Overheard a mechanic say rebuild kits are better than new carbs

I was dropping off my Ski-Doo at a shop near Lake Placid last weekend and heard the head mechanic tell a customer that rebuilding your carb with a $25 kit is almost always better than dropping $150 on a new one. He said the new carbs coming from China now have thinner metal and worse jetting than the originals from 10 years ago. Made me think twice about just swapping parts when something acts up. Anyone else had better luck with rebuilds or am I wasting my time?

2 comments

2 Comments

nathan_patel18d ago

That thing about "new carbs from China have thinner metal" is spot on from what I've been reading on some snowmobile forums. I had a buddy who swapped out his old Mikuni for a cheap new one a few years back and the casting was so rough inside it actually caused a hesitation at mid-throttle... ended up buying a rebuild kit for the old one and it ran perfect after that. The gaskets and diaphragms in those kits these days are just as good as factory, and you keep the original metal housing that was made to last. I'd trust a rebuild over a new cheap carb any day, especially if the old one isn't cracked or warped.

jessicamiller18d agoTop Commenter

Honestly, did your buddy ever try to measure the jetting differences between the old Mikuni and the cheap knockoff, or was it just the rough casting causing the issue? That's the part I'm always curious about - whether it's the metallurgy or the tuning that's actually off.