Carburetor help

[sonofsquink]

Hey guys, first time posting here. Recently bought two 149's that came with two decks, a tilling/gearbox and a snow blower. I have limited mechanical experience but figured they'd be a great winter project for only $500. Both "started when they were parked," so I'm going through a checklist before I even attempt to get them to turn over.

I recently tore into the carb, stamped 30 on the inside, and I think I may have attempted to remove something I wasn't supposed to. Best I can tell from the manual it's the idle fuel inlet needle.

Looks like it wasn't included in the rebuild kit I ordered, are these available or is this just a paper weight now?

I've attached some photos and any advise would be appreciated.

[finsruskw]

Yes, you should have left that area well enough alone.

[docmirror]

OK, no harm no foul. That is a brass threaded jet, so it's fine to have taken it out. The only things on a small carb that you generally don't take out are passages that are blocked off with a brass BB, and then nicopressed shut.

As long as you know where it goes back, and how to screw it in there is no problem here. Make sure you take off every jet, and every screwed in passage nut you can, and know where they go back. After that, you may want to remove the screws that hold the throttle and choke plates, and remove the plates from the shaft, then pull out the shaft. (the screw threads are purposely burred, so the screw will come out very firm)

Once the carb is down to its body, the best way to clean them is to buy a gallon of carb cleaner, it will come with a strainer basked, and just put all the bits in the basket, and drop it in the bucket of carb cleaner. If you do not want to invest in a whole gallon of carb cleaner, you can get a couple cheap spray cans at WalMart, and a small bristle wire brush and clean, clean, clean.

Get all that white powdery stuff off, and scrub all the passages you can. Spritz into all the holes, and jets, and clean all the little vents and holes in each jet so they are as clean as possible. After you are done cleaning it, use a compressed air blaster with a rubber nozzle on the end to blow every thing out of all the holes, and passages you can find. Wire brush all the jets so they are back to brass color. You can use some CLR or Muriatic acid to clean, just be careful not to let it sit on your skin for very long.

Once cleaned, start assembly. Pay attention to the float level setting. If the old float is brass, and is not filled with fuel(air inside only) I would recommend re-using the old float. New floats are notorious for leaking after a few weeks or months with Ethanol fuel. make sure the screws on the throttle and choke plate are TIGHT as they will damage the engine if one falls out. All new O-rings and jets from the kit you have should go in. Start the idle mixture 2 turns out and the main mixture 1.5 turns out from their stop. This should be a good start to getting it running once back on the engine.

[sonofsquink]

I should have known better but just got a little to anxious to get it all cleaned up. After I more or less stripped that jet, I finished the job with an extractor so that brass BB is no more. Is the jet still alright to use or should I just pull the carb off the other 149 for the time being?

[ol'George]

Originally Posted by docmirror

OK, no harm no foul. That is a brass threaded jet, so it's fine to have taken it out. The only things on a small carb that you generally don't take out are passages that are blocked off with a brass BB, and then nicopressed shut.

As long as you know where it goes back, and how to screw it in there is no problem here. Make sure you take off every jet, and every screwed in passage nut you can, and know where they go back. After that, you may want to remove the screws that hold the throttle and choke plates, and remove the plates from the shaft, then pull out the shaft. (the screw threads are purposely burred, so the screw will come out very firm)

Once the carb is down to its body, the best way to clean them is to buy a gallon of carb cleaner, it will come with a strainer basked, and just put all the bits in the basket, and drop it in the bucket of carb cleaner. If you do not want to invest in a whole gallon of carb cleaner, you can get a couple cheap spray cans at WalMart, and a small bristle wire brush and clean, clean, clean.

Get all that white powdery stuff off, and scrub all the passages you can. Spritz into all the holes, and jets, and clean all the little vents and holes in each jet so they are as clean as possible. After you are done cleaning it, use a compressed air blaster with a rubber nozzle on the end to blow every thing out of all the holes, and passages you can find. Wire brush all the jets so they are back to brass color. You can use some CLR or Muriatic acid to clean, just be careful not to let it sit on your skin for very long.

Once cleaned, start assembly. Pay attention to the float level setting. If the old float is brass, and is not filled with fuel(air inside only) I would recommend re-using the old float. New floats are notorious for leaking after a few weeks or months with Ethanol fuel. make sure the screws on the throttle and choke plate are TIGHT as they will damage the engine if one falls out. All new O-rings and jets from the kit you have should go in. Start the idle mixture 2 turns out and the main mixture 1.5 turns out from their stop. This should be a good start to getting it running once back on the engine.

All well said.
I do not remove the butterflies unless installing bushings for the throttle butterfly, and if they are worn, then usually so is the butterfly shaft, requiring replacement also.
That is usually beyond most "tune up kits" supplied parts.
And if the butterfly shaft screws are not filed or ground down to the shaft, 99%
of the time they break off in the shaft or the heads break off.
That requires additional tedious removal work that does not go well for the novice.
And as stated, replacement the screws need to be tight but not so much as the heads break off.
Then the shaft screws needs to be supported, and the new screws peened so as not as to find their way in the piston top.
Some are successful using loctite but the factory peens them using various methods but it is not using a punch and hammer!
usually it is a hydraulic press to distort the threads sufficiently so they will not back out during operation.

[docmirror]

OK, if that jet you pulled at the BB blocking it off into the housing, you'll need to put the jet back in, and then seal the cap where the BB used to be. I've used JB Weld successfully many times. Again - must be clean. Drive the jet back in fully, and once it's seated, make sure the top passage where ever the emulsion mix goes is NOT blocked, and then cap the top with a small dab of JB Weld. Again, do not block off the top passage!

If you have a gun cleaning kit, this is a good place for those tools.

[ol'George]

Use the other carb and keep on the lookout for a good used one on the 'net
or parts to fix this one.
Or some people have had good luck with inexpensive china knockoffs.

[sonofsquink]

Thanks for all the helpful information gentlemen, hopefully I can post a video of that first start in the near future

[sonofsquink]

Just for reference, that center brass jet is what I stripped and ultimately destroyed. I don't think that something that can just be plugged so a word of caution to any other newbies out there

[ol'George]

Originally Posted by sonofsquink

Just for reference, that center brass jet is what I stripped and ultimately destroyed. I don't think that something that can just be plugged so a word of caution to any other newbies out there

That "jet" is the emulsion tube.
Try recutting the slot carefully with a hacksaw or small jewelers file.
Then reinstall it.
I understand you enlarged the bored hole with an easy out, but after it is installed, and the bowl retaining bolt in installed in the threaded casting under it, the fuel is sucked out of the fuel bowl through a small drilled hole in the side of the threaded casting above the bowl bolt, and below the emulsion tube.
IIRR the main adjusting jet is down stream and should negate any enlarged hole in the emulsion tube.
You have nothing to loose trying that.
I would suggest you use your other carb. to get the engine operating correctly, then try your "modified" carburetor.
Do let us know how it turned out