How to Repair Pocket-sized Engines: Cleaning the Carburetor

Don't Google "modest engine repair near me" the next time your lawnmower sputters. Learn how to practice it yourself. Small engine repair is all about a clean carburetor.

Time

A full day

Complexity

Intermediate

Cost

$51–100

Introduction

Solve well-nigh lawnmower or other small-scale engine starting bug with a simple diagnosis and a carburetor cleaning or rebuilding. Information technology will simply have a few hours, and you'll avert the minimum $70-plus-parts repair bill.

Tools Required

Materials Required

  • Carburetor cleaner
  • Carburetor rebuild kit
  • Plastic gloves
  • Strong wire

If you can't get a small engine started, it takes too many pulls to become it going, or it runs poorly, ask yourself this: Did it sit down for a long time with gas in it? Like over the wintertime? If so, your problem is about likely a corroded or gummed-up carburetor. Small engine repair shops earn about 50 percent of their revenue by cleaning or replacing carburetors sidelined by erstwhile gas. Await at your lawnmower carburetor next time you acuminate the blades or complete a lawn mower tune-upwards.

Before y'all commencement taking things autonomously, take a minute to confirm the carburetor is the problem. We'll bear witness yous how to do that, as well every bit how to clean, rebuild or replace a lawnmower carburetor. Either way, you lot'll save about an hour of shop labor (near $70). Yous can complete the carburetor rebuild project in a single morn, including the fourth dimension scouting for parts.

Project step-by-pace (7)

Step 1

Start Your Engine (At Least Endeavour)

  • Confirm that the fuel valve is on, there'south gas in the tank and the spark plug is in good shape.
  • Shoot a one-second burst of aerosol lubricant or carburetor cleaner downward the pharynx of the carburetor.
  • Yank the cord.
    • Note: If the engine runs (even just sputters) and dies, you have a fuel problem. If there's no life after a few tries, it'due south something more serious and yous demand to haul the engine to your garage for some detective piece of work.

Step 2

Test for Gas at the Carburetor

  • Clench off the fuel line.
  • Compress the bound clamp and slide it astern on the fuel line.
  • Pull the tubing off the carburetor nipple and take hold of the gas in a small bowl.
    • Note: If no gas comes out of the fuel line, y'all've got a plugged fuel line or fuel filter.

small engine repairs

Stride 3

Remove the Carburetor

  • Use a socket or nut driver to remove the two bolts that hold the carburetor to the engine.
  • Unhook the throttle cable from the carburetor linkage.
  • Place the carburetor in a container (to catch the gas).

small engine repairs

Step iv

Bank check for Corrosion

  •  Open the carburetor bowl to check for corrosion.
    • Note: If the inside of the carburetor is corroded, it needs to be replaced. Even afterward cleaning, the corrosion will clog the jets and tiny orifices and restrict the catamenia of gas.

Rebuild or Supervene upon?

If there'south no corrosion in the carburetor, you can cull to rebuild it rather than replace it. Simply rebuilding isn't always cheaper, and it might not even practice the play tricks. Sometimes you can purchase a new carburetor for less than (or pretty darn shut to) the cost of the rebuilding kit plus the cost of the chemicals. We e'er just replace bad carburetors rather than rebuild them.

If you opt to rebuild, follow the steps below:

Step five

Dissect the Carburetor on Your Workbench

  • First the disassembly from the lesser (bowl, float, needle, seat, etc.) and go along all the parts together.
    • Pro tip: Shoot digital photos for help during reassembly.
  • Match the new gaskets and O-rings in the carburetor repair kit to the one-time ones.
  • Prepare aside the used gaskets and O-rings you lot'll discard, and any parts from the kit you don't demand.

Step vi

Make clean the Parts

  • Wire all the larger parts together and drop them into a bucket of carburetor cleaner.
  • Wrap the modest parts in a piece of aluminum screen or use a fine-mesh handbasket, and drop them in the bucket also.
    • Annotation: New/replacement parts don't demand to be cleaned.
  • Let the parts soak for one hr.

small engine repairs

Step seven

Reassemble the Carburetor

  • Rinse all the parts with h2o and blow them dry with compressed air.
  • Reassemble the old and new carburetor parts and mount it on the engine.
  • Follow the instructions in the kit for adjusting the idle speed and mixture.
  • Fire up your engine and listen to information technology purr!

How to Find Carburetor Parts and Prices

Whether y'all purchase parts from a local small engine repair shop or online, you may need all this information:

  • Machine brand (Toro, Snapper, Honda, etc.), model and serial number.
  • Engine brand and serial number (Tecumseh, Briggs & Stratton, Honda, etc.). The engine model and serial number are usually located on a plate in a higher place the spark plug.
  • You may besides demand numbers from the one-time carburetor itself, normally stamped onto the carb trunk or its mounting flange.
  • You lot can purchase locally, or endeavour smallenginepartswarehouse.com or psep.biz.

Originally Published: November 27, 2020