Home Shop Tips No. 10 - Rebuilding a Tillotson HL Carburetor

I was rebuilding yet another HL carb and i thought i'd make a video for everyone to see. It's pretty simple but it's nice to have a reference the first couple times you do one of these carbs.

[@danver222]

Older video but still quite helpful--thanks. I will also comment on the welch plugs though. I used to skip them as well but after having problems a couple of times after a rebuild I now remove the welch plugs as well as the check valve underneath to clean and inspect them. New welch plugs are available and are pretty easy to remove and install--I think I paid a little over $1 each last time I bought some. The little extra time is worth the effort in my opinion.

[@rotory2002]

Wonderful video :) Its guys like you who make our life so much easier ! I love the way you take your time and explain everything. Thanks again !

[@themadmailler]

Thank you for your kind words! Glad you enjoyed.

[@johnwood4816]

Excellent info and intuitive guide to rebuild of my carb, thanks for your great video. John

[@matthewmigdalewicz5974]

Great video. Thank you for taking the time to do this. Very informative.

[@backdraftdragon3150]

Great video and audio you explained everything to a tee wish I saw this before I rebuilt my carb would have made my life a lot easier .thanks

[@themadmailler]

Thanks!

[@Britcheflee]

OK tested your theory and you are correct they only can go in one way - I purchased a rebuild kit and will be referring to your useful information.

[@earthgrinder1]

Thanks for the tips. The needle seat in the kit I got was much shorter and had a thread pitch of 34 where the original is 32. I thought it threaded in hard. I remembered your clip and took the new one out. I had the proper tap and re tapped the threaded hole and put the old needle and seat back in. Thanks again.

[@themadmailler]

+earthgrinder1 ouch! glad you didn't totally booger the threads. Thanks for watching!

[@homotorsports]

Excellent Video!!!

[@rs71355]

Yes you are right once again thanks for the video

[@sophia66100]

Thank you for your reply.

[@oldgeeser]

Hi thanks for the vid, I have an old seper 250 and I think its the tillison HL carb , Also have a mcculloch electric start saw but havent researched it much yet ,,

[@kahrcarrier]

Thanks!!

[@williambrett9328]

Hi, Im putting together a tillotson HL-87c and I can't remember what direction the sintered filter faces. It has a less dense and more dense side.

[@AbsolutionArmament]

Could I replace a HC13a with a carb from the HL lineup. I know they use the same internals with reception of a pump.

[@KimballCody]

picked up a mcculloch 300 chainsaw and it has a HL63E Tillotson carb. i tried cleaning it and reinstalling it but I think the pump diaphragm is too stiff. the saw turns over on a prime but doesn't run. I hope the rebuild kit fixes it.

[@sophia66100]

Hello. Great video, thank you. Question: How do you prime the carb?

[@raketaren7830]

Thanks ! You took out something to the inlet needle och said that you inspect it. Is it just rubber . Is the the old one not possible to buy ? Mine is leaking . It not so funny to buy a new one who is also leaking according to what You said. What should I do ? Thanks in advance!

[@themadmailler]

I was asked about the welsh plugs on the carb body. I don't think i ever messed with the plugs, and i think that most of the kits don't come with the plugs anyway. additionally, the plugs don't really cover anything intricate that you couldn't get to with carb cleaner and a straw. so i just make sure to blow it out really well and it should be fine. also, i've found that it isn't the passageways that are blocked, but the diaphragms that are dried and stiff or clogged with oil.

[@lizdempsey4440]

One plug covers low speed passages, the other covers the check valve, good check valve is critical.

[@brianr.1417]

When you reinstall the carb does the fuel line intake go to the top or bottom.

[@pjneese]

Brilliant! Quick question. Are you using a RK-88HL Tillotson HL Carburetor repair kit in this video? I found an old David Bradley chainsaw at an antique store. It's my irst 2 stroke engine rebuild. Started with a frozen piston. Was able to get to going without a proper working carb for a few seconds. Thanks for the video, a rebuild of the carb should be the last thing (other than modifying the friction plate that's worn). Cheers!

[@themadmailler]

I'm not sure what the number is on the kit. i buy them from a gal who goes by "chainsawlady" on the chainsaw forums. they're cheaper than the ones on ebay but the same quality. good luck on getting that DB running!

[@rs71355]

Hi thanks for this Great video, I'm trying to get my dod's old Remington SL-5 Logmaster running again and it has a Tillotson HL43B carb and I can't find a rebuild kit under that model number so do they not get that specific when ordering a rebuild kit? I see a Tillotson Carb Repair Kit marked HL (RK1HL) for $15.00right under your video, is it for all HL carbs? Thanks

[@themadmailler]

I have no idea, sorry! But for $15 it's not a bad gamble.

[@DeanMerciiTNClan1]

Does your motor need any special, mill or bore done to it to run this type of carb? I have a honda clone 6.5 that is at about 10 or 11 HP and I want to run the Tillotson HL 360A but I want to know if the motor needs to have any special work done to run it? Someone anyone please reply ASAP.

[@Britcheflee]

I have same carb off a Homelite 5-20 chainsaw - the H L needles are on the front - and, from what I can see the long one is in the Low setting and the short in the High - does this sound right? I assume you could not get them inserted the wrong way around as one would be sticking out much further than the other?

[@themadmailler]

I'm not sure if those saws have this exact carb. definitely not if the needles are on the front. but yes, generally speaking the H and L needles are shaped differently and only go in one way. sometimes the threads are even different sizes.

[@brianrowland7113]

Excellent vid. However, I am not getting any fuel through the carb. If I remove the spark plug and put fuel in, it runs like a beast for 5 seconds and then quits and then nothing. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[@themadmailler]

I'm guessing that the diaphragm pumping section of the carb is not functioning. either a clogged port or maybe an old diaphragm or gasket.

[@themadmailler]

when i'm raedy to start the engine, i just squirt some gas down the throat of the carb. that usually gives it enough fuel to get it pumping from the tank.

[@themadmailler]

depends what motor it is. this is a stock carb off of a stock engine.

[@Britcheflee]

kit arrived - there is a small brass/copper washer - not sure where that is supposed to go - any thoughts?

[@themadmailler]

Sorry to say, i'm not sure. if it's not in my video, i don't know. i actually haven't worked on one of these carbs for a while. what i can tell you is that oftentimes a carb kit will include parts for other carbs in the same family. if it were me, if a small brass washer didn't come out of the carb, i wouldn't worry about putting one in. good luck!

[@PopsShack]

Under the inlet seat. When you take out the inlet needle, you can also take out the inlet seat. It has a copper washer under it.

[@gyroonesix5862]

themadmailler . There is also a copper washer under the check valve. It's under the Welch plug that was not removed during this rebuild.

[@ToddnMiss]

My Tillotson HL166B seems to have a sticking idle. I've verified there is no tension on the throttle cable and have two springs on the return... it seems to be the idle screw area, I have to manually push it back down (I loosened the adjustment screw but it doesn't return. This causes my Kart to rev to 12,000 RPMs and then I have to hit the kill switch or manually return the idle. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you

[@themadmailler]

ToddnMiss tough to say without looking at it myself... remove the cable from the carb and manipulate both independently and see which might have a sticky spot or slop in the linkage. from there you can isolate the problem. there also might be an issue with your motor such as a leaky crank seal; even if you shut the throttle butterfly it might still rev due to the seal or other issue (maybe a reed valve?)

[@ToddnMiss]

themadmailler thank you for the reply, it appears something is wrong with the spring, when I watch videos of people working on them they can open the butterfly and it springs back closed, mine does not do that (even with no linkage connected.... I may have a disconnected or broke spring somewhere... time to hunt.

[@ToddnMiss]

themadmailler You were right, upon complete removal of the cable (and spraying with carb cleaner) I found that it sprung back fine - I had just the slightest bit of tension on the cable preventing the spring-back (or the spray got rid of something making it stick). I added some slack to the line (about 1/8" on the peddle) and it snaps back fine. Thank you very much for your post and follow-up on my comment!

[@themadmailler]

Glad you got it figured out!

[@camerong9175]

my carb is flooding badely lots of gas coming out of the air port meaning when i pull the pull cord it shoots out i have a HL365b 828 carb and i pulled the needle and seat out that u have at 5:05 and there is no black rubber on mine its just a bigger circle i have tried turning the h and low off and it still spits gas out the intake

[@themadmailler]

you need the rubber in the brass seat, it is what the needle seats against. even if you shut off the mixture needles, the gas will still spit out because the gas is coming out of a vent in the carb i believe. try getting a rubber seat in there to properly shut off gas flow and you should be good.

[@brianr.1417]

On this carb is the inlet tube on the bottom or top or on the side ?

[@themadmailler]

as you can see in the very beginning of the video, the fuel inlet is on the bottom of the carb.

[@jerrykallal856]

You didn’t go under Welch plug