Do carburetors need servicing ?

[jmurray01]

I was thinking, as long as you don't let the mower sit stagnant for more than a month, the fuel shouldn't clog up the carburetor, so surely that would mean you will never have to service it ?

Or regardless of the state of the fuel going through it, will it need servicing at some point in its life ?

 

[reddragon]

yes...the needle or seat will harden....and will need replacing eventually ......i dont know if you guys in Scotland have ethanol gas...here we do... it will create problems no matter how long the fuel is in the carb....but the shorter the time the better

 

[JDgreen]

I was thinking, as long as you don't let the mower sit stagnant for more than a month, the fuel shouldn't clog up the carburetor, so surely that would mean you will never have to service it ?

Or regardless of the state of the fuel going through it, will it need servicing at some point in its life ?

Depending on the type, they can go a year, or many years without requiring anything. The majority of the small engines I have use a float, which allows fuel into the bowl, and float needles and seats (rubber parts) gradually harden and wear, as do bowl gaskets. But as regards the metal parts of a carb, they should last ten, 15, 20 years or more.

 

[jmurray01]

Thanks guys.

 

[Black Bart]

My 180 JD is 25 years old and I have never done anything other than run carb cleaner in the fuel a couple times per year.
It still runs like new.

 

[benski]

I put in a fuel stabilizer for my off season, but I still run the mower once a month.

 

[Black Bart]

I put in a fuel stabilizer for my off season, but I still run the mower once a month.

I usually do that but I had back surgery and didn't feel like messing with it and let them sit last winter.
This spring everything started just fine.
I doped them with some carb cleaner to remove any varnish deposits that may have accumulated and they will get their stabilizer this fall.

 

[JDgreen]

I put in a fuel stabilizer for my off season, but I still run the mower once a month.

What is the purpose of the once a month starting? I store a car over the winter, a very qualified mechanic told me NOT to start it up, it serves no purpose but to accelerate wear and create condensation in the engine.

 

[Black Bart]

What is the purpose of the once a month starting? I store a car over the winter, a very qualified mechanic told me NOT to start it up, it serves no purpose but to accelerate wear and create condensation in the engine.

Your mechanic gave you good advice.
When a engine needs rebuilt 80 percent of the wear is from running dry at start up.
Every wonder why salesmen get so many more miles from a engine, It is because they have fewer start up's and the miles running with oil pressure does not wear like the time running with out oil pressure at start up.

 

[JDgreen]

Your mechanic gave you good advice.
When a engine needs rebuilt 80 percent of the wear is from running dry at start up.
Every wonder why salesmen get so many more miles from a engine, It is because they have fewer start up's and the miles running with oil pressure does not wear like the time running with out oil pressure at start up.

"Salesmen" is a rather timeworn term to describe someone who puts a lot of miles on their vehicle after start up. What about the Fuller Brush guy who goes door to door? Just being silly here. However, cold starts in winter are more severe, because of the condensation issue. Motor oil is supposed to cling to engine parts to protect them during start ups with a lack of oil pressure, but if you neglect changing your oil, that makes the situation worse as contaminated oil has less lubricating ability.