Small engine carb cleaning question

[748rpilot]

I think I used some old gas that had a bit of water in it in my lawn mower. I've drained the remaining gas from the gas tank and removed the carb, drained and removed the bowl. I then cleaned it up with a rag and some compressed air. I'd prefer to not further disassemble the carb, but do want to make sure it's clean.

What would be the best bet from here to clean it out and make sure there's no bad gas or water left in it, aside from pull the float and jet?

Also...any suggestions of cleaning the tank? I thought I could perhaps flush it with rubbing alcohol, but not sure how much to use or how long it'd take to dry after draining (10 minutes?).

Engine is a Kohler XT650 fwiw.

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

Pull the bowl and clean/remove any junk from inside it at the least.

It’s pretty simple to do.

Remove the four bolts holding the bowl to the carb.

The float is connected via a pin that will easily slide out once the bowl is removed from the carb.

Attached to the float is the needle, typically brass with rubber tip on most new engines.

Clean them up and reassemble backwards of how you took it apart.

I’m sure there are plenty of vids on the YouTube’s that can assist you

 

[Milf Dots]

You could run a quart or gallon of 4 stroke canned fuel (alkylate) like Aspen, Stihl, VP, thru it, but it's not cheap compared to gasoline.

 

[Jrb572]

Have an ultrasonic cleaner? Take it apart and run it through. I had to clean my lawnmower carburetor that way this year. Took some water and a little aluminum cleaner and good as new

 

[Sean the Nailer]

"easy-button" might be to just put a bit of methyl-hydrate in the fuel tank, and run it wide open for a bit.

(of course, this means to 'add a bit of it TO the existing gas in the tank. Be proportional)

 

[1911hombre]

Just put it back together and fill the tank with non-ethanol 91 and add a shot of SeaFoam to the tank. Bet you'll be good to go.

 

[AMGtuned]

Just put it back together and fill the tank with non-ethanol 91 and add a shot of SeaFoam to the tank. Bet you'll be good to go.

Bingo. Sea Foam for the win

 

[whatsupdoc]

Most of the time the emulsion tube is clogged and the best way is to remove it and clean it.

 

[GreenGO Juan]

Add an inline fuel filter.

Clean your gas can.

Use non ethanol fuel.

Yes pull float and needle valve, Blow out all passages, confirm nothing blocking the main jet into the venturi. Some modern carbs have more passages you can access that do get clogged but require further disassembley. If it doesn't act right when you re assemble, might require more in-depth cleaning.

A plastic carb from a brigg 140 I did for a friend earlier in the week. Obvious white debris.

 

[chevy_man]

I just pull the drain on the bowl and get the water that settled to the bottom over the winter.

Then I fire it up and have no issues running any random old 2t premix the rest of the summer. It's currently running on last year's chainsaw premix, and I just bought my kid a new dirt bike, so there's 2 more gallons of random 50:1 that smells like last year going into the mower.

 

[748rpilot]

Thanks guys, appreciate it. I ended up spraying it out with carb cleaner, reassembling it and replacing the gas line. The line was showing some cracks and had an inline fuel filter that I couldn't readily get a replacement for; the only one I could find at the hardware store was physically too large. It's got a little in-tank filter anyhow.

Put it back together, filled it up with fresh gas and it started on the first pull, which it has never done.

Success!

 

[GreenGO Juan]

https://www.amazon.com/Carbbia-Stratton-AM107314-LG298090-LG298090S/dp/B0B2WRYPFL/ref=sr_1_15?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.LDdRSdr31Iy8Fvq2kd12ccJQu_Zqpouq-SIZSdsc3ose3ngedklhIIzNBtuBq4vKT1NGeRpn8bxhQhTKBKVyJHY4uecdD5_dY7opBJWQyDEiLkFArgjdtkSsLVIXzSyxPCy9yLNmmFgGYO77tdhyxj3WTxU2hV8aI6d26YaslRcwwQuV7NW1CfKkxwsQ4U1xljLNNiggdf-_MsXUiCYXG_a5DlIy1CZkmUheRfnlKqY.zu846-rcETDGm-G1GDEtJe0l5_W21f31EDH6IpZlPt0&dib_tag=se&keywords=lawn+mower+fuel+filter&qid=1749948609&sr=8-15

10 pack of 1/4" fuel line filters for $8 should you feel the need.

Glad its going!

 

[Jigstick]

Ethanol free gas is really a must in any small engine. It eliminates about 95% of headaches.

 

[Jerry V]

Ethanol Free in all my small engines. Generator, Weed eaters, chainsaw, lawn mowers etc. If its gonna sit unused for any length on time it is the Only answer!

