How to Clean Your Lawn Mower Carburetor

What’s worse than realizing that your lawnmower isn’t working at the beginning of a new mowing season? The answer is nothing – especially for lawn enthusiasts. Unfortunately, many people discover that their land mower isn’t functioning when they need it the most.

How to Clean Your Lawn Mower Carburetor

Several reasons could be behind such default, including a dirty spark plug and old fuel.

However, the most common basis of a spoilt lawn mower is the carburetor.

What Makes A Carburetor to Stop Working?

Carburetors tend to break down when they are left idle for prolonged periods. Even during frequent use in the field, the lawn mower might be affected by blockages, and consequently, they break down.  The major issues are usually varnishes, gasoline deposits, dirt, and oil deposits. 

Rather than waiting for it to get faulty, you should clean it in time.

What Tools Do You Need?

The items you require for a successful clean-up can be categorized into two: mower maintenance kit and aerosol spray. Use the spray as a cleaning chemical. The kit box should contain everything you require, such as:

  • Screwdriver: Used to remove screws.
  • Air-compressor gun: Some parts of the carburetor might have grime clumped together with the dirt.  So, before you wipe the carburetor, consider sweeping the machine by blowing strong air.  That way, you will get rid of the dust, and now you can wipe it by hand.
  • Rags: Use the clothes to wipe off dirt in the carburetor, holding any fuel leaks and keeping your hands clean.
  • Headlamp: Whether you are good with the internal parts of the carburetor or not, make sure you scrutinize it with light. It is necessary to ensure your hands are free.

After you have gathered these things, now you can move on to the cleaning part.

Steps To Clean Your Lawn Mower Carburetor

Steps To Clean Your Lawn Mower Carburetor

Here is a relatively easy step-by-step guide. Those that have never washed a carburetor before, or aren’t certain about how to put it back together ought to take pictures of every step. That way, you will remember what to do when putting it back together once you are done fixing it.

Safety first

Before carrying out any kind of repair work, safety should be a primary concern. Start by switching off the lawn mower. Old fuel might make you noxious.

Therefore, before taking apart a carburetor, ensure that you are in a well-ventilated area.

Open the doors and windows if you are working in a garage or in your storage shed. You may also use an aeration fan.

Check for any issues

Sometimes one might make a quick assessment when diagnosing a problem with their lawn mower. For instance, you might be tempted to blame the lawn mower’s issue on a broken carburetor even when it isn’t.  Therefore, before dismantling the lawnmower, the first thing is to rule out other possibilities.  Does the machine have fuel in it? While this might sound obvious, some people forget to put fuel in the machine. If there is oil, confirm that the ignition switch is in the right position and ensure that the spark cable is appropriately attached.

Remove the outer casing and air filter

The steps to follow depend on the mower’s model. All you need to do is to unscrew some nuts and detach the outer casing to reveal the inner components. You can then locate the carburetor after taking the air filter out.

Unbolt the carburetor and dismantle it from the fuel line

The carburetor is usually bolted, so you have to unbolt and separate it from the fuel line. At this step, some fuel might spill. So, you ought to prepare a piece of rag to contain the liquid. In case of no fuel spills, you might be facing a different issue – your fuel line might be blocked.  Ensure that the fuel line is clear. 

Unbolt the bowl and clean it

Steps To Clean Your Lawn Mower Carburetor

The carburetor bowl is held in place using one nut. Start by cleaning around the bowl with the carburetor cleaner and then remove the nut to release the container. The nut looks like a jet with a hole, so you should ensure there aren’t any obstructions. You can do this by making a hole on a paper clip or a piece of wire. Having some debris inside the jet is among the common reasons for a carburetor malfunction.

If the gasket is aged, some of the dirt might be stuck on the nut. Therefore, clean it up by scrapping off the debris. Now you can use the carburetor spray to clean the nut.

In case the bowl is damaged or too dirty, consider replacing it rather than cleaning.

Replace the needle

 After removing the bowl, you will notice the float attached to the carburetor using a pin.  Detach the bolt and replace the needle. There is a small gasket inside the carburetor where the needle is positioned and replace it.

Spray the carburetor using cleaning fluid and clean inside the holes

After removing all the parts, clean the carburetor by spraying it adequately. You should also clean inside the carburetor holes with a piece of wire or a paperclip. Do this while the nut is inside. Ensure that all the holes are free of dirt.

Replace with the main gasket

After pulling apart the carburetor, you should replace the primary gasket that is between the bowl and the carburetor. Remove the old one with a new one.

Reassemble the lawnmower

Remember the photographs you took while disassembling the machine? You need them now to put together the carburetor and attach it back to the engine. After you do this, you may now add fuel to the tank and start it. If the problem is fixed, the land mower should start-up quickly.

 The carburetor is a crucial piece of how the engine functions.  It ensures your lawn mower is working correctly. Once you understand how to clean the carburetor, you will keep your mower in great shape.

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