Why is the carburetor prone to encountering problems?
Even though carburetors are much more reliable than other types of fuel/air metering systems, they require some preventative maintenance to ensure reliable operation. Things like using fresh gasoline and draining the gasoline tank before extended periods of storage will greatly benefit carburetor performance and reliability. What happens is that over time gasoline produces a varnish that coats all of the parts in the fuel system including the carburetor. This causes the inlet needle inside the carburetor to “stick” to its sealing surface and prevent gasoline from entering. A symptom of this condition is when attempting to start the engine, the engine will only make a “popping” sound, or will produce one large “POP” and then will not start. If this happens the fuel inlet needle may be stuck on its sealing surface. Another symptom of a stuck needle is if gasoline in the line coming from the gasoline tank does not move toward the carburetor when the engine tries to start.
