So, I'm rebuilding this small carburator off a tiny 2 cycle boat engine. The engine is a Solo 40, a very old, small 6 HP outboard. Weighs all of 30 something pounds complete.

Anyway, I had to take it apart to clean and replace a screw. Some former owner used a damned wood screw in the choke butterfly! A bit of JB Weld, retap for 4-40, and good as new. Now on to reassembly. Which brings up my question:

Do I use any lubrication on it? Particularly the choke and throttle plate shafts. They are brass, and fit into pockets in the aluminum housing. If so, what kind? Is light machine oil or white lithium okay?

 

I've worked with a couple of 2 stroke carbs and I have never lube'd up. The oil/gas mixture should take care of it.

 

Those parts on the carb are neither high tolerance nor high heat. My most recent carb work was a 1972 yamaha LT2. Street legal 2-cycle enduro. Cranked WOT, the bike would do every bit of 60mph, it just took awhile to get there! The engine on that was pushing a little under 10hp. It's oil injected, so no oil in the fuel to lube the carb, and straight gasoline will dissolve most lubricants, so it's pretty worthless to try to lube it.