2001 Kawasaki Prairie 4X4
Had my atv sitting all winter. Decided to get it going. Starts but idles for about 5-10 seconds and then dies out. Was told to clean the jets. So I take out the carb, clean out the three jets and put everything back together. Try and start it, and nothing. Hear something leaking underneath. Its gas coming out of the bottom of the air cleaner box. Take off the seat and gas tank and notice this pin sitting there:
I don't know where it came from. Never heard it fall out when I was taking the carb apart. Could this be the problem, and where does it go?

 

Probably a long shot but it looks to me like the float pin, if you turned the carb. on its side while working on it it could have fallen out and when you turned the gas on the needle valve could not seat resulting in an overflowing carb.

 

yes, thats exactly what was it was, i dont know how i could have missed that when i was putting it back together. ok, well now everything is back together, and it doesn't want to start at all. Before all this it would die after 5-10 seconds. Now, nothing? What's going on now?

 

Flooded engine.
Turn off fuel supply.
Without pin in place fuel will fill up engine till tank is dry.
Remove carb , turn upside down, remove bowl,
make sure fuel inlet needle is in the seat, then install the float hinge pin.
Test to make sure float is in place with the pin and opens and close's the fuel
inlet needle.
Re-install carb bowl , then should be good to go.
Remove and check sparkplug for signs of engine flooded.
Check oil level.

 

put pin back in real quick, i think everything was in place. checked and cleaned spark plug. But still nothing. Maybe I should give it some time?

 

Turn on main fuel tap at gas tank, then open the carb bowl drain screw at bottom of carb to make sure fuel is getting to bowl.
If no more gas is getting into the air box , needle is doing its job.
The drain test is to make sure its also letting fuel in as level drops.

 

Was the plug wet?
If so it may have shorted out.
Test it for spark.

 

yes it was slightly wet. Should I try a new plug?

 

Turn the engine over with the plug out to expell any gas. Put a lighter to the plug to burn off any gas incase it's wet fouled, clean plug put it back and see what happens.

 

Just did that, and still nothing