 

[akmike47]

I have nothing to add I’m just reading while I poop.

 

[Holliday]

Don’t worry about ethanol free. I have been using and recommending this product to my customers for 17 years. It is miracle in a bottle.

https://www.amazon.com/Star-Brite-14332-Enzyme-Treatment/dp/B00NP2B04U/ref=asc_df_B00NP2B04U?mcid=14d088a64d983d23b8ea28eee5f110c7&hvocijid=8031715061323119313-B00NP2B04U-&hvexpln=73&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=721245378154&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8031715061323119313&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1028481&hvtargid=pla-2281435180218&th=1

My motorcycle starts in the spring after months of Wyoming winter in the trailer.

Lawn mower and leftover gas gtg every spring. (The other day I fixed my neighbors mower that he couldn’t keep running, by topping him off with some of my year old treated regular pump lawn mower gas.)

I keep two emergency jerry cans mounted in the truck bed, that I rotate at the two year mark. That gas goes in the truck.

All regular pump gas. ️

Star Tron is a marine grade enzime. According to the manufacturer you can’t overcharge with it. So if you can’t remember if you put some in, just put some more in, don’t worry about it. If you’ve ever seen a carb that’s been overcharged with stabil, it’s worse than not putting anything in it all. What a mess.

 

[GreenGO Juan]

I have nothing to add I’m just reading while I poop.

Thats definitely going to require a shot carburetor cleaner.

 

[748rpilot]

I have nothing to add I’m just reading while I poop.

happy to help.

 

[Mike Casselton]

Don’t worry about ethanol free. I have been using and recommending this product to my customers for 17 years. It is miracle in a bottle.

https://www.amazon.com/Star-Brite-14332-Enzyme-Treatment/dp/B00NP2B04U/ref=asc_df_B00NP2B04U?mcid=14d088a64d983d23b8ea28eee5f110c7&hvocijid=8031715061323119313-B00NP2B04U-&hvexpln=73&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=721245378154&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8031715061323119313&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1028481&hvtargid=pla-2281435180218&th=1

My motorcycle starts in the spring after months of Wyoming winter in the trailer.

Lawn mower and leftover gas gtg every spring. (The other day I fixed my neighbors mower that he couldn’t keep running, by topping him off with some of my year old treated regular pump lawn mower gas.)

I keep two emergency jerry cans mounted in the truck bed, that I rotate at the two year mark. That gas goes in the truck.

All regular pump gas. ️

Star Tron is a marine grade enzime. According to the manufacturer you can’t overcharge with it. So if you can’t remember if you put some in, just put some more in, don’t worry about it. If you’ve ever seen a carb that’s been overcharged with stabil, it’s worse than not putting anything in it all. What a mess.

View attachment 8709014

After owning a few boats, I totally agree on how much better StarTron is over Stabil

 

[Rod79]

Don’t worry about ethanol free. I have been using and recommending this product to my customers for 17 years. It is miracle in a bottle.

https://www.amazon.com/Star-Brite-14332-Enzyme-Treatment/dp/B00NP2B04U/ref=asc_df_B00NP2B04U?mcid=14d088a64d983d23b8ea28eee5f110c7&hvocijid=8031715061323119313-B00NP2B04U-&hvexpln=73&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=721245378154&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8031715061323119313&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1028481&hvtargid=pla-2281435180218&th=1

My motorcycle starts in the spring after months of Wyoming winter in the trailer.

Lawn mower and leftover gas gtg every spring. (The other day I fixed my neighbors mower that he couldn’t keep running, by topping him off with some of my year old treated regular pump lawn mower gas.)

I keep two emergency jerry cans mounted in the truck bed, that I rotate at the two year mark. That gas goes in the truck.

All regular pump gas. ️

Star Tron is a marine grade enzime. According to the manufacturer you can’t overcharge with it. So if you can’t remember if you put some in, just put some more in, don’t worry about it. If you’ve ever seen a carb that’s been overcharged with stabil, it’s worse than not putting anything in it all. What a mess.

View attachment 8709014

This is what I use in all my stored gas, try to rotate out the the equipment every 6-10months, never had an issue in small or large engines (I do use E-free gas), it’s the bomb for keeping moisture at bay!

 

[GreenGO Juan]

U can run E -10 in 4 stroke stuff as long as you run it regularly. At the end of the season then go non ethanol for the last few tanks.

Don’t do it on your two-stroke stuff. Ethanol eats the clear lines and hardens diaphragms on the carbs.

Personally, I just run regular gas on all of it