Aftermarket small engine (riding mower) carburetors

[miguel]

Has anyone had any luck with aftermarket small engine (riding mower) carburetors?

I am hesitant to buy one of the $15 - $20 Amazon or eBay specials, just because the reviews seem to be hit or miss, even for the same sku!

Ultimately I just need an inlet seat for a 30+ yo Walbro, but it almost impossible to come by. Some of the part kits, even from Walbro, have mixed reviews regarding my model of engine and whether the new steel seats (versus original brass type) will fit properly. I can take a chance and drop $50 - $60 on a kit, but then if it doesn't work out, I'll be pissed.

I priced an OEM replacement carb but it came in north of $200 but at that point I can probably find a used rider on Craigslist or Marketplace for a little bit more.

Would love to hear feedback on the Chineseium ones you may have bought!

 

[Wolfhound]

I bought one for a Honda Recon 250 and it’s worked great. It was incredibly inexpensive. Maybe 30-35 bucks. Still going after 3 years. YMMV maybe I was just lucky. Not a lawn mower but a small engine nonetheless.

 

[racegunz]

Same experience as wolfhound, bought a Chinese replacement for a 35 year old quad. It worked fine and still does a year later. No idea what a new honda one would have cost or if available.
Amazon allows returns within 30 days.

 

[Creedmoor]

We have two Troybilt rototillers. A Horse and a Bronco, the Bronco is about 20 yrs old and it had a 3hp Tecumseh on it and it just got to be a pain to get started.
I waffled with doing a new carb after it firing on ether, then noticed the head gasket was weeping a bit.
That lead me to Harbor and I bought a new 3 1/2 hp Predator for 130.00 bucks. the changeover was super easy with all the controls being on the engine. I had to get a new output shaft pulley.
Two pulls on choke and its running.

 

[red_zr24x4]

Bought one from Amazon for a Sthil weed whacker and its still working after a year

 

[Creedmoor]

Bought one from Amazon for a Sthil weed whacker and its still working after a year

Thats good to know, I have a handlebar strait shaft that hasn't been started in a dozen years or so. I'm certain its gonna need a new carb to make it run again.
Thanks

 

[gassprint1]

I have bought many carbs for snowblowers, weedeater type engines and such with no issues.

We have two Troybilt rototillers. A Horse and a Bronco, the Bronco is about 20 yrs old and it had a 3hp Tecumseh on it and it just got to be a pain to get started.
I waffled with doing a new carb after it firing on ether, then noticed the head gasket was weeping a bit.
That lead me to Harbor and I bought a new 3 1/2 hp Predator for 130.00 bucks. the changeover was super easy with all the controls being on the engine. I had to get a new output shaft pulley.
Two pulls on choke and its running.

Head gasket kits are cheap for that tecumseh engine. Biggest issue with the older tecumseh engines are the exhaust valve clearance. No power(i know you said head gasket leaking) is the valves needing checked for proper lash.

 

[Creedmoor]

I have bought many carbs for snowblowers, weedeater type engines and such with no issues.

Head gasket kits are cheap for that tecumseh engine. Biggest issue with the older tecumseh engines are the exhaust valve clearance. No power(i know you said head gasket leaking) is the valves needing checked for proper lash.

I had plenty of them as a kid, over $130.00 it ain't worth the time and trouble to tear it down, order what I need wait a week for the parts to show up, then go through and then get it running right.
In two hours, I was home and had the replacement installed and I was roto-tilling.
I'll be dead or laughing at my kid when this one needs replaced. In a few years I will put a new one on the Troy Horse when it gets to be a pain to start.

I'm aware how they work, I got this almost 30 yr garage find running.
Its a 1968 Triumph Tiger, no elect start, no battery, zeiner diodes, dual points, dual coils, capacitor and always on running lights.
If I understand how to make those run, a 20 yr old 3hp is a walk in the park.

 

[gassprint1]

I had plenty of them as a kid, over $130.00 it ain't worth the time and trouble to tear it down, order what I need wait a week for the parts to show up, then go through and then get it running right.
In two hours, I was home and had the replacement installed and I was roto-tilling.
I'll be dead or laughing at my kid when this one needs replaced. In a few years I will put a new one on the Troy Horse when it gets to be a pain to start.

