Rebuilding a Nikki Carburetor on John Deere 1330SE Snowblower

KEY POINTS

• With clear instructions, rebuilding or thoroughly cleaning a carburetor is not that hard
• Extra replacement parts should be purchased before starting this project

INTRODUCTION

When I was first told that I have to rebuild a carburetor on my Generac Wheelhouse 5550 generator, I was downright skeptical.

But like everything else in life, things are not as difficult as they seem at first.

Carburetor on a outdoor power equipment is the heart and lungs. Without them, your equipment simply does not work. I was able to bring back my snowblower that had been sitting in my garage for 2 years, just in time to clear almost 30 inches of snow.

I will share my experience with a detailed instructions so that you too can fix your john Deere 1330SE snowblower.

BACKGROUND

As you may be aware, John Deere 1330SE was actually manufactured not by John Deere, but a company called Simplicity which in turn was owned by Briggs and Stratton.

So it’s not a surprise to find that the engine used in John Deere 1330SE was made by Briggs and Stratton. From late 1990’s to around 2012, Briggs and Stratton small engines had either a Walboro or Nikki carburetors.

I believe all 1330se’s came with Nikki carburetors so I will show you how I cleaned and rebuilt my carburetor.

Please note that the Nikki carburetor was calibrated by Briggs and Stratton so there are no calibrations that can be done by a owner.

If you operate John Deere 1330SE at altitudes above 1930 m or 6,000 ft, you may require a special high altitude main jet (you will need to contact your local John Deere dealer for this part)

Also, possible engine surging may occur at high RPM with gear in neutral and the augers are disengaged. This is a normal condition due to the emission control system.

WHY CLEAN/REBUILD?

After sitting around for 2 years (with half tank full of gas), it was not surprising to find my snowblower engine did not start.

If you experience other symptoms like rough idling, weak snow throwing thrust or frequently backfires (loud bang noise), it’s times to clean and rebuild the carburetor.

REQUIRED MATERIALS

You may not using all these spare parts but they are good to have on hand. If you need to clean your carburetor at the last minute, you can clean it to get your snowblower started. But then you should plan on having a subsequent cleaning session to get you new replacement parts installed.

• Gasket, air cleaner (Part # 692277) or Make Your Carburetor gaskets
• Fuel Hose (in case your hose breaks during disassembly)
• Carburetor Primer Bulb OEM
• Breather Tube (Part # 696750)

Required Tools

• Eye Protection
• Small quantity of fresh gasoline
• Q-tips
• Flexible plastic scrapers (you can use disposable floss – see pix)
• Rags
• Flat and Phillips Screwdrivers
• Adjustable pliers