How to clean a small engine carburator?

[Jabba]

Hello All,

Another question for you if you don't mind. The Snownlower I have seems to be losing power (surging) on and off. I read somewhere about how adjustuing the screw on the carburator to change the gas mixture fixes this problem. Well, the carburator I have does not have the screw. Seems like my machine used a different carburator (jet infused? if that makes any sense???)

I talked to a small engine repair guy and he suggested the carburator may be clogged up from gas I left sitting in the machine over the summer. I did use fuel stabilizer last year, but not the first year I had the machine and this problem has been there since then.

Can anyone recommend a way to clean the carburator? Would I just dismantle it from the engine, and "dunk" it in something for 24 hours and then re-assemble it? Could I really mess things up doing this? Thanks again for your excellent replies!

Thanks again for the help....

[Dexter]

We've got stuff in Ireland called 'redex' (IIRCC), you chuck it in the carb with the engine runnning and it burns off built up carbon deposits. Might be worth a try.

Dexter

[DrewKaree]

Gunk makes a carbeurator cleaner you spray onto it, otherwise, how about putting some fuel injector cleaner into the gas mix?  They usually use naptha which should help a bit, but not knowing what you've got there makes it a bit hard....if you're the least bit handy, find a manual for your little engine there, and just rebuild the carbeurator.  It shouldn't cost too much at all, and you'll learn how to adjust your mix properly so you can do it again should it ever happen.

Small engine repair books are pretty general, but there's usually LOTS there that are useful for your job, and you should be able to make it through with the general info.

Check your auto parts store or farm-type equipment stores

[Dexter]

Ahhhh....Gunk, many an oil leak did I find thanks to that miracle in an aerosol. Great stuff.

[danny_galaga]

if you're pretty handy and can take the carby off and you think it may need cleaning, it would be much better to do that than just use some additive. but don't just soak it in fuel. dismantle it as much as possible and fill a pan up with petrol. get an old toothbrush (or use your wifes) and get scrubbing!
i live in the tropics so i'm not familiar with the problems cold weather can give. here i would be suprised that something only three years old would get gunked up, but you said you've used additives so who knows?

surging sounds more like fuel starvation. that might be caused by the fuel float (normally in a 'bowl' at the bottom of the carby) being out of adjustment. or if the tank has a fuel filter that could be blocked up...
the float would normally be adjusted by bending a small tab. you'll see what i mean if you go that far. again, it doesn't sound like something a 3 year old machine would do but there's always something new under the (dim and distant wintery) sun!

for instance, the other day i parked my car in front of a shop window and noticed that my park lights were on. i checked and no, the switch wasn't on. i let go of the brake pedal and they went off! later that night i realised that my brake light was permanently on when the headlights were on. the day before i changed a brake light bulb. i wonder.... i took the new bulb out and the remaining lights were fine again. i got another brake light bulb and bingo! all the strange problems went away. the NEW bulb had some sort of fault in it that was feeding power into the tail light circuit. who'd a thunk?

[Lindner24]

Here's a couple general small Carb pages (for motorcycles)

http://www.dansmc.com/carbs.htm
http://oldmanhonda.com/MC/Rcarbs.html

I'm about half way through my first carb rebuild on an old ATC200x.
(I have it all apart, but haven't cleaned it yet)
But it was obvious when I took it apart. You can see gunk in there.

I bought a "dip can thing" It's basically a paint can with a dip basket, sort of like a Fry Daddy. It comes full of carb cleaner/solvent, so you're ready to go. I think it was $12.00

So, you tear it down, dip the parts for a while, dry, and rebuild.