Flooding and other issues

[Xrunner05]

I recently bought a manco fox hyper go cart, was told al it needed was a clutch, the clutch on it had alot of free play and would grab imediately, so i replaced the clutch yesterday afternoon and it would still grab instantly, so i cleaned the carb and the gas tank throughly because there was a lot of orangish looking stuff in it, not like rust though, anyways after i got it all back together it was still running wide open. This is an ex13 subaru 5 hp motor btw.
So after some looking around at it i realized the stick up front under the gas tank which i think is part of the govenor is holding it wide open. So i decided to disconect that and connect it to where it opens and closes direct with the throttle. Was riding it and making some adjustments to get it to idle better. Since it would die on idle.
Now it wont run, keeps flooding out really bad i cleaned the needle and seat again and the plastic bowl appears to not have any damage. As it started to get dark last night i pulled the cord on my last attempt to start it and it would no longer pull. So i put it down for the night, my question is what else could cause it to flood? Does that stick up front that i think goes to the govenor matter?

My thoughts for what i am going to do this morning is pull the plug and see if the engine will still rotate, and see if there is gas in the oil.

Thanks!

 

[Felineman]

sounds like you have to set the float. The clutch springs may need to be downgraded.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Hello- and welcome to DIYGK!

First, the governor. I never recommend bypassing it, as you have done. There's some parts inside the engine that may let loose if you do this, and the results would be less than desirable. Ask me how I know. It is also neither the source of your issue, nor the solution. Either reconnect linkage, or open engine and remove governor guts completely.

In all my small engine experience, 99% of flooding issues is not actually a function of a maladjusted float. Possible, but unlikely. Once adjusted, they stay adjusted. Really only a requirement when installing a new one, or swapping parts around.

Usually, it is either gunk on the fuel inlet needle and/or seat, or a worn needle and/or seat.

Disconnect fuel supply, drain and remove carb. Invert, pull bowl off. Remove the float pin, remove the float, and set the needle aside momentarily. Hold the float close to your ear, and shake it. If you hear fluid, toss the float, it's leaking. Not too common with the modern ones, usually plastic.

Inspect the tip of that needle. See any debris on the tip? If so, clean it. Is the tip stepped, pitted, or otherwise damaged? If so, replace it. Now, look at the seat (where the needle closes to, when assembled). The seat must be perfect. Look for debris (clean) or nicks or other damage. Some seats have a replaceable O-ring, some do not. If the ring is damaged, replace it. If there is no ring and you see damage, the seat must be replaced. This requires you to construct a puller for the purpose. Best left to someone experienced.

With everything clean and neat, reassemble. TIP: go to your favourite auto parts dealer, and pick up a cheapie $2 inline fuel filter. Worth it's weight in gold.

A method I use to test the float system before reinstalling carb- put a clean length of rubber tube on the fuel inlet nipple. Holding carb upright, blow into it. You should have no problem passing air through the carb. Now, flip the carb upside down. Try as you might, you should NOT be able to blow air in. Spec popoff pressure is usually about 5psi. You can't exceed that by blowing. If you can, something's wrong, and it will continue to flood.

Another note- If your carb HAS been flooding, change your oil immediately. Oil dilution due to fuel ingress will significantly shorten the life of your engine.

EDIT- If you cannot pull the starter cord, your engine has hydrolocked. Remove the spark plug, put a rag over the hole, and pull multiple time to clear the cylinder. Beware of fuel shooting out the hole.

Regarding the clutch- a common mistake is a chain that is too tight...