The principles of carburetion are presented so
you may better understand the inner workings
of a carburetor and how the other components
of the fuel system function to provide a
combustible mixture or air and fuel to the
engine cylinders.
Air is composed of various gases, mostly nitrogen and
oxygen (78 percent nitrogen and 21 percent oxygen by
volume). These gases are, in turn, made up of tiny
particles called molecules. All substances, whether solid,
liquid, or gas, are made up of molecules. In solids, such
as ice or iron, the particles are held closely together so
that they seem to have no motion. In liquids, the
molecules are not held together tightly, so they can move
freely with respect to each other. In gases, there is still
less tendency for the molecules to bond; therefore, the
molecules can move quite freely. The molecules of gas
are attracted to the earth by gravity or by their weight. It
is the combined weight of the countless molecules in the
air that make up atmospheric pressure.
EVAPORATION
is the changing of a liquid to a vapor.
*The rate of evaporation is dependent on the following
1- TEMPERATURE.
2- ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
3- VOLATILITY.
4- ATOMIZATION
1-TEMPERATURE.
The rate of movement of the molecules increase
with temperature. Because of this, the amount of
molecules leaving the liquid for a given time will
increase, as the temperature increases.
2-ATMOSPHERIC
PRESSURE
As atmospheric pressure increases, the
amount of air molecules present over the
liquid also increases. The increased presence
of air molecules will slow the rate of
evaporation. This is because the molecules of
liquid will have more air molecules to collide
with. In many cases, they will fall back into
the liquid after the collision
3-VOLATILITY.
The term volatility refers to how fast a
liquid vaporizes. Some liquid vaporizes
easily at room temperature. Alcohol, for
instance, vaporizes more easily than water.
A highly volatile liquid is one that is
considered to evaporate easily.
4-ATOMIZATION
Atomization is the process of
breaking up a liquid into tiny
particles or droplets.
When a liquid is atomized, the
droplets are all exposed
individually to the air.
For this reason, atomization
greatly increases evaporation by
increasing the exposed surface area
of the liquid.
A carburetor is basically a device for mixing air
and fuel in the correct amounts for efficient
combustion. The carburetor bolts to the engine
intake manifold. The air cleaner fits over the
top of the carburetor to trap dust and dirt.
Basic carburetor consists of the
following parts
1-Carburetor body
2-Air horn
3-Throttle valve
4-Ventur
5-Main discharge tube
6-Fuel bowl
1-Carburetor body
2-Air horn
The air horn is also called the throat or barrel.
The parts which often fasten to the air horn body
are as follows: the choke, the hot idle
compensator, the fast idle linkage rod, the choke
vacuum break, and sometimes the float and
pump mechanisms.
3-Throttle valve
This disc-shaped valve
controls air flow through
the air horn.
When closed, it restricts
the flow of air and fuel into
the engine, and when
opened, air flow, fuel flow,
and engine power increase.
4-Ventur
The venturi produces
sufficient suction to
pull fuel out of the
main discharge tube
5-Main discharge tube
The main discharge tube is
also called the main fuel
nozzