How to clean lawn mower carburetor in under 10 minutes

Keeping your gardens and grounds neat and picturesque can be a source of anxiety if your lawnmower is acting up.

Most of the case it happens when the spark plug has become dirty or become blocked by the debris from cleaning the lawn.

The days of despair are over as this article is designed to help you fix your lawnmower carburetor in no time and save you from extra cost.

So, read on if you want to learn – how to clean a lawn mower carburetor properly?

Why Should You Clean A Lawn Mower Carburetor?

The carburetor’s job is to send air into the fuel in your lawnmower and create internal combustion that provides power to the machine.

Hence, the carburetor should be cleaned frequently not only to keep it debris free but also to make it fuel efficient and increase the lifespan of your lawnmower.

What are the symptoms of a dirty carburetor?

1. Engine will run lean. This means that the air/fuel mixture going into your engine will be too light. Lean conditions can lead to engine damage if not corrected.
2. Your engine get hot so quick. A dirty carburetor can cause your engine to overheat because it is not able to breathe properly. Overheating can damage your engine beyond repair, so make sure to keep an eye on your temperature gauge if you think your carburetor might be dirty.
3. If there is too much dirt and grime build-up on the throttle plates (the part of the carburetor that opens and closes to regulate airflow), it can prevent them from opening fully when you go to start your car up.
4. You’ll have trouble accelerating, particularly when going up hills.
5. A dirty carburetor prevents proper amounts of fuel and air from getting into the cylinders, which robs you of power when you need it most.
6. Finally, Your gas mileage may suffer.

How to Clean Lawn Mower Carburetor Properly?

Let’s watch a video & see how to do this easily!

There is a variety of lawn mowers available based on the size of the garden, fuel (electric, kinetic, gas), style, etc. Different lawn mowers require different kinds of attention.

This method of cleaning carburetor only applies to gas powered lawnmowers, not to electric lawn mowers even not for self-propelled and battery powered.

Tools that you need to Clean a Lawn Mower Carburetor

Here are the things you need before you start cleaning your lawn mower carburetor.

• Flashlight or a Lamp
• Rags
• Screwdriver
• Air Compressor Gun
• Aerosol Cleaner
• Goggles

How to clean a riding lawn mower carburetor (briggs and stratton)

Now let’s move on to the actual cleaning process of the riding lawn mowers carburetor. (Step by Step Process.)

Step 1- Ensure Safety First

Before cleaning anything of any kind, be sure to be in a well aired space. Carburetors may have old fuels that can harm you, so you should work in an airy space. Open the door of your garage or turn on the ventilation fan.

Avoid cleaning your lawn mower carburetor nearby open flames as the cleaning agents are not only toxic but also highly inflammable.

Step 2- Assess the Problems

Your lawn mower may have problems besides the carburetor, so check to see if there is sufficient fuel, spark plugs, and ignition switches are in the right place and position. Also, check to see whether the air filter is clean and debris free.

However, if it appears that all of these are alright, then pour some carburetor cleaner in the carburetor and start your lawn mower, if it splutters, then it means your lawn mower has carburetor problems.

Step 3-Take Pictures of the Carburetor (Smart Thought)

In order to make sure you can piece it back together exactly as it was, take plenty of pictures so that it can guide you to put back everything together properly.

Step 4- Remove the Outer Casing

Use a screwdriver or a wrench to remove the outer casing to reveal the internal mechanics of the lawnmower. Also, remove the air filter and place the bolts and place them in a plastic bag to keep them safe as well as capture any fuel leakage.

Step 5- Unscrew the Carburetor

Use a screwdriver to unbolt the carburetor from its hold and also separate it from the fuel line. Use a rag to clean any oil spillage from both the carburetor and the fuel line. If, however, no oil fuel spills from the fuel line, then you need to clean the fuel line properly to free it from blockage.

Step 6- Inspect the Air Filter

Make sure that the air filter has nothing that blocks air from flowing to the carburetor. The main reason behind black smoke emission from exhaust pipes is an air filter filled with dirt or debris.

