First I will get to the immediate need and then the general questions. I know that your business is oriented toward chainsaws but my question relates to carburetors. I have a Husqvarna 125L Trimmer with a Zama carburetor, it has a leak. The leak shows up after orienting the carburetor off the engine and still hooked to the fuel tank. After pressing the bulb the bulb fills up but the carburetor starts to leak out the air inlet. I've had a difficult time getting gas-oil in the bulb when it was hooked up. I went to troubleshoot the problem and was unable to locate the cause of the problem. At that point I went to a business that used to be a Husqvarna dealer and after the technician put the top plate on a vacuum test and the carburetor on a pressure test he was able to determine that the carburetor had a leak in the jets. It was said to me that there are check valves with elastomer parts in the carburetor. I was told that I would need to clean the carburetor but that I would have to be careful and not use a solvent that has acetone. Is this correct? What elastomer materials are in the carburetor? I want to use a carburetor cleaner but I don't wish to destroy the elastomer materials. Question two, what solvent or cleaning solution would you recommend? Question three, if the pieces are destroyed where can I get the replacement parts? Question four, the adjustment needles in the carburetor appear to use a different tool to adjust/remove them, where can I get the tool? In advance of your reply, thank you for your answers.

Respectfully, BSW

BSW, August 2009

My 'painful' experience of a Zama C1M carburetor on my Stihl SH86 leaf blower is the fact that the fuel filter in the tank is far too efficient. It looks like a normal nylon gauze filter but there is another "felt" filter inside; this second filter is easily blocked (even by too much oil in the fuel mix) causing weak running and poor starting. My advice is to remove this second filter!!
Before I found the root of my problem - I took the airline to the carb - DON'T!!! The white flange under the fuel primer bubble contains a minute fuel non-return valve and the airline completely destroyed the fuel pick-up. This is Stihl Part No 4241 120 2200 and it cost me £24.
All OK now....but thanks for running these 'HELP' web sites. Dick H

Dick Hodge, November 2009

Absolutely true. These Two stroke carburetors have Valves made out of a plastic type material. They get dry over time and a Solvent will curl and ruin them.

Rebuild kits for these Carbs are about $9

Tony H, October 2009

look on ebay for the tool... Just search for "husqvarna carburator tool" and you should find a few listings for it... Use a generic 2 stroke carb cleaner spray from lowes or home depot... The carbs and motor on the husqvarna line are made to be proprietary so after appx 10 tanks of gas you're supposed to take it back to an authorized dealer and pay them to to adjust it... All you need is to get the special tool and adjust your low side and high side... Just did it to my 125L and she runs fine again...

Slothman, September 2009

The carb adjustment tool is pt no. 530035560, any leakage on this carb is most likely from the rubber tipped needle sited under the metering cover, clean or replace the needle

Husqvarna man, August 2009

Due to the fact that the Zama carburettor has no float chamber as such, fuel is initially supplied to the carburettor body by pressing the primer bulb a few times. This has the function of filling the cavities and drillings of the carburettor to allow a cold start to take place. Excess fuel is then returned to the fuel tank via a leak back pipe - however some fuel will be visible in the carburettor venturi unless the primer is depressed very slowly. Fuel provision is then achieved by the prescence of crankcase decompression once the engine is running - diaphragm flap valves open and close at such a rate that fuel is fed from the fuel tank, and excess returned as before. It is unlikely that carburettor parts would be attacked by acetone as crucial jet parts are made from viton, but toluene is generally used as a carburettor cleaner because of the lack of deposits that it leaves after evapouration. Zama carburettor parts are available from Stihl agents, but often it is more economical to purchase a complete unit.

John, August 2009