ATV carb?

03 Grizzly 660. 3 months ago had carb rebuilt because float was stuck. Yesterday while checking cows it flooded and float is stuck again. Talked to different mechanic and he said its cheaper to buy a new carb off eBay than to rebuild original carb. Different mechanic says the cheap carbs are junk and won't stay tuned. Anybody had any experience with the cheap carbs?

I personally haven’t had much luck from China made Amazon or eBay carbs, for a few different applications

If the oem isnt rebuildable I’d still drop the money for a new oem over a cheap China one. Yes oem is pricey but it’s cheaper than a payment for a new atv.

Is fuel pouring out of it?

It's not that hard or expensive to rebuild a carb. The most important part is to just clean and keep clean when putting back together. If it is just the float sticking you probably just need to take it apart a bit and clean it real well rather than buying parts for it.

I have used several chinese carbs. They aren't that great. I would use them on a lawnmower, but not something that could leave me stranded.

I'd just pop it off, seal up gas line(or turn off) and blow it all out and clean up the jets/needle good - run good fuel with stabilizer if it sets

Did they rebuild the carb or just clean it? Not sure about that one, some have just a float needle and some have a replaceable seat. Sounds like you have dirt in the fuel.

Justjosh:

Some ATVs just don't like Chinese parts. I've got an older Suzuki here for plowing snow. Needed a carb rebuild, brought a cheap Chinese kit, and the atv would start, then run about a minute then stop. Nothing I did would help it. Brought an oem carb kit rebuilt it and the atv started and never had a problem after that.

Sent you a PM.

If it’s a Yamaha it shouldn’t have a cheap Chinese carb. It should be either a mikuni or kiehn. Shouldn’t be very expensive to rebuild

Take it off and spray evey orifice with a can of carb cleaner.
Change fuel filter.

Just buy a new carb off fleebay and enjoy your quad, prolly can't even get parts to rebuild your carb now.

Just took my 1991 Honda to a repair shop for the first time. He did not like the after market carb either. Rebuilt the factory carb. Imagine that.

This summer I rebuilt the carb in my 06' Kodiak 400 with a coplete rebuild kit I got from Amazon for $15 and watched a few YouTube videos. I had thought about buying a cheap knock off carb but decided against it after reading all the bad reviews on them. Rebuild was not near as bad as I thought it was going to be and the Kodiak runs great now with zero troubles

I got an ultrasonic cleaner. Best thing ever for carbs, smaller gun parts, jewelry, and so on....Cleans the carbs that alcohol has plugged up. Of note, once a carb has been damaged by alcohol and any plating, inside the bowl or body has been removed from aggressive cleaning, it will react quicker to continued alcohol blended fuel. Ultrasonic cleaners, followed by carb clean and a blowgun have saved many OEM carbs. I use only Rec gas, and have for years now. Lucky for me it's a couple miles away, big summer boating area, so alcohol free fuel is popular. I have loaned cleaner to friends who end up buying one. Another tip is I have on hand several sizes of Tygon fuel line, I replace lines as they to breakdown inside, and clog carbs. Tygon is clear so fuel can be seen or not seen. Many small engines ATV's have only a screen in tank or carb, adding a button filter in line is a good idea. Fuel additives are a whole topic of its own. I use Startron and a ounce of good old Marvel Mystery oil per 5 gallons. In cold winter, store fuel in the cold, you will then hear the water frozen in the bottom when emptying your cans....Good time to shake it out.

Probably half the New Wheelers now a days come with the Cheap Chinese carbs.

Fixing to sell?
Put the cheap aftermarket one on

Plan on keeping?
Spend the money and get OEM, "buy once, cry once" or buy multiples of the cheap ones so you always have a spare and learn to swap them out yourself. On my Honda it is more trouble to get TO the carb than it is to change it out

And best thing I ever did was to start running ethanol free in everything I own that is not used on the road.

Order a factory one and save your self a lot of headache. I have a cheap one new in the shop for a suzuki 500 if you can use it you can have it.

I put a cheap chinese carb on my 98 kodiak. Only difference ive noticed is it needs to be really warmed up before i have good throttle response. They really are a huge pain In the butt to get off.

My experience is exactly what DWC said. I also started running aviation gas I get at our local airport for $5/gal., give or take.

Non Ox. G A S

I just restored my old 1987 Kawasaki Bayou with new carb kit. I am also using a 2002 Artic Cat.

I am now sure about you guys down South but here the quality of gasoline is not what we had in the in the past. I find if I am not running my ATVs for a month or two I am having issues and winter is worst.

Just pop it off, remove float bowl, take apart float and needle assembly, clean and put back together, and make sure that float and needle operate smoothly. Hook a short piece of fuel line to fuel inlet and while blowing on it gently push the float upward to see if it shuts off the fuel (air) flow.
No need to go farther into the carb for the symptoms you describe.
Really easy job.

^^^^
Most likely place that needs cleaned is the hole that the needle slides up and down in, probably still some varnish or gunk in there.

Ethanol = Brawndo. I'm so glad I only have to deal with this when I'm in the lower 48. I feel sorry for you guys.

That is one of the pleasures of Alaska; good gasoline. I wonder when the do-gooders are going to mandate that engine wrecking blend of fuel in AK?

However, in the lower 48 you can buy real gasoline with a little effort: https://www.pure-gas.org/

Some of the information is on the website is a little out of date (you can see when each station was updated). If it appears several years old you might want to call first. It is definitely worth getting real gas for any small engines, especially 2-stroke.

"Ethanol-blended gas lasts up to three months.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, most gasoline sold in the U.S. is “E10” gas made of 90 percent petroleum-based gas and 10 percent ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Ethanol-blended gas usually has a shelf life of up to three months because of the high speed at which ethanol oxidizes. Because ethanol is hydrophilic (a.k.a., water-loving), it will also readily absorb any water or humidity in a sealed container resulting from condensation, causing both moisture contamination of the fuel and the eventual separation of the fuel into distinct gas and ethanol layers. Generally, the higher the ethanol content in the gas, the shorter its shelf life, so E15 (15 percent ethanol content), E20 (20 percent ethanol), or E85 (85 percent ethanol) gas will expire sooner than E10 gas will."

It would be impossible to live in the Bush or operate a business with gas that goes bad in 3 months.

^^^^^^^
"It would be impossible to live in the Bush or operate a business with gas that goes bad in 3 months."

Of course, no one should be living in the Bush. Everyone should be living in a communal urban setting where everyone can be managed efficiently. It's for the common good you know.