Hello, I’m new here so sorry if this has been an issue in the past. I bought my kids a 1998 lt80 for Xmas and trying to get it ready for them. It’s all stock, guy I bought it from said it ran last time it was parked. Sat about 2 years. What I’ve done.
new battery
rebuilt/cleaned carb 2 times
drained tank
new gas
cleaned reeds/inspected
checked spark good blue spark
checked compression 175psi
turns over just fine with electric start just won’t fire. Will run for 2 seconds if I spray a tiny bit of ether in carb. Other than that it won’t try to run or anything. Acting like it’s not getting fuel but I know the carb has gas in it hence why I rebuilt cleaned it 2 times. I’m lost on what else it could be unless the carb is still not cleaned good enough? I soaked it the first time and cleaned and rebuilt. The second time soaked it again but in thinner cleaned and rebuilt. New parts obviously. New gas and oil, I blocked off the oil pump system. I’ve got a matching lt80 but a 2003 that I’ve considered pulling the carb off to see if that makes it run?

 

" I’ve considered pulling the carb off to see if that makes it run"
Do it, the only other things I can think of are the reed valves or crankcase oil seals, and I suspect compression wouldn't be 175psi if they were shot. I always blow jets and the holes they came from out with compressed air, and never fit new components (except float needles, if the carb dribbles or fills engine with fuel). I think the LT80 has an adjustable float level, you may catch the float on something during a rebuild so altering adjustable floats, if the other carb works, check the float level on the faulty carb.