200ES carb issues

[BigRed1984]

The big red's been sitting for a couple years after I gave up on an intermittent spark problem. Got bored the other day and on a whim I threw on a knock-off 200M CDI box I bought for it. Fired and idled PERFECT on the first pull (electric start won't work with the 200M CDI box) on the gas in the carb.

So I threw the gas tank back on and turned the fuel on. It fired right back up but after a few seconds, it started missing and coughing and blowing dark gray smoke. Until I turn the fuel off then it clears up for a couple seconds before dying. Getting way too much fuel, I think.

Last time out it seemed to be lean so I had raised the main needle a notch. So I dropped the needle a notch. Still coughs and blows dark gray smoke. I dropped the needle another notch. No difference. I ran out of notches to lower the needle, and it still smokes like a fiend.

This is the second ebay carb I've tried. First one ran perfect, then all of a sudden didn't, and nothing I tried made a difference. This one also ran perfect when I got it, then all of a sudden didn't for no apparent reason as well. Two years ago it acted lean. Now it acts disgustingly rich, and nothing I do seems to make any difference.

[350for350]

Maybe some piece of junk came out of the tank and is holding he float needle open and flooding the engine.

[JustEnough]

How old is the gas? Pump gas goes bad in weeks or months because of the ethanol that is forced on us. If it has an old gas smell, best to replace it and take the old gas to the household hazardous waste collection.

[BigRed1984]

Dunno. I've pulled 100 carbs apart and never found a speck of anything in anywhere, and I really think I'd be wasting my time pulling this one apart given my track record pulling the last carb apart on this machine. I know if I take this ebay carb apart the gasket will expand to ungodly proportions and won't fit back in the groove just like the last one did. Then I'll have nothing.

The gas is the same gas from two years ago, but it smells fine, and evaporates instantly where it dribbles when I take the tank off, so I know it's plenty volatile. I've got gas in tractors around here that is 7 years old, no lie, and it still smells like gas and the tractors start instantly and run perfectly. It ran perfectly on gas that had been sitting in the carb for two years, and runs perfectly when the gas level gets down in the carb where it's not flooding it.

[jakeesspoo]

What do you mean by "the electric start won't work with a 200m cdi box). It will just not spark, or the starter won't turn over?

[fixer2u]

Did you check the air intake to see if a furry little friend made a nest in there? Something similar happened to my uncle. Opened up the air box and it was full of corn!!

[Scootertrash]

New ebay carb? Old ebay carb? 20.00 new ebay carb?

Black rubber fuel line? How old is the fuel line? The rubber deteriorates over time due to all the crap in fuel. If it's more than 5 years old, or if you don't know how old it is, swap it out. The little chunks that come off of the deteriorated line block jets and can block the needle from seating.

2 year old gas is 2 year old gas. Get rid of it. Drain the tank and put in fresh fuel. Then drain the bowl and let it refill with fresh fuel.

[jakeesspoo]

Is OP reading this?