How do you rebuild or overhaul a small engine carburetor?

Carburetors are a mechanical component of an engine. They are responsible for delivering a metered amount of air and fuel supply to an engine to sustain proper engine operation.

Making any carburetor adjustment has become a thing of the past. Over the years, carburetors have evolved and have become a fundamental part of emissions control. Most carburetors made after 1995 no longer feature mixture adjustments because of emissions compliance. This design simplifies production and ensures tuning or adjustments are not necessary, and keeps the engine compliant.

Current carburetors feature fixed jets which are specifically calibrated to an engine family and application. This style does not require any type of carburetor adjustment. 

If you have an older engine that does have mixture adjustments, we recommend reviewing the appropriate service manual for that engine family. The manual will give specific instruction on how to adjust the carburetor properly. 

Many engine performance problems can be linked to maintenance issues such as stale fuel, dirty air fer, fouled spark plug, and deteriorated oil.

A great way to help avoid these problems would be to perform an annual tune-up using a Briggs & Stratton engine Maintenance Kit.

Fuel Supply: Ensuring proper fuel flow to a carburetor is critical to engine operation.

• Check fuel level inside the fuel tank - is it fresh?
• Fuel shut off valve - ensure it’s in the ON position.
• Gas cap venting - if the cap cannot vent, little-to-no fuel will flow to the carburetor.
• Fuel filter- all engines have a fuel filter, either in-line or in-tank.
• Fuel line routing - ensure all lines are rooted away from heat and do not have large low spots.

Is the carburetor in need of service? Some operating symptoms can help us narrow the problem down.

• Does your engine not start? After several start attempts, remove a spark plug and see if it’s wet from fuel or not. A dry spark plug may indicate a fuel delivery/carburetor problem. Wet indicates fuel is in fact getting to the combustion chamber.
• The engine starts and runs but only on full or half choke: this may indicate restricted fuel flow to the carburetor or it may indicate a partial restriction of a jet or passageway within the carburetor. The carburetor would then need to be serviced and cleaned. Contact your local Vanguard dealer for this service procedure.
• The engine starts and runs but revs up and down in speed: this may indicate restricted fuel flow to the carburetor, or it may indicate a partial restriction of a jet or passageway within the carburetor. The carburetor would need to be serviced and cleaned. Contact your local Vanguard dealer for this service procedure.

Click here to find a local dealer for parts and service or here to perform an engine model search to review service documentation.