Question:My mechanic says I have a carburetor problem.
Does this mean the carburetor has to be replaced?
Answer:Not necessarily. The term "carburetor problem"
covers a lot of territory. If the problem is a misadjusted choke,
idle mixture or float level, a simple adjustment may be all that's
required to fix the problem. If the choke spring is broken, or
an electrically-heated choke housing is not working, either can
be replaced without having to replace the entire carburetor.
Even if your carburetor has an internal problem such as a bad
accelerator pump, clogged jets, bad float, defective power valve
or vacuum leak, these too can be corrected by overhauling your
carburetor and/or replacing the faulty component.
The fact is, most mechanics today don't want to mess around
overhauling carburetors. It's time-consuming, difficult and sometimes
requires special tools. It also requires a fair amount of knowledge.
And even when it is rebuilt, it sometimes works no better than
before because of air leaks past worn throttle shafts or other
problems that were either overlooked or not corrected. For this
reason, most mechanics would rather replace your old carburetor
with a new or remanufactured one. It's a lot easier, faster and
the results are usually guaranteed. And, it's expensive. A rebuilt
carburetor may run anywhere from to depending on the
engine application and complexity of the carburetor. New carburetors
are even more expensive. But if your old carburetor has a major
problem such as worn throttle shafts, a broken or damaged casting,
missing parts or little green gremlins that defy diagnosis, replacement
may be your only option.