Step 7- Spray Carburetor Cleaner

Thoroughly spray carburetor cleaner in all the nooks and crannies of the carburetor. Clean both sides of the carburetor as well.

Step 8- Use the Air Compressor Gun

To clean the plastic pieces inside the carburetor, use an air-compressor gun instead of any cleaner as they might corrode the pieces rather than clean them. Also for places that you cannot reach, use the air-compressor gun to clean them.

Step 9- Inspect the Wires

You must check the wires thoroughly because they can make your lawn mower useless. Check to see whether they are worn out or displaced somehow.

Step 10- Clean the Bowl

Clean the carburetor bowl first with a carburetor cleaner and then wipe it with a soft rag. As carburetor bowls are usually made with aluminum and wiping it with force may distort the shape.

You will see that the bowl is held in place with a nut that is really a spout (it has a hole), be mindful of cleaning it as well by scraping and cleaning it with carburetor cleaner.

Step 11- Don’t Be Afraid to Replace Parts

If the carburetor bowl or the needle that is attached to the carburetor with a pin is too dirty, then instead of cleaning it, simply replace them. The same goes for that gasket in which the needle is placed.

Step 12: Reassemble the Parts

Now that you are done with all the dirty work (literally), it’s time for you to reassemble all the parts. Remember the picture that you took; use them as a guide to reattach the parts piece by piece.

Step 13- Start and Go

Finally, the cleaning is done. Why not fire it up? Even if you don’t immediately start mowing your lawn, you should still fire it up to see whether it is running smoothly.

How to clean a carburetor on a lawn mower without removing it?

Another way to clean a lawn mower carburetor is to do it without taking the carburetor apart.

Yes! You can clean it without taking it completely apart.

For instance, if your briggs and stratton lawnmower is relatively new and only has some dirt and grime, you can clean it without removing the carburetor completely.

If it is quite old, then there is no alternative to removing it and giving it a thorough cleaning.

Here are the things you need for the cleaning process:

• Aerosol spray
• A lawn mower maintenance kit
• Goggles
• Some rags
• Screwdriver
• A flashlight

Here’s the step-by-step briggs and stratton carburetor cleaning process:

• Step 1

Your first step must be to examine and assess whether the carburetor is the main problem. You can find out by simply applying some aerosol lubricant or cleaner to your lawn mower carburetor. If you see that it starts without any problem, then the problem lies elsewhere, not in the carburetor.

• Step 2

Reveal the innards of the carburetor by opening the air filter cover using a screwdriver. The next step is to remove the cover outside the carburetor as well as the other linkages attached to the carburetor.

• Step 3

Make sure to have the carburetor remain in this state until it dries and then starts the engine of your lawn mower.

• Step 4

Take the aerosol spray and spray it in the middle of the carburetor and make sure that throughout this step, the engine remains running and pay attention to whether the spray has spread all over the channels of the carburetor.

• Step 5

Carefully remove the deposits of oil and dirt gathered on the throttle at the bottom of the carburetor. Next, turn off the engine and carefully spray aerosol on the choke shaft situated in the throat of the carburetor.

• Step 6

If needed, do not hesitate to replace the carburetor if you are not satisfied with its performance. If it does not need to be replaced, carefully inspect everything with a flashlight. Finally, reattach the linkage to the carburetor, and screw the covers as well as the air filter in place with the screwdriver.

Briggs and Stratton Carburetor Troubleshooting:

Here is an interesting part of the lawn mower carburetor adjustment process when you have Briggs and Stratton.

Just keep eye on this video and do what to do. You will learn easily how to do Briggs and Stratton carburetor adjustment with RYAN FENTERS.

Now you have a proper Briggs and Stratton carburetor troubleshooting idea and you know how you do it.

Take a look at Briggs and Stratton carburetor diagram

john Deere la105 carburetor diagram

Final Word

Safety comes first and foremost, so while the engine is running; do not touch the carburetor (with or without gloves) at all. Unless the carburetor is completely cooled down don’t take it apart.

So, we believe that our lawn mower carburetor cleaning guides helps you and saves your penny that you expect earlier.