How To Clean The Arctic CAT ATV Carburetor?

Before you learn how to clean the carburetor on an Arctic CAT ATV, you need to have a tool kit or a rebuild/repair kit to ensure you know what you are doing. Now, cleaning your carburetor can be a tough call on any day and, depending on the condition of your vehicle, be either a very easy task done in a couple of hours OR a very time-consuming task, taking a lot more time than you anticipated.

Either way, we will list a few things that you could call a protocol of sorts to help you do this faster and more efficiently.

Essential things to keep handy during your carburetor cleaning:

• An exploded diagram for re-assembly
• Carburetor cleaner with straw and wires
• Metal container or a gallon of carb cleaner
• Compressed Air
• Pipe cleaners (If you can find your hands on them)

The first step when cleaning out your carburetor is dismantling and de-assembling everything with screws. If you are not used to cleaning your carburetor often, then don’t be too surprised if it is filled with rust. The procedure below will illustrate what you can do when you have a bad carb and a step-by-step guide to dealing with it.

We have had carburetors that have rusted fuel accelerators, gauges, diaphragms, gaskets, and needle rings that have been filled with rust. The good part is that all of this can be fixed, and you can have your carburetor almost back in a shiny, new condition.

Steps to follow for your Arctic Cat 500 Carb problem:

1. First things first, take all the jets out. The main starter, the pilot, and the full seat. Ensure that you remove the float very carefully. This is because the float is attached to a rubber tip; if that breaks, you have another problem to worry about.
2. The next step is to pull the needle valve and the diaphragm. The needle comes with a slide that acts as a meter for the fuel. It has a slide and is tapered towards the end.
3. Once again, you must be careful while you are pulling out the diaphragm because sometimes, one can have a tendency just to rip it off when it doesn’t come off properly. Instead of doing that, ensure that the diaphragm detaches itself properly. Keep going around the circle carefully till it comes off loose.
4. Invest in a good carburetor cleaner and maybe carry a small piece of wire with you to get into those tiny holes that you will find around the sidewall of the carburetor.
5. Spray clean all the parts you have dismantled with compressed air to ensure they are clean and ready to re-assemble easily.
6. Let it stay in the cleaner for a few fours; it’s better still if you can keep it overnight. Remove any rubber material from the overnight mix. It is only metal which can stay in the cleaner.
7. Once you have soaked it overnight, it is time for you to take out the float bowl and check if the needle with the rubber tip is smooth and shiny. If there is the slightest trace of a green-like substance, then ensure that you clean it out again. This, if not done, can cause fuel leakages or other problems.
8. Clean all the jet holes and take a piece of sandpaper to cover the wire with. Push the wire firmly around the jet holes to see if any other cleaning is required. If you see any place for cleaning, use the spray cleaner to clean out that area.
9. This calls for another round of compressed air cleaning. Ensure that no loose rings are lying around, and once you have done that, you can start your work on the re-assembly.

Re-assembling the carburetor

Re-assembling the carburetor is a bigger concern than pulling it apart. It is fairly easy to pull it apart.

However, the challenge arises when we forget to note which small part goes where. The tendency can be to pull apart the pilot screws out without counting the number of turns.

There is a small ring, a small washer, and a spring, usually kept outside the carburetor.

It is better to keep a full-blown diagram in front of you as you are preparing to re-assemble. You can find the settings for your re-installation online as well. You are going to see a lot of hoses and wires that are connected to your carburetor.

The smart thing to do is take pictures of it while dismantling it. The important thing to understand is that it will probably take you at least a few tries before you get it right.

FAQs

Conclusion

We hope that the above description was helpful in you knowing what it is that you must do to clean out your carburetor with ease. Ensure that you pay attention to the assembly and the de-assembly because that can be tricky, especially when it comes to re-assembling your carb.

Checking the choke system and the fuel accelerators before you start your bike will be a good thing to remember.

Don’t worry if you are spending a lot of time doing the re-assembly if this is your first time. The important thing is that after 2-3 times, you’ll get the hang of it and can do it without the full-blown diagram.