The carburetor is one of the most essential components of any vehicle with a spark-ignition engine that doesn’t feature fuel-injection technology.
Responsible for the precision mixing of air and fuel to facilitate combustion in the engine; if something were to go wrong with your carburetor, you’d notice a significant decline in performance.
First, you’ll be hit with an underperforming engine, then you’ll notice some strange noises, followed by your exhaust-spewing plumes of black smoke (never a good sign), and finally, if left unaddressed, you’ll be lucky if you can get your engine to start at all.
Giving your carburetor some TLC from time to time is essential maintenance for any vehicle that has one, but considering the abuse we give our ATVs on a daily basis and the messy terrains we traverse, this applies doubly for us.
So, today, I’m going to be taking you through a step-by-step guide on how to remove and clean a carburetor on an ATV.
Contents
What You’ll Need to Clean Your ATV Carburetor
I know you’re itching to get greasy, but before we get stuck in, we’ll have to amass all the necessary tools, materials, and substances. Luckily, there really aren’t all that many of them…
- — A can of carburetor cleaner, brake cleaner, or choke cleaner
- — A can of compressed air
- — A small screwdriver (flathead and Phillips)
- — Either an 8 mm or 10 mm wrench, depending on the bulk of your carburetor bolts
- — A straightened paper clip
- — A pair of needle nose pliers
- — Some emery cloth or a toothbrush
- — Some disposable gloves
- — Your service manual
…That’s literally it!
How to Clean an ATV Carburetor: A Step-By-Step Guide
Okay, so you’ve got all the gear; now it’s time to give that carb the TLC it needs and deserves.
Locating Your Carburetor
This is the easy part. You’ll almost always find the ATV carb hidden beneath your seat and the air box, but if you’re having trouble, consult your ATV service manual.
Found it yet? Brilliant, let’s move on.
Removing Your Carburetor
There are a few key things we have to do before we can yank our carb out of there and give it a good shine, the first of which is to shut down the fuel line. You can do this by following the fuel line all the way to the shutoff valve, otherwise known as a gas petcock.
To turn off the gas supply, you normally have to just turn the valve to the side, but consult your manual again if you’re unsure.
Next up, take your screwdriver, and loosen the hose clamp. Hose clamps are a little metal bracelet-looking thing with a bolt running through a pair of holes at the top. It’s their job to hold our carbs in place. Once it’s loosey-goosey, remove the carburetor.
You’ll notice your carburetor is still shackled to your ATV by the throttle cable. Loosening the top cap will remove both the throttle cable and slide, freeing up your carb once and for all.
All that’s left to do is transport your carburetor to a well-lit, stable work surface.
Disassembling and Cleaning Your Carburetor
This part can be quite tricky because carburetors are complex bits of machinery.
I like to clean my carb parts as I go to ensure I don’t miss anything. If you’re more comfortable completely disassembling before cleaning, simply follow the steps below twice through – once for dismantling and once for cleaning.
Step 1
Before we pull anything out of our carbs, it’s good practice to spray the outside with our carb cleaner, brake cleaner, or choke cleaner and give it a good scrub with our toothbrushes. Removing any large gunk or debris will prevent it from adhering to internal components during the cleaning process.
At this stage, I’d also recommend opening a few windows. A well-ventilated area will save you breathing any nasty chemicals in your parts cleaner of choice.
Step 2
Turn your carburetor upside down. You should see the float bowl (float feed chamber) held in place either by four screws or a bottom nut. Loosen whatever is holding the bowl and remove it. Be as gentle as you can, as the gasket will be quite delicate.
Give the inside of the bowl a spray with your carburetor cleaner, then use a soft cloth or your toothbrush to clean it out. If you can’t get all the gunk off, leave your float bowl to soak in some carb cleaner for a while.
Step 3
Use your needle nose pliers to grasp the pin anchoring your carb in place. Remove it, and your float should come right out. Spray it with carb cleaner, wipe away any dirt, then put it in a safe space.
Step 4
Next on the agenda is the gas needle. Pull it out and blow away any obstructions with your compressed air. Spray it with some carb cleaner if you like.
Step 5
It’s now time to remove the many jets from your carb, including the pilot jet, leak jet, and starter jet. These jets can be found beneath your carb near where the bowl was, and you’ll need a hex head or flat head screwdriver to loosen them.
Spray the empty space in the carb where the jets were with carb cleaner, and scrub any dirt away with your toothbrush or emery cloth.
Step 6
Now, spray all the jet channels with your carb cleaner and blow compressed air in the passageways. Do this until you’re sure all the jet holes are clear. You may need to use your paperclip to clear any stubborn blockages.
I’d also recommend taking this opportunity to give the O rings a check over. If any of them are damaged, replace them with new O rings, or switch out the entire jet.
Step 7
Next, we’ll be removing the throttle adjustment screw and fuel-air mixture screw, but you’ll need to replace the latter in the exact same position as it was before the cleaning. So, before you remove it, see how many right turns it takes to fully tighten it.
Step 8
Remove the screws and give them a generous spritzing with carb cleaner, wipe them down, then leave them to air dry.
Step 9
Spray the screw holes with carb cleaner.
Step 10
Clean the remaining body of your carburetor with plenty of carb cleaner, using your cloth and toothbrush to scrub away any old, congealed oil.
Step 11
Spray your whole carburetor with compressed air. Spray the slide, spray the bore, spray the bowl…spray everything. Check it under a bright light to see if you’ve missed any grime.
Step 12
Replace the fuel-air mixture screw in the same position by tightening it all the way, then loosening it by the number of turns you counted in step 7. Finally, replace the throttle adjustment screw.
Re-Install Your Carb
Working in reverse, re-install the jets and the bowl, fit the carb back into your ATV, and ensure the gas line and hose clamp are securely attached.
Check for leaks around the mating surface where the bowl fits in your carb. If there are, you may need a new gasket to secure the seal.
Take Your ATV for a Test Drive
Here’s what you’ve been waiting for. Fill up your tank, go for a spin, and listen to your engine growl. It should sound as ferocious as the first time you rode your bike.
Summing Up
That’s all there is to it, folks. Cleaning your carburetor can be intimidating the first time around, but you’ll feel much more confident after doing it once.
Remember, if you’re having trouble with any particularly stubborn bits of dirt, don’t be afraid to soak the part in a bowl of carburetor cleaner. You’ll need to get the parts as clean as possible if you want your carburetor working properly and your engine back on top form.
