Clean a Carburetor on a Husqvarna Lawnmower: step by step

On a clear day, mowing your garden is the first thing on your to-do lists. You try to start your trusted Husqvarna lawnmower, but it just doesn’t seem to run. Your prior experience tells you that this could be a clogged carburetor that needs to be serviced. Fortunately, cleaning a carburetor is something you can do yourself. There is no need to take the whole machine to a mechanic. This blog will help you with the steps to fix the problem.

How to clean a carburetor on a Husqvarna lawnmower, step by step:

• Step 1: Check if the carburetor needs to be cleaned.
• Step 2: Detach the air filter and fuel tank so that the carburetor is visible.
• Step 3: With a carb cleaner or a compressed air gun, unscrew, and clean the carburetor jets.
• Step 4: Reassemble the components and start your engine by adding fresh fuel.

Carburetors are machines that mix the fuel and the air in a suitable proportion to deliver an air-fuel mixture to the engine. The mixture is used for combustion to occur that subsequently delivers power. Due to carburetor deposits’ build-up, which causes the engine to misbehave, lawnmower carburetors most frequently need cleaning.

Do not panic if you have not carried out these cleaning steps before or are unsure which components to remove. In this article, we have mentioned the full details for you to absorb. Just stay tuned.

A step-by-step approach to clean a carburetor on a Husqvarna lawnmower:

The steps to removing, and eventually, cleaning the Husqvarna carburetor are mentioned below:

● Step 1: Access the situation and check if the carburetor needs cleaning

You should know the reason for which you are looking to clean the carburetor of your lawnmower in the first place. Dust and fuel deposits inside carburetor jets tend to form over time, ultimately blocking these jets. Despite the air filter, your carburetor is highly likely to encounter clogging problems after a specific time. That is shown by your engine showing a below-par performance.

– Step 1.1: Perform an initial checkup

If your engine doesn’t start or stops after you start, or if it doesn’t produce enough power. It then implies that there are debris deposits in your engine’s carburetor. Therefore, it is highly recommended to service your carburetor. We suggest avoiding disassembly of the whole carburetor and clean it without entirely removing it if you’re not a proper mechanic. We have summed up the procedure in easy steps for you.

– Step 1.2: Document your steps

Now that you are trying to disassemble the components, it is best to start by taking the mower’s initial images. If you forget about what goes where these photos give you a better idea of their positions during reassembly.

● Step 2: Access the carburetor by removing the components

This step is where the disassembly starts. For the full instructions below, you may refer to:

– Step 2.1: Detach the air filter

The air filter is situated near the fuel tank on the exterior of the mower. It typically comes off in most mowers. You should use a screwdriver for removing the filter-securing screws for that. Now that it has come off, it might be a good idea to use soap water to clean it. One of the causes that contributed to the carburetor’s clogging may be a dirty air filter. Make sure you remove the entire air filter assembly so that you can access the carburetor.

– Step 2.2: Disconnect the fuel lines

You should disconnect the fuel lines leading to it using nose pliers now that your carburetor is accessible after removing the air filter assembly. Hold a plastic bottle where the fuel line can be inserted so that all fuel drains into it. Remember that all of the fuel in your tank needs to be disposed of appropriately. And it’s possibly the primary source from which the deposit originated in the first place. A fuel that is yellowish indicates that it has become old.

– Step 2.3: Remove the jets

Using a wrench, unscrew the main jet that is located below the carburetor. You should remove the bowl as it has come off with the nut securing it. Then slowly remove your gaskets and check whether or not they are in good shape. By pressing it, test your float. If it gives a clicking sound, it indicates that the needle is moving into its original location precisely, and that’s how it should be. Arrange the jets and the bowl separately for their cleaning.

● Step 3: Clean the carburetor parts

The carburetor is cleaned thoroughly in this step:

– Step 3.1: Cleaning the jets

The nut that connects the bowl is the main jet with a small air passage hole. One of the most prevalent sites for deposit build-up is this jet. There are several ways to clean it. To remove some dirt, you can use a thin metal wire and push it through the jet. For carburetor cleaning, you can use an aerosol cleaner and spray some of it on the jet. It is often easier to clear them using sandpaper if you see any flakes on the nut’s side. 

