the recoil spring for my Colt 1911 went flying. I was working outside in the nice cool breeze at the time. Never did that again.