1994 arctic cat zr 440

[Blakefromminnesota]

Just bought a zr 440. But I have a problem and hopefully you can help. Only getting fuel to one carb. Would that be a fuel pump issue or a carb issue?

[Junk Yard Dog]

Welcome to the world of 10% ethanol fuel, could be one or both parts. I don't know shit about arctic cats, but carburetors and ethanol laced fuel I know too much about. First, always use Stabil brand marine grade fuel additive in everything that uses gasoline, you can find it at the auto part store or online from ebay or Summit racing. Second alternative is to find a supply of extra expensive fuel without ethanol sold for racing engines or small equipment. I would think one pump feeds both carbs, if there are two pumps pull the suspect one and see if it's pumping. Pull the bad carb and soak it for a few days in denatured alcohol, you can find it at the home improvement store, or Cabelas sold as camp stove fuel. If it has an easy to remove bowl then remove it and see how much white powder and other crap is in there, if it's there than rebuild the carburetors, yes, both of them. It goes without saying to check the fuel filter, or filters first. I expect you will be replacing or rebuilding both carbs if the ethanol alcohol has eaten them up, you and about fifty million others. So bad is the problem that the Chinese moved into the small carb business producing lawnmower carbs for $12 or so and they sell very well. I sold most of a seventy year collection of carburetors we had stashes away, even shit I literally dug up out of the ground. So long as the carb body hasn't seen ethanol the rebuilders take them. Denatured alcohol will dissolve ordinary shellac in a carb, but ethanol eats the metal and rubber parts, denatured alcohol can't fix that. So bad is the problem that I now stock small engine carbs for my chainsaw, riding mower, and generators, I even dropped near $300 on a spare Edelbrock performer for the Chevy small block in my RV.

I looked it up, a snowmobile, OK, I was thinking something big on tank treads with a heated enclosed cab . You might be in luck with that and maybe the Chinese are making carbs for it. If not then head for the dealer and bring a jar of Vaseline with you 'cause it's probably going to hurt. Check the easy shit first, filter, then pump.

[Blakefromminnesota]

It's just one pump, so I don't see why it wouldn't pump to both carbs. I called a place near me that deals with snowmobiles they said it's the intake jet stuck closed. So if I clean the carb it should be good right? And yes he was running 87 octane with ethanol through it. I'll be running 91 with no ethanol.

[Blakefromminnesota]

However there is brand new fuel lines and he put new pistons/ top end before I bought it. He said if he fed the other carb it would run no problem. Otherwise it would run on one carb and as soon as you hit the gas it would die out.

[Brake Weight]

Carb cleaning isn’t a hard thing to do. Tuning them is a different story. But pull the suspect carb and spray each orifice out with some canned carb cleaner spray. If in doubt pull the ‘good’ one and compare where each port discharges from. It used to be my ‘thing’ when I worked small engine repair for my uncle for 5 years. Carbs and mopeds I had a knack for.

[Brake Weight]

Carb cleaning isn’t a hard thing to do. Tuning them is a different story. But pull the suspect carb and spray each orifice out with some canned carb cleaner spray. If in doubt pull the ‘good’ one and compare where each port discharges from. It used to be my ‘thing’ when I worked small engine repair for my uncle for 5 years. Carbs and mopeds I had a knack for.

[Blakefromminnesota]

So I actually found out the problem. Which i have no idea how i iver looked this. I looked at the fuel filter today. Ice. Frozen solid. So i went and bought a bottle of red heet. Let it sit for a few hours. Bought a new filter and lines in the process and it runs. Very hard to start though. Needs a sniff of starting fluid to get it going (I know I know). But one it runs it's very boggy and it won't idle. Not exacltly sure which screws to turn I went into my arctic cat dealer and asked. They said screw in both screws and back out the idle speed screw 2 1/2 turns on each and on the smaller idle mix screw 1 turn out. And a 1/4 in either direction. So I'm going to try that tomorrow. If it doesn't work I'm cleaning the carbs on Tuesday and hopefully this helps. But for now I'm trying to run the old fuel out. I added about 2 gal. Of 91 in just to help the old stuff run through. Culprit to water getting in the tank? Sitting outside with no cover and the fuel cap globe broken to let water run down fuel gauge into tank. Can't afford a new gas cap so for now a strip of t rex tape over the top did the trick.

[Brake Weight]

If you can get your hands on some racing methanol it’ll do the same as the HEET or better. It breaks down in water and will help clean things. Just don’t go to rich. Add as much as you would the HEET. Usually about $5/gallon so you can see the cost advantage. Add a coffee cup full to you windshield washer fluid too and it won’t freeze. Clean bugs in just a few wipes also. Good for cleaning carbon as well. LOL. Dries cleaner than gasoline.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Don't run the old nasty fuel, drain it, pull the fuel tank and clean it out. You don't need that old shellac running in your carbs making things worse. Keep a spare fuel filter on the machine someplace, keep two.

[Junk Yard Dog]

How cold is it when you are trying to start the machine. Engines, especially small engines, do not like starting in the cold, it's always going to be hard to start a cold small engine, and by cold I mean 50 and down. My chainsaw wouldn't start yesterday, I had to bring it inside, stick it in front of the wood stove for half an hour, then start in inside. It was 12 degrees out.