– Step 3.2: Cleaning the bow of the carburetor

First analyze, whether it can be reused or not before cleaning the bowl. Suppose inside scales or rusts have grown to a considerable extent. In that case, buying a new one and replacing it is a better idea. If you want to clean it, you can spray some carburetor cleaner and then scrub it with sandpaper.

– Step 3.3: Use the cleaner to spray the interior

It would help if you were to use the aerosol spray to efficiently clean the carburetor’s interior connected to the lawnmower frame. Using a compressed air gun for spraying, which virtually eliminates all the dust produced over time, may also be useful. It is recommended that the carburetor cleaner should be sprayed into the middle of the carburetor with the engine working. Water flows entirely through the jets because of the running engine, leaving behind no clogging. However, it is safer not to touch the carburetor with the engine running. Note that you need to put the air filter and the fuel tank back in their original locations to start the engine.

● Step 4: Reassembly of the components

It’s high time to look at the pictures you took earlier that your cleaning is complete to determine which component goes where. First, by securing the jets and renewing the gaskets where appropriate, you should assemble the carburetor parts. Screw the bowl nut firmly and gently clean it from the outside using a dry cloth. Attach the fuel lines back to the carburetor and tighten their clamps to keep them in place. Now, attach the air filter and the fuel tank to their original positions and firmly secure them. Your cleaning of the carburetor is now complete. To check if your initial issues have been resolved, you can add fresh gas and start the engine.

Related Questions:

1) Can you clean a carburetor on a lawnmower without removing it?

Without disassembling it completely, you can clean a carburetor. Just the bowl nut and the bowl come off during this cleaning, which is washed separately. The remainder of the machine that hasn’t been disassembled can be washed with an aerosol cleaner.

You can first assess the age of your component for carburetor cleaning to decide whether cleaning fixes the issue or not. Suppose your carburetor is old enough and has been serviced very often in the past. In that case, we suggest replacing it with a new unit. If it is not that old, you can always clean it to remove the built-up dirt or debris over time.

2) Where should you spray carburetor cleaner on a lawnmower?

When the engine is running, it is strongly preferred that you should spray the carb cleaner. You should position the cleaner’s tip at the center of the carburetor at the base of its throat for cleaning, and spray the cleaner. Doing this on the running engine helps the cleaner thoroughly flow through the jets and holes, breaking through sludge deposits.

3) What can be used instead of carburetor cleaner?

A brake cleaner is a reasonably good replacement if a carburetor cleaner is unavailable. It is very consistent for use on carburetors and can remove the build-up of grease and sludge. It is composed of chemicals that evaporate after drying and thus leave no residue behind.

4) How do you know if the carburetor of your needs to be cleaned?

Suppose you find one of these four instances below with your engine. In that case, it is a sign that indicates the maintenance needs of your carburetor:

– Engine not starting:

if the engine does not start at all, it is a warning that the carburetor is clogged with dirt, due to which the air-fuel charge does not enter the engine

– Running lean:

The engine runs smoothly when the air-fuel combination is disrupted (increased mainly). The air ratio to fuel usually ranges from 12:1 to 15:1. Suppose the air-fuel ratio increases due to too much air and less fuel. The air inlet creates a popping sound. When the fuel jets are clogged, this situation arises.

– Running rich:

The opposite of the above situation is the engine running rich. In this condition, the engine is being supplied with more than the required fuel. Black smoke is observed at the exhaust as a result of this. This condition happens due to the float needle getting stuck as a result of clogging. Resultantly, the fuel floods the carburetor resulting in a low air-fuel ratio.

Final Remarks:

Lawnmowers depend on timely maintenance for better performance. Being more exposed to dirt makes it highly susceptible to developing deposits in their jets and ultimately causing engine malfunctioning. You must explicitly ensure that no fuel leakage occurs or the fuel has been completely disposed of while dealing with cleaning. When using carb cleaners, be very careful as they can be dangerous to inhale. In sunlight and outdoors, it is easier to conduct the cleaning. We recommend using a fuel stabilizer as a preventive measure and always changing the fuel after regular intervals. This timely maintenance prevents the fuel from becoming old, thus preventing regular cleaning of the carburetor.