How to clean a carburetor
No matter how careful you are with fuel, the carburetor in your outboard engine can get dirty. Case in point: we run all of our gasoline through a filter before adding it to the tank, and have it pass through an external filter before it reaches the engine. In spite of that, our engine was coughing a bit, acting as if the idle jet on the carb needed a bit of cleaning.
Knowing how everyone loves how-to posts, when I decided to give our outboard engine’s carb a bit of TLC, we recorded the steps. As the video below shows, it’s not a super-complicated process. If you’ve never done it before though, or haven’t had anyone show you what to do, it can be intimidating. Hopefully, if you find yourself having to do this job, this video will ease some of the trepidation.
Notes:
- Tools required: 1 medium sized Philips screwdriver, 2 Slot screwdrivers – 1 medium and 1 small, 10mm socket/ratchet, needle-nose pliers, carb cleaner, a tray on which to do the cleaning, and keep the small bits safe.
- Take your time, and be gentle. Don’t force anything, especially if you don’t have replacement parts on hand.
- When putting the carburetor back in, be sure to get the choke and throttle in place before re-attaching it with the 10mm bolts.
- In the best scenario, you would have a spare carb, ready to go, that you could install when you take out the one that needs cleaning. In this way, you are immediately ready to go and can clean the other one at your leisure.
- Although this video specifically relates to cleaning the carb on a Yamaha 9.9 HP 2-stroke, the principles for cleaning other carburetors are the same.
Bravo, just in time as it is time to clean my Yamaha 15 enduro carb.
I hope it helps!
How fantastic would it be to have a spare carb! Expensive, but such a good idea. Bet no one does. I’ve done my sailboat aux engine carb while hanging on for dear life avoiding barges and sailing in a crowded channel (while eating wanton soup)- very stressful!
We actually do. 🙂
Mike,
Thanks for this…great demo.
Do you know if a 4 stroke is similar setup? (It think you had 4 strokes on ZtC)
My Honda 8 was blowing white smoke last year. The Honda dealer who winterized it said there were no issues but I am nervous about launching in May and trying to motor the 15 km west from Toronto inner harbour to my slip in Mississauga.
I am thinking about doing the carb as a precaution while I still have the motor in my condo locker.
thanks
A four stroke carb may have more bits in it but the basics are the same. They used to intimidate me (compared to the one shown in the video) but I recently watched the mechanics here disassemble and clean two 4-stroke 9.9 carbs, and would have no problem doing it now.
As for your carb, unless you ran it dry, you will almost certainly have to clean it. The fuel turns to varnish, clogging the little holes.
Nicely done!
Does that carb have a float level that need to be checked/adjusted?
Not that I know about.
Very nice job on the video. I learned a lot from your demo.
Fred
Thanks, Fred. I’m glad to hear that.
Nerves of steel! If it were up to me, for sure I would drop the freshly cleaned carb over the transom.
Thanks, very helpful. A couple questions: Generally, a gasket kit is not needed? What do you call that little pack of needles?
The fact that I didn’t have a gasket kit is why I said be careful. Most people don’t replace the gaskets each time they take the carb apart, unless they are damaged.
As for the needles, you mean the tool that I was using?
Mike,
Is the gas you are using contain ethanol? I know that in my area we have one gas station
that sells gas without. I use religiously a product called gas shock that removes all the ethanol,
boosts the octane, and cleans the tank and eventually cleans the carbs of all the crap found in
gas these days. Just wondered if you are using any type of gas treatment besides the filters.
I know outboards can be very picky once the carbs get glazed. Just a thought.
To my knowledge there is no ethanol in the gas here. That problem largely disappears once you leave the US. The only thing we put in the gas is Seafoam.
Jonathan..That “pack of needles” is called a small carb jet cleaning too. You can
do a search for yamaha small carb jet cleaning tool, or whatever brand of carb,
Funny. I missed what he was referring to. The tool.
Very cool tutorial, thanks !
You’re welcome!
Nicely done Mike! I have used Seafoam for years. Great stuff. My brother was a small engine mechanic for 35 years, he swore by it.
Cheers!
We have used Seafoam for years, albeit intermittently. I have also read many good reports on it.