I'm aware how they work, I got this almost 30 yr garage find running.
Its a 1968 Triumph Tiger, no elect start, no battery, zeiner diodes, dual points, dual coils, capacitor and always on running lights.
If I understand how to make those run, a 20 yr old 3hp is a walk in the park.

View attachment 357446

Sweet.

 

[Creedmoor]

Sweet.

LOL, It looks better with the right seat and the 40 yr old coffin gas tank on it.

 

[miguel]

You've convinced me, so I just ordered one on Amazon that had 4.3 star rating!

And Mrs. Miguel is a Prime Member, so it should get here quick

 

[Cameramonkey]

pull the trigger. Life is too short to do carb jobs on cheap motors.

I like that I can pay under $40 and be done in 5 minutes because all I had to do was unbolt, disconnect the other bits, then reverse to install. My time is more valuable than a $7 parts kit and an hour of my time manipulating tiny things I may drop and lose. Scratch that, $14 because I have to buy a 2nd kit for the lost part. LOL Plus the new ones come pre adjusted.

Just do yourself a favor and do one of two things:

Use only pure gas in it. Its the ethanol that kills the plastics and causes the corrosion. Especially if it sits full of gas.

Run it dry (preferrably after adding a splash of the ethanol sta-bil in the tank) at the end of the season. I also sometimes add a squirt of break free top end lube or MMO into the tank to put a little oil into whats left to help coat parts.

 

[Creedmoor]

You've convinced me, so I just ordered one on Amazon that had 4.3 star rating!

And Mrs. Miguel is a Prime Member, so it should get here quick

Please post how it all works out.

 

[miguel]

Will do.

This mower and I have a history that the dad in A Christmas Story had with his furnace!

 

[edporch]

-snip-
Use only pure gas in it. Its the ethanol that kills the plastics and causes the corrosion. Especially if it sits full of gas.
-snip-

True.
Several years ago I began using ethanol free gas (E0) in my lawn equipment and haven't had any carb trouble ever since.
Here's a link to some places around the country that sell E0 at the pump.

Pure-gas.org - ethanol-free gasoline in the U.S. and Canada

Pure-gas.org is the definitive web site listing stations that sell pure gasoline in the U.S. and Canada.

www.pure-gas.org

 

[PGRChaplain]

I bought one for a Husqvarna Backpack Blower. It always started hard when Cold. The new Carb has an Enrichner, Fires right up now.

 

[miguel]

Please post how it all works out.

New carb came late Saturday afternoon. I was busy transplanting some things in the garden, then had plans for the evening.

Not sure if I will get on it today since I'm getting a late start on things or hold off until Monday.

Stay tuned!

 

[miguel]

Started the reassembly Sunday night. It was a war zone, boys!

I bought 2' of fuel line just to make sure I had enough. Unfortunately I failed to install a clamp on one end of the new fuel filter. When I tried to remove it from the new hose to apply one, it fought me pretty bad and I ended up mangling the new fuel filter with the wrench. The gentlest thing Miguel can say about his reaction in the fading daylight was, "me no gusta"

Need to make a run to Deere for a new fuel filter and some hose.

New carb seems a little sketchy, so I am not optimistic. When manually working the reattached linkages, the choke plate seems responsive, but the throttle plate seems inconsistent.

I'll post another updated from "the front" tonight.

 

[HoughMade]

I have used Amazon carbs on a generator, a leaf blower and a go kart. So far, so good.

Earlier this year, I bought an Amazon carb for my nearly 50 year old Troy-Bilt Horse tiller because I thought I had lost the original carb (it was pulled off for a 4-H project about 3 years ago). I ended up not using it because I found the original carb, but I did use some parts from it and it works fine.

 

[smokingman]

I have used several including a new one on my riding mower just 2 weeks ago.

I have done a couple of saws, trimmer, mower, and generator carbs all from amazon. I had one that was sent back for being the wrong style. Other than that I have had no problems.