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Pulled an old Husqvarna mower with a Honda GCV190 engine from the trash to fix up and donate. Looks like it has sat for a while. The photo shows what the float and float chamber look like. They are covered in this thick pasty white goo. Have others seen cases like this? Is the what can happen to fuel when it sits for eons in the float bowl?

It is water damage. Remove all rubber and plastics then using Sulfuric acid (battery strength) soak it until gone. Sulfuric acid will not damage the cast aluminum but a little rough on the steel and tin parts.

Then you need to determine just how bad the pitting is but likely you need a new carb as they fairly cheap right now. Usually this corrosion eats away at the aluminum and look like termite damage.

Being this much damage I would just forget it and order a new carb.

StarTech said:

Being this much damage I would just forget it and order a new carb.

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Yup yup.....

Good advice. I've only had the mower a few days and have not yet pulled the shroud, but will soon do that.

ttimtucker said:

Pulled an old Husqvarna mower with a Honda GCV190 engine from the trash to fix up and donate. Looks like it has sat for a while. The photo shows what the float and float chamber look like. They are covered in this thick pasty white goo. Have others seen cases like this? Is the what can happen to fuel when it sits for eons in the float bowl?

Click to expand...

White rust. If given enough time it will eventually destroy the carburetor to the point of being unusable.

Soaked everything in vinegar overnight and cleaned off the white rust. Extensive pitting is shown in photo. Fortunately the brass ports/jets seemed to be intact and I was able to clean our the various passages. The bushing where the float rod sits was extensively damaged; I used JB Weld to repair that area (I'm optimistically believing the websites I visited which said JB Weld holds up to gasoline). My garbage mower starts and runs OK (for now, anyway).

I didn't know a $21 Honda Carb was that expensive. But of course I didn't think a $5 head gasket was too expensive either until I saw where someone use Blue RTV in attempt to seal one. Or blade bolt that someone used duct tape to replace.