Howdy ya'll, 6 months ago I started a small engine repair business. I keep running into a problem I could use some advice on. Let me explain the problem by detailing a recent struggle I had with a 2000 Yamaha Breeze 125

I received the Yamaha Breeze and it was obvious I was going to have to rebuild the carburetor. I pulled off the carb and sure enough it was very corroded, the float needle was stuck, the jets were clogged, and the float bowl gasket was ruined. My plan was to order the correct rebuild kit, run the carb through the ultrasonic cleaner as many times as neccessary, then put it back together and go on my merry way. And then the problems started:

• I was suspicious that the quad had a clone carb already on it because:
  • The carb had zero markings on it. The customer bought the quad used and didn't know the previous service history.
  • The parts diagram for the stock carb showed that the needle seat was removable, the one the customer's carb seemed to be the press fit, regardless the needle seat was much smaller on the customer's carburetor than the one that came with the rebuild kit.
  • The main jet was size 85, the service manual said it should be size 82.5
• I ordered a rebuild kit using the carb part number found on the 2000 Yamaha Breeze 125 parts diagram. The kit looked right, but when it came in, the float needle was much larger. I was able to use some of the parts in the rebuild kit. But I really needed a new float needle as the one I had had a stuck spring.
• I was in a tough spot. How do I get a rebuild kit for a carb I am unable to identify?
• Maybe I should buy a $25 clone carb. They had terrible reviews and many reviewers said they don't work with 2000 breeze. I bought one anyway feeling like I was out of options. It did not work properly, it was undersized and performed poorly even after spending hours trying to improve things by tuning it
• I measured my float needle and tried to find a replacement needle simply by dimensions and shape... no luck.

Then I thought... OK, I'll just buy an OEM carb from a reputable dealer. Most of the parts sellers I went to said their carb was sold out. On ebay, the crappy clone carbs that were $40 looked identical to the $120 carbs, which led me to believe they were all the same clone carbs, all not good. On ebay, I couldn't figure out how to know who was a reputable seller. The one parts seller I could find that seemed reputable wanted $250 for a new carb. $250 is a lot to spend when all I really need is a new float needle and I already have a tight budget because the quad has many other issues.

Please help. These types of situations keep popping up, usually with carbs, but sometimes with other parts. Yesterday I had a similar problem being unable to find a replacement backfire solenoid for a zero turn mower.