# carburetor/air filter
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carburetor-air-filter/602702
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 12, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carburetor-air-filter/602702 "2011-11-12T17:00:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@russ\_cardyjr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russ_cardyjr)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carburetor-air-filter/602702/1 "2011-11-12T17:00:53Z")
I just sprayed some gum cutter into mthe carb of mychipper/shredder and now gas is leaking out of my air filter----any ideas why??? thanks
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### Author:  [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carburetor-air-filter/602702/2 "2011-11-12T18:04:33Z")
I’m assuming you had to remove the air filter to get to the carb. Maybe you dislodged the fuel line or the fuel line cracked?
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### Author:  [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carburetor-air-filter/602702/3 "2011-11-12T18:04:43Z")
Not sure what gum cutter is, but assuming it’s some sort of solvent, perhaps it loosened up, but not dissolved, some “gum” which is now clogging the needle valve or jet. Might squirt a bit more in the carb. Can’t hurt at this point.
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### Author:  [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2011, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carburetor-air-filter/602702/4 "2011-11-12T22:53:24Z")
You probably sprayed lots of cutter into the carb with the machine not running. At that point you should have started the engine without an air cleaner in place and maybe even sprayed more cutter into the carb with the engine running at fast idle. Nevertheless, you got too much raw cutter in there and that might have temporarily plugged the air filter so the engine is choked heavily resulting in more raw gas pulling through. Let the filter air out and run the engine briefly to clear it out. Problem should be solved.