Old/Bad/Stale fuel symptoms

[the_Journeyman]

General fueling question here.  I've got a TRX350 (Honda Rancher 350) that I just finished cleaning the carb on.  It sat for a couple years and varmits got in it.  It came to me in a completely non-running state.  Fun to load and unload something that bit that is stuck in gear because of the electronic transmission controls.

Fuel in the tank is around two years old with no stabilizer or anything.  What problems could the fuel cause?

Current state:  It'll start and run with the choke activated, but will not run without the choke.  It'll take fuel on the choke as well. 

Thanks for any input!

JM

[koko64]

Will it run at higher revs, but not idle? If so, the pilots or their passage ways are clogged with wax and carb cleaner won't be enough. The choke may be having to act as the pilot circuit. I have had to use the wire cleaning kit from CCW. It looks like a welder tip cleaning kit (must be based on one). Actual wax came out (looked like ear wax). Melted hose can clog passages also from the effects of E10-15.
I soaked some pilot jets in carb cleaner overnight and it didn't work. They were blocked and needed "flossing".

A Briggs and Stratton tech told me that modern fuel here starts going stale in 3 weeks according to their last inservice training.

[ducpainter]

+1.

Pilot jet is clogged.

[the_Journeyman]

I'll revisit the pilot jet, it did use some wire on it, maybe there's some clogging in the carb body.  I won't run at all off the choke.  The I can bring the RPMs with the choke on, close choke and it idles down fairly quickly and stalls.

JM

[koko64]

Could you see light through the main jet?

[ducpainter]

Did you drain the tank and put in fresh fuel?

[the_Journeyman]

I could see through all jet openings.

I have not changed the fuel yet.  Was thinking it made more sense to do that before I open the carb back up. 

JM

[koko64]

Yeah, see what happens with new gas.

[Howie]

Everything Koko said including the fuel lines if it is an older ATV or the fuel lines are not marked SAE 30 9R

[the_Journeyman]

It'll run and idle now, it helped with I mounted up the air filter.  I'm thinking that was making it idle lean sitting in the garage.  I've been riding it around to burn off the old fuel.  It runs smoothly but feels sluggish.  I'm thinking with fresh fuel and a quick look in the bowl for more trash and this thing will be good to go. 

JM