A gas engine uses a carburetor to draw in the fresh air. Carburetors are the lungs of your lawnmower engine. They make the air-fuel mixture lean or rich depending on the power requirement. Significant problems like missing, backfiring, and breathing issues can arise from dust, paint, and gasoline residues. In these scenarios, the carburetor of a lawnmower has to be adjusted or cleaned. Therefore, it becomes crucial to know where the carburetor is located, its intake, and various other parts. This article will take you several steps to find the location of the carburetor. We will also tell you how to locate it based on your model.
Where is the carburetor on a lawnmower? With these steps, it is easy to find:
- Step 1: Position your lawnmower
- Step 2: Remove the hood
- Step 3: Locate the air filters
- Step 4: Locate the gas tank
- Step 5: Locate the carburetor
- Step 6: Variation from brand to brand
A carburetor is maybe the principal element that retains your lawnmower running strong. Mostly, it is front mounted so that it sucks in the fresh air as it moves forward. The size and position of a lawnmower carburetor vary from model to model. Different companies may have entirely different settings. Whenever you are tuning your lawnmower, you must also adjust the carburetor. Locating the carburetor involves identifying the nearby components. This article will help with tips and indications to recognize and locate the carburetor on your lawnmower.
Contents
- 1 How to find the carburetor on your lawnmower:
- 2 Frequently asked questions:
- 3 Final Remarks:
How to find the carburetor on your lawnmower:
For this job, we will not remove anything, so there are not needed tools. Use the following steps to locate the various components, including the carburetor.
Step 1: Park the lawnmower in a good spot
Before starting, you need to park the lawnmower in a suitable position. Preferable on a flat surface, so there will be no risk of accidental rolling. Turn off the ignition. When you touch and recognize various parts, make sure that the engine is cool so you will not burn yourself.
Step 2: Removing the lawnmower hood
Not all lawnmowers are equipped with a hood. Usually, only riding lawnmowers have one. If your lawnmower does not have one, you can skip this step. For a lawnmower, the hood is used to cover and protect the engine and be removed easily. It is restrained with the help of hood latches or another method on each side. Release the hood latches and remove or open the hood. You can now see all parts of the engine.
Step 3: Locate the lawnmower air filter
A lawnmower carburetor breathes air through an air filter that is often hidden from view. We will not first locate the air intake filter. Find out around or square-shaped filter casing positioned on the top or side of the mower engine; it has holes or slots in the top. The case is mounted to the carburetor by fasteners or screws and holds a paper or foam box. This is known as the air filter, preventing dirt and dust from entering the carburetor’s housing. No matter what engine or model you have, they all are likely to use a black plastic air filter cover. When you look at the air filter housing, you can quickly locate the carburetor.
Step 4: Locating the lawnmower gas tank
After inspecting the air filters, we will locate the gas tank. For most lawnmowers, this is super easy as this is where you add fresh gas. But there are also lawnmowers that have the fill cap in a different location, like in a car. Knowing the gas tank location will help with the place of the carburetor. The carburetor allows the mixture of fuel and air for combustion, so it is clear that they are linked with the tank’s fuel lines. Some lawnmowers have their gas tanks covered up. But starting from the fuel cap, you should find and recognize the tank from its shape. The carburetor will most likely be present next to the tank at some height below.
Step 5: Locating the carburetor
We know that the carburetor is attached to the fuel lines attached to the gas tank. Identify the fuel line that is originating from the fuel tank and goes down. It might be attached to utilizing a small clamp. Follow this fuel line from the tank. It will lead you to the connection point with the carburetor. The comparatively larger object, black in color, with a large hole to suck in air at one side, is the carburetor. Another indication is that the carburetor lies in the center having connections with all the essential components.
Most carburetors look very similar, with small metal components with levers and springs and the characteristic bowl shape under the carburetor body. When you have the carburetor in front of you, you can notice an opening front and back; that’s where the intake of air reaches the carburetor and is forced through the venturi duct, and then fuel is being extracted from the bowl as it moves to the combustor. What we have labeled here is the standard type carburetor, but not all carburetors look like this.
Step 6: Variation from lawnmower brand to brand
Different carburetors from different companies have the following specifications:
1. Locate a Briggs and Stratton lawnmower Carburetor
A typical Briggs and Stratton carburetor is built more like the Classical ones. It is recognized by its plastic body and metal gas tank assembly.
This type of carburetor is somewhat alike. It exists under the air filter and employs levers and springs to control engine rpm. However, it does not use a conventional gas bowl or float bowl; instead, the gas tank assembly and carburetor work together to perform a carburetor’s functions.
2. Locate a Craftsman Riding lawnmower Carburetor
This typical lawnmower carburetor is located under the air filter housing. So, first, find the air intake and filters as explained in step 4. Then you can easily approach the craftsman riding carburetor. The carburetor in this riding mower lies beneath the engine hood on the front-right side. It is easily recognized.
3. Locate a Husqvarna lawnmower Carburetor
It is typically mounted on the right side of the engine housing beneath the hood connected with the springs and choke levers that control the engine RPM. It comprises a metal casing and inlet, and outlets can be seen through the carburetor.
4. Locate a John Deere lawnmower Carburetor
Finding the John Deere mower’s carburetor is pretty simple. It is located on the mid-right side beneath the engine hood. It has a distinctive black bowl with a small needle valve on its bottom.
5. Locate a Push Lawnmower Carburetor:
Your engine is fully exposed to all types of push mowers. No hood or any casing is covering the carburetor. You can easily get to it by tracking the fuel lines and the air intake filter. The following link provides the carburetor’s working and position in a push mower.
Tip: Keep in mind that the latest carburetor types are made of plastic; they still reside behind the air filter casing and are attached by levers and springs to the gas bowl. Though, the bowl may not be as noticeable as the conventional bowl.
Some Precautionary Measures:
While repairing or inspecting a lawnmower, you should always take care of safety precautions. It will keep you safe from any accident. Some of the preventive measures you need to follow are given below:
- Use Gloves: Your hands must be covered with gloves so that you do not get them all oily or greasy. Also, you do not want to get burnt if some parts are hot already.
- Remove the spark plug cable: Make sure to unplug the spark plug cable so you are sure there can be no unintentional engine start.
Frequently asked questions:
1. How to identify a lawnmower fuel line?
First of all, you have to locate the mower gas tank. It is the largest jug-like part that stores the fuel and has a fuel cap at the top. You will notice a tubing that originates from its base and goes all the way down to the lawnmower’s carburetor. This is the fuel line that carries the fuel to the combustion chamber.
2. Where should a lawnmower carburetor be situated for best performance?
The best position to place the carburetor is from where it gets a free, clean air intake. It consists of an open pipe through which the air enters into the inlet manifold of the engine. Therefore, just like most machines, it should front-mounted or present somewhere near the front. Placing it in the rear will affect its performance.
3. Do carburetor size and position vary from lawnmower model to model?
Yes, the carburetor’s size and position vary from model to model as larger mower engines that operate at higher RPMs require more air and fuel, for which their size must be larger. Moreover, they require more protection, so it is present under the hood.
4. What to do if the lawnmower hood gets stuck?
If your mower hood gets stuck, try to apply lubricant or cleaner spray across the hood latches. You can use a product like WD-40. This is a very active cleaner due to its dual cleaning action. First, its influential solvent softens the hard deposits, and secondly, its cleaning action leaves no debris and grime behind. After that, try to undo the hood latches with a screwdriver. Now, the hood will be easily removed.
Final Remarks:
The carburetor is one of the most parts of your lawnmower. It is responsible for producing the air-fuel mixture. Whenever you face missing issues or the lawnmower doesn’t have enough power, the carburetor must be checked, cleaned, or adjusted. Therefore, knowing how to locate the carburetor is essential for every user. Its position varies from model to model, but the purpose is the same. It will always be present in a location where max fresh air is available for the combustion.