Powersports Carburetors & Components

A clean and perfectly working carburetor is one of the essential parts of any UTV, ATV, snowmobile, or personal watercraft. It can be considered the “heart” of a gasoline engine. Without it, the motor cannot function properly. That is in case your machine does not feature an electronic fuel injection system. Fire cannot burn without air. The carburetor performs the crucial role of mixing gasoline with air in a correct proportion to create a highly flammable mixture that is supplied into the engine for combustion. The amount of this mixture varies depending on the engine temperature, load, required speed, and other factors.

Air is cleaned by the filter before entering the carburetor body. There, the airstream velocity increases in a narrowing part of the tube called venturi. Dropped pressure draws fuel from the float chamber through the jet. When the engine is cold, fuel cannot evaporate properly and tends to condense in the intake manifold. A choke valve can limit the airstream entering the carb thus making the fuel and air mixture richer. It allows for much easier cold engine starts. If you still struggle with starting your motor even though the choke is closed, then you may need to clean or service your carburetor.

Other symptoms of carb malfunction include the reduction in engine performance. You may notice that your vehicle became less fuel efficient and less powerful. If the carburetor is bad, acceleration becomes somewhat sluggish. When your engine consumes too much fuel, you can see black smoke coming from the exhaust. It means that your carb produces overly rich fuel and air mixture burning too much gasoline and polluting the environment with excessive emissions. On the other hand, if the carburetor produces a too lean mixture, the engine starts backfiring and overheating. It not only reduces the performance of your vehicle but also can result in damage to the motor.

The most typical problems with the carb are caused by dirt that enters it either with fuel or air. Clogged valves cannot operate properly causing problems with the engine. If your vehicle idles too fast or rough, stalls on low RPMs, or floods during cold starts, it is time to replace your carburetor. The installation of the new carb may be a pricey solution to the problem which you can try to resolve with proper maintenance, cleaning, or repairs. Sometimes all that it takes is draining the fuel from the carburetor bowl, unscrewing jets and spraying them with a special cleaner.

If this procedure had no noticeable effect on engine performance, it means that you need to remove the carb from the vehicle completely and perform a more thorough cleaning. Check your owner’s manual or consult a trusted specialist. In our online store, you can find complete carb assemblies, float and needle valves, jets, repair kits, gaskets, and much more. Two-cylinder motors with split heads may feature dual carburetors. Some models of carburetors offered in our store are designed for race use only. Make sure that you follow state regulations when installing such a carb on the vehicle that you use for recreational purposes.