How to Remove Replace a Carburetor on a Craftsman Mower
The carburetor is an important component of any engine, as it helps to contain the flow of air that goes into the engine. If you are having trouble controlling the speed of your Craftsman lawn mower, or if the mower won’t move as fast as it should, you may have something wrong with your carburetor. You can manually remove the carburetor at any time to see if it needs to be cleaned or fully replaced. You can purchase a new carburetor part from an online retailer or from a Craftsman manufacturer.
Remove the two bolts holding the muffler, located on the bottom left of the engine, in place by using a socket wrench.
Remove the three bolts from the gas tank on the top of the engine, then pull out the oil stick from the engine.
Lift off the gas tank from the lawn mower, then disconnect the black fuel line from the motor by pulling it out with needle nose pliers.
Carburetor Location in Walk-Behind Mowers
For walk-behind mowers, you will find the carburetor at the side of the mower, in the area above the base of the mower. As we mention later, the carburetor is connected to the air intake and air filter of the mower. Therefore, finding these components makes it easy to find the carburetor.
If you’re having trouble finding them, search for square-shaped or round-shaped filter housing. This will generally be on the side of the mower’s engine, though it’s sometimes on the top.
The air filter case is usually plastic and pops open easily to provide easy access to the filter for maintenance. The mower’s carburetor is just behind the air filter’s housing, and there are typically 2-3 bolts that can be loosened to remove the filter housing and reveal the carb.
This video does a nice job demonstrating the removal and cleaning of the carburetor on a walk-behind mower:
The exact process for repairing or replacing a carburetor in a riding mower will depend on your exact model, and it tends to be more complicated than working with the carburetor of a walk-behind mower, so you may choose to hire a professional at a small engine repair shop to do this for you.
If you are going to do a carb repair or replacement yourself, my advice is to consult the manual that came with your machine, and document every step of the process so that you can remember how the carb was set up and have an easier time re-attaching everything properly.
Here’s a video from Sears that walks you through replacing the carburetor on a Craftsman Mower. It provides a good sense of what’s involved in this project, what your riding mower’s carburetor looks like, and where the carb is located on some riding mowers:
Why is it Important to Clean Your Lawn Mower’s Carburetor?
The carburetor of your lawn mower needs to be kept clean in order for the machine to work as it should.
Think of the carburetor in a car. If it isn’t kept clean and properly maintained, your vehicle will not run properly.
This is the same with a small engine such the kind you have in a lawn mower.
If you are having certain problems with your mower, there is a good chance that you need to clean the carburetor. Below are some signs of a dirty carburetor:
How to Clean a Mower Carburetor Once You Locate It
Let’s take a look at how to clean a lawn mower carburetor.
Please note that these are general instructions and you should consult with the instructions that come with your particular mower before you proceed.
Removing the Carburetor
What if the Carburetor Needs Repairs?
It is possible that your carburetor will need repair as well as cleaning. If that is the case, you can consider buying a carburetor repair kit. This will help you with replacing some of the major components of the carburetor, such as the diaphragms, gaskets, float, and float needles. You can probably find a kit that matches your mower on Amazon for less than 20.
If you find that the carburetor continues to have poor performance, it’s possible that you will have to get a new carburetor and replace the old one. The price of a replacement carburetor will typically be about 50, and you can find genuine manufacturer’s carb replacements on Amazon (like this one for a Honda self-propelled mower).
If you’re sure your lawn mower issues are the result of carburetor problems, it’s generally easier to buy a new carb and replacing the whole thing vs attempting to repair a few gaskets or parts.
The other option (recommended for most people) is to take your mower to a small engine repair shop and let them do the work for you. This is less expensive than you’d think, and will save you some time and headaches.
For optimal lawn mower maintenance, you should clean the carburetor every year.
This will help your mower always perform at the optimal level and help to hold off problems that will require parts replacement or full replacement of the carburetor.
And you don’t have to take your carb out to keep it running like new – I give my mower a shot of Gumout Carb and Choke Cleaner (Amazon link) before every mow to keep it running like new. It’s like 5 a can and lasts a whole season.
Maintain Your Lawn Mower So It Lasts!
Understanding how your lawn mower works and how to maintain it is key to making it last.
Purchasing a new lawn mower is an investment, so it’s well worth taking the time to read the manual and understand all the components and their functions.