jeffinsgf
Veteran Member
I've always been able to tell when a small engine had a carburetor problem, but have always relied on a small engine shop to take care of the problem. Well, I've got a little Turfco edger with a 5HP B&S engine that hasn't wanted to start for a couple years. Since it is more a convenience than a necessity, every time it didn't start, I just pushed it aside and edged with my trimmer. I promised myself the next time it rained, I would tear the thing apart and learn how to clean a small engine carburetor. An hour or so surfing YouTube, and I was prepared to tackle the job when it started raining this morning.
Wasn't much to it, as it turns out...just keep track of where all the linkages go as you tear it down, then blast everything with carb and choke cleaner, make sure the ports are clean, replace any pitted or worn parts and put it all back together. Started on the second pull and purrs like a kitten. That little learning experience is going to save me a few bucks each year, and give me back a ton of time I spend waiting for my place in line at the small engine shop.
Wasn't much to it, as it turns out...just keep track of where all the linkages go as you tear it down, then blast everything with carb and choke cleaner, make sure the ports are clean, replace any pitted or worn parts and put it all back together. Started on the second pull and purrs like a kitten. That little learning experience is going to save me a few bucks each year, and give me back a ton of time I spend waiting for my place in line at the small engine shop.