How to Clean Lawn Mower Carburetors | Step by Step Guides

by | Dec 15, 2020

how to clean lawn mower carburators,

A lawn mower carburetor is one of the essential parts of your lawn mower. Without this part, your lawn mower’s engine can not function well, and lawn mowing is impossible. When you cut your lawn, some debris is likely to get in the carburetor. This debris will do more harm than good to the functioning of your mower.

Therefore it’s essential to know how to clean the lawn mower carburetor if you want your lawn mower to perform well. Lawn maintenance shouldn’t be a hassle. Just make sure to keep your lawn mower in good shape by cleaning your carburetor regularly. You will be guaranteed a great lawn mowing experience. In this article, I take you to step by step guide on how to clean lawn mower carburetors, so read on.

Steps to follow when cleaning lawn mower carburetor

Make sure the engine is cool and remove covers from the mower

It’s essential to get the mower’s engine to cool off before you start cleaning the carburetor. It’s not safe to clean a carburetor when the engine is hot. If you are in hurry to get the cleaning done, you would rather do it on a day that you have plenty of time. Remember, safety first.

Depending on the lawn mower model you have, you can detach the carburetor from the mower engine before you start cleaning. You should also remove the different covers on the lawn mower carburetor, including the cover of the air filter. This will make your cleaning task easy.

Detach the fuel tank from the carburetor

You might have riding lawn mower, push mower or walk behind lawn mower. Among these different types of lawn mower which one you have, that’s no matter. It’s wise to detach the fuel tank from the carburetor before you start your cleaning task. It’s difficult, though, to do this without getting to spill some fuel. However, the process is worth it as it will make your cleaning success.

If you clean without removing the fuel tank, chances are your cleaning material or some debris you will be removing may get in contact with the fuel. This may cause problems with the fuel, and you will have difficulties with your lawnmower.

Toro Craftsman Carburetor Dimension
Toro Craftsman Carburetor Dimension

Disassemble the lawnmower carburetor

The lawnmower carburetor is made of many different parts. Disassembling these many parts can seem pretty inconvenient. However, if you want your cleaning to be thorough and effective, you should disassemble these parts.

This will make your cleaning easy. If you disassemble the parts, they will be exposed, and whatever you are using to clean the carburetor will reach the parts. You don’t want to leave any of stone unturned when you’re cleaning the carburetor.

Check connections

Checking connections around your lawn mower can come in handy if you want to diagnose your lawnmower issues. If dirt gets in contact with the connections, it can become sticky and cause carburetor problems. Clean these connections when necessary, making sure that no dirt remains.

It’s not just the dirt on connections that can cause lawn mower problems. Also, check out for loose screws and tighten them. Loose connections can cause your mower to misbehave. The good thing is that you can always check for loose connections to ensure your mower’s peak performance.

Remove debris from the air filter

One of the most pivotal steps you’ll need to take when cleaning the lawn mower carburetor is removing debris from the air filter. This is important as it will encourage airflow within the mower and cause it to function well. Removing debris from the air filter will also help curb black smoke being released from the exhaust. This, in turn, can prevent air pollution and make lawn mower maintenance a pleasant task for you.

Clean using a dedicated carburetor cleaner

Now that you’ve done the steps as mentioned above, it’s now time to grab your carburetor cleaner. There are many carburetor cleaners on the market that you can use. However, you can use a dedicated cleaner in the form of a spray for an easy experience. Make sure to reach all areas, including surfaces of your carburetor. Clean thoroughly, making sure to remove all the dirt from the carburetor.

Take a look video of how to clean carburator

Reassemble the lawnmower carburetor

When you are satisfied with your cleaning, you can now put everything back in its place. You will need to reassemble the carburetor and to reattach the detached parts. However, it may seem like a lot of work; reassembling parts can be fun to do. Just put your heart to it, and you will be amazed.

After you are done with the reassembling and reattaching of all materials, put everything in its place, including the cleaner. Congratulations! You would have successfully cleaned your carburetor.

How often should you clean a carburetor?

A year should not pass without cleaning your lawn mower carburetor if you want your mower to function well. You should clean your carburetor a couple of times a year. How often you will clean your carburetor also depends on how often you do your mowing.

If you do regular lawn mowing, the same should apply when cleaning your lawn mower carburetor. Likewise, if you mow your lawn once in a long while, you might not need to clean your carburetor as often as when you cut your lawn regularly.

How to know if carburetor needs to be cleaned

Determining whether the lawnmower carburetor needs to be cleaned or not is not rocket science. It’s something that you can easily do. If your carburetor is dirty, your lawnmower will show some symptoms that can show you that something is wrong.

You will experience some problems with your lawnmower when mowing your lawn if there is dirt in the carburetor. This will make lawn maintenance a pain in the neck, and you wouldn’t want that. Below I share with you several things that indicate that your lawn mower carburetor is dirty.

When the engine fails to start or when it stalls

When your carburetor needs to be cleaned, you can easily see it. Your lawn mower’s engine acts up when it has been long since you last gave it some cleaning. When your mower engine fails to start, the problem is likely to be a dirty lawn mower carburetor.

It’s wise for you to start cleaning the carburetor right away if you encounter difficulties in getting the engine to start, especially if it has been a while since you last cleaned it. The engine may start but then stall in no time. To tackle this problem, you also need to clean the lawn mower carburetor, as it can be the culprit.

When the exhaust emits dark smoke

Black smoke emanating from the exhaust can be frustrating. No one wants to work in a mist of dark smoke, trust me. This smoke can also pollute the air, and you probably don’t want that. When you notice dark smoke being released from the exhaust, it’s a sign that the lawnmower carburetor is dirty. If you see this, grab your carburetor cleaner and give your carburetor the cleaning it deserves. Once clean, your lawnmower will work wonders, I assure you.

When you notice an abnormal increase in fuel consumption

If your budget is tight, an increase in your mower’s fuel consumption is the last thing you want to experience. We all love cutting costs whenever we can. When there is a dramatic increase in fuel consumption when you are doing your usual lawn mowing, a dirty carburetor can be the culprit. Make sure to get rid of any dirt that may be on your lawnmower carburetor to ensure normal fuel consumption. This will save you your hard-earned money.

When the lawnmower engine is rough when you’re mowing

Under normal circumstances, your lawnmower shouldn’t be rough when you are mowing your lawn. When you experience rough mowing, your carburetor may be the cause if it’s dirty. Rough mowing can damage your cherished lawn. It’s pivotal, therefore, to make sure that your lawnmower carburetor is clean. With a clean carburetor, a good lawn mowing experience is a guarantee.

The main reason you should clean a lawn mower carburetor

You should clean your lawn mower carburetor to get rid of the debris, lawn clippings, soil particles, e.t.c, which is likely to get into the carburetor when you are mowing grass. This dirt that makes its way into the carburetor can result in lawn mower issues if not removed, and often these issues can be pretty ugly. One of the reasons why your lawnmower can act up is a dirty carburetor. If you want your lawnmower to work well for longer, you must clean the lawn mower carburetor regularly.

Final verdict

Knowing how to clean lawn mower carburetors is crucial if you want your lawn maintenance work to be easy and worthwhile. Dirt in the carburetor can cause your lawnmower to have issues like emission of black smoke and stalling of the engine. Therefore, you should remove dirt from your carburetor, and you won’t be disappointed. By following the steps as mentioned above, you can easily clean your carburetor, and your lawnmower will work wonders when you’re cutting grass.

Kazi Taslim

Kazi Taslim

Editor

Poweredgrip ensures that an expert team of writers provides you with excellent, unbiased informational content. We are dedicated to giving you the most up-to-date and smoothest information possible. We share incomparable tips and tricks that give you awareness and confidence when making your buying decisions. Our team is enthusiastic, dedicated, and hardworking. Kazi Taslim is the editor and head of our experienced writing team.

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