Carbide 150 sputtering has me baffled, help! 😜

[ChiefGeek]

Hello all from Nashville! I have a Carbide 150 purchased from Tractor Supply back in 2008 or 2009. The past few years I've had it stored mostly, but now want to get back out on it with my two girls (9&6).

Starts fine (new battery), but will sputter and choke out at around 10-11 mph. I took it to a local repair shop (A-1 Funcycles) here in Nashville, but they weren't able to figure it out in a timely manner so I paid them $200 (ouch!) for basically no change in performance.

They did a compression check (175 lbs.) which they said was good, cleaned the carb. and gas tank, spark plug, valve clearance, and maybe a few other things. I have also put a new plug wire/coil (orange one from eBay dealer), new stock CDI.

I've tried running it with the gas cap off to see if that was the problem, nope, still does the sputtering, new spark plug, checked air filter (stock) and read lots of posts here and at another buggy forum, but I'm still stuck.

Any ideas? I'm thinking its a fuel delivery issue, but I'm not sure. I've pulled the plug and the spark is great.

Thanks in advance...

- Steve

[liduno]

Did you change the old gas?

I would pull the carb apart just to see if they actually cleaned it, make sure all the jets are clear and all the passages in the carb are clear.

Make sure the gas is flowing from the tank to the carb, check tank for rust.

If all that checks out I would probably adjust the valves just to eliminate that as the cause.

[ChiefGeek]

Yes they replaced the gas, they also checked the valves and found them not needing adjustment. I've checked the tank and there is zero rust or anything in the bottom.

What is the best method for checking the flow from the tank?

[liduno]

Pull the fuel line off the carb and see if the gas flows out.

Some buggies have a vacuum operated petcock some don't.

As far as them ''saying'' they checked the valve adjustment, I wouldn't take their word for it.

[ChiefGeek]

This has a vacuum fed gas line, I've considered converting it to gravity fed with a petcock. Anyone know how hard this would be, and where to get the parts?

[liduno]

The vacuum petcock should only flow if there is vacuum applied to it, and obviously there shouldn't be fuel from the port that the vacuum line hooks up to.

I had one go bad so I replaced it with line from a transmission cooler, it was just a brass fitting with hose barb. Any auto parts store should have it, but there was no OFF/ON like a regular petcock.

[ChiefGeek]

May have found the problem tonight, removed air filter (which they say they checked, and found it DIRTY, rusted, and (not sure why), oil (and or gas), collected in the housing. I'll attach a couple pics...

[ChiefGeek]

Sorry the pics came out kinda big, but it does show the detail!

[ChiefGeek]

BTW, I found a hose unattached that runs from the front of the engine, under a aluminum (so it looks) casing, along side the carborator (sp?), and ends under the air filter housing. Should this be hooked up to something? (see pics)

[liduno]

My guess is that hose is probably just a crank case vent. It's usually connected to the airbox to provide positive crank case ventilation.

Do you still believe they cleaned the carb and checked the valve adjustment? lol