How to Clean a Lawn Mower Carburetor

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Is your Mower making a lot of noise? Is your engine of Mower not starting?

It might be due to the dirty carburetor of your Lawn Mower!

A carburetor is a machine that mixes air and fuel in an optimal air-fuel proportion for combustion in internal combustion engines.

This article has a simple guide on how to clean a carburetor. You will also find answers to some interesting questions like alternatives of carburetor cleaner, DIY carburetor cleaner, how to identify if the carburetor is dirty? and causes of a lawnmower running then dying out? To continue reading this article.

cleaning carburetor at home

How to Clean a Lawn Mower’s Carburetor?

Follow these steps and your Carburetor will be good as new

  • Your top priority should always be safety. Because old fuel can be quite toxic, an essential factor to consider when disassembling a carburetor is to operate in a well-ventilated location. 

If you’re working in a garage, make sure the doors and windows are open.

  • If everything looks good, try and start the mower with carburetor cleaner in the carburetor. If it starts or even splutters after you’ve done this, it’s a good sign you have a carburetor problem, and you’ll need to remove it and clean it.
  • Remove the air filter and outer casing. The exact procedure depends on the model of lawn mower you have.

But it should be as simple as unscrewing a few screws and removing the outside paneling to show the lawn mower’s inner workings. The carburetor can be found by removing the air filter.

  • Remove the carburetor and afterward the fuel line by easing it out. Some fuel should run out of both the carburetor and the fuel line at this point, so have a rag handy.

If no petrol comes out, you may have a different issue – this could indicate a fuel line obstruction, so make sure the fuel line is clear at this point.

  • A single nut holds the carburetor bowl in place. To remove the bowl, first, clean the area surrounding it with carburetor cleaner, then loosen the nut and remove the bowl. This nut is essentially a jet with a hole, and you must eliminate any impediments from the hole.
  • Simply inserting a paper clip or a piece of wire inside will suffice. One of the most common reasons for a carburetor to cease operating is a small piece of debris inside the jet, and simply clearing out the hole could solve your problem.

It’s possible that some of it is attached to the nut, so scrape it clean. Finally, squirt some carburetor cleaning on the nut.

  • Replace the needle if necessary. When you remove the bowl, you’ll notice a pin holding the float to the carburetor. Replace the needle and remove the pin.

The needle is held in place by a tiny gasket inside the carburetor. You should also replace this, making sure the new one is installed correctly.

  • Clean the inside the holes of the carburetor with cleaning fluid. After you’ve removed all of the components, clean the carburetor by spraying it with carburetor cleaner.

You’ll also need to wipe within the carburetor’s numerous apertures. Make sure all of the holes are neat and debris-free.

  • When disassembling the carburetor, it’s a smart idea to replace the major gasket that connects the carburetor to the bowl. Simply take out the previous one and replace it with a new one.
  • Now reassemble the carburetor and reconnect it to the engine. Fill the tank with gas and start it up after all of it is back in place. If the problem has been resolved, it should now start up without difficulty.
Easy steps to clean  carburetor

What Can You Use If You Don’t Have Carburetor Cleaner?

If you don’t have carburetor cleaner in handy, then you can use alternatives like Brake cleaner. It is carburetor friendly and is developed to dissolve grease and grime buildup in the same way that carburetor cleaners do.

How Do You Make a Carburetor Cleaner at Home?

Are you someone who likes to use homemade materials? We’ve taken care of you too.

To make a cleaner at home take, 

Take a 1-gallon paint thinner, combine 1-quarter alcohol, 1-quarter acetone, and 1-quarter Xylol to make a carb cleaning that works effectively to dissolve the gum and dense varnish that has developed inside and outside your motorcycle.

How Would You Know if the Carburetor is dirty?

Check for the following symptoms to know when the Carburetor is dirty.

  • The Lawn Mower engine refuses to start.
  • While mowing the lawn, the motor starts but stalls.
  • During mowing, the motor makes a lot of noise.
  • The muffler emits a cloud of black smoke.
  • Using a Lawn Mower on a regular basis results in a notable rise in gasoline consumption.

Why Is My Lawn Mower Not Getting Gas?

If the fuel filter is clogged or the carburetor inlet needle is stuck, the engine will not be able to get gas. Remove the fuel line from the carburetor to inspect the fuel filter, if one is equipped. 

The gasoline line is kinked or clogged if you still don’t have any gas. Additionally, look within the tank for any debris that could obstruct the outlet.

Using improper gas can for the fuel also leads to an issue to start the engine so pay attention while choosing the gas can for the lawnmower.

What Causes A Lawn Mower To Start And Then Die?

Many times you concentrate on the ways to start a lawn mower yet after some time it dies.

Some common reasons why your Lawn Mower starts, runs for a short time, and then dies:

  • Clogged carburetor bowl / dirty carburetor
  • Gasoline that has deteriorated over time
  • Spark plugs that are dirty or faulty
  • Your reservoir has too much oil in it.

Pay attention to the ways to restart the lawn mower that dies after starting to fix the issue.

Conclusion

Now you know when your Carburetor turns back on you and how you can fix it.

But if this is your first time cleaning a carburetor or you are not sure about how to put it back together, take photos with your cell phone at each step when you remove something. 

This way, you will have a guide when it comes to putting it back together.

About Tom Reynolds

My name is Tom Reynolds, and I like lawn mowing. When I was a kid, I used to help my dad in cutting grass using a reel mower, now, I have my own 6 different lawn mowers. Keeping my lawn healthy and beautiful gives me satisfaction, and I still enjoy working in my lawn.