Original Doodlebug help

G

gagallagher04401

Member
#1
#1
Hey everyone

I have an original doodlebug with the 97 cc engine on it. Last season I put a new throttle cable new carburetor cleaned it all up changed a couple bearings on the jack shaft kit that’s on it got it running great I went to start up this season and gasoline had gone bad, pretty much destroyed the inside of the carb. $10 for a new carb I found it easier just to get another carburetor. So all I did put that on but now this season it’s not running well at all. It has new gas, has spark, idles fine. literally all I did is change the carburetor. It acts like it has no power. It’s stumbles really bad if you get it going and push yourself to get going and keep it going it will go but any incline at all acts like it has no power. When last season I’m 190 pounds and it pulled me around great. Now it can’t get out of its own way.
Thank you all.
 
sparkwizard

sparkwizard

#2
#2
Did you clean the old gunk out of the gas tank?
Does gas run freely out of the hose when you pull it off the carb?
It sounds like you are not getting enough gas into the carb for high speed power.
Welcome to the site!
Have fun and be safe. Dave
 
G

gagallagher04401

Member
#5
#5
Yes, I clean the tank when I got the thing going last year. I actually I believe I took the filter out of the tank because it was all cruddy and then I put a fuel filter in the line. It has brand new fuel lines. Gas flows freely from the tank out of the lines, it’s a brand new carburetor. I even took it apart just to double check everything. Everything looks good. Everything throttle related otherwise opens all the way etc. I sprayed all around the intake. No leaks at all. I may change the spark plug, but I can’t imagine that is going to affect anything .
I’m just baffled because there’s literally nothing else to this engine. It ran so good last year but old gas, ethanol, etc. gummed up the carburetor. I tried to clean it and I said the heck with it for $10. I’ll just put a new carburetor on it and be good to go, and that is not the case this season.

maybe I can try to make a little video of what it’s doing. Maybe that will help. I’ll do that today after work and try to post it on here if it’ll let me.
 
M

mchadsey1

Member
#7
#7
gagallagher04401 said:
Yes, I clean the tank when I got the thing going last year. I actually I believe I took the filter out of the tank because it was all cruddy and then I put a fuel filter in the line. It has brand new fuel lines. Gas flows freely from the tank out of the lines, it’s a brand new carburetor. I even took it apart just to double check everything. Everything looks good. Everything throttle related otherwise opens all the way etc. I sprayed all around the intake. No leaks at all. I may change the spark plug, but I can’t imagine that is going to affect anything .
I’m just baffled because there’s literally nothing else to this engine. It ran so good last year but old gas, ethanol, etc. gummed up the carburetor. I tried to clean it and I said the heck with it for $10. I’ll just put a new carburetor on it and be good to go, and that is not the case this season.

maybe I can try to make a little video of what it’s doing. Maybe that will help. I’ll do that today after work and try to post it on here if it’ll let me.
Click to expand...
The quality control or lack of it is the reason why those carburetors are so cheap. Many have experienced here that it may take purchasing more than 1 to get a decent 1. Good luck.
 
sparkwizard

sparkwizard

#8
#8
Maybe, since it's not running anyway, maybe, you could take both carbs apart and swap the main jets and the E-tube from the original.
Inspect closely, because there is something different, or some tiny hole plugged in your new one. Whenever I get a new Chinee carb, I plan to take it apart and use stock parts to make one working carb.
Good Luck.
 
G

gagallagher04401

Member
#9
#9
sparkwizard said:
Maybe, since it's not running anyway, maybe, you could take both carbs apart and swap the main jets and the E-tube from the original.
Inspect closely, because there is something different, or some tiny hole plugged in your new one. Whenever I get a new Chinee carb, I plan to take it apart and use stock parts to make one working carb.
Good Luck.
Click to expand...
Good idea. That’s my next try I guess.
 
superflea

superflea

#11
#11
On YouTube, "Chickanic" cautions that about 70% of replacement carbs are bad out of the box. She has extensive experience on small engines having owned and operated a repair shop for many years. I had the same problem with a riding mower. Replacement carb was $10-$20 bucks but an OEM carb was a couple hundred dollars, I went thru 3 or so cheapies before I got it running halfway decent.
 
G

gagallagher04401

Member
#12
#12
superflea said:
On YouTube, "Chickanic" cautions that about 70% of replacement carbs are bad out of the box. She has extensive experience on small engines having owned and operated a repair shop for many years. I had the same problem with a riding mower. Replacement carb was $10-$20 bucks but an OEM carb was a couple hundred dollars, I went thru 3 or so cheapies before I got it running halfway decent.
Click to expand...
Well, I will try maybe putting some parts from the old car into the new car or vice versa to see if I can get anywhere.
 
J

JimN

#13
#13
I don't know. If you took the carb all apart and sprayed it, poked it, blew air through it, you might be better off returning it for a replacement, if you can. The chances of getting 2 bad carbs in a row seem pretty remote to me.
 
G

gagallagher04401

Member
#14
#14
Well, I got it sorted out. I took the emulsion tube and I guess it be called the idle jet maybe the black one on top and the main jet out of the old carburetor clean them up put them back in the new carburetor and it works fine so something is wrong with either the emoji tube the main jet or the pilot jet I’m not sure which one but it’s working so I’m gonna go for now.
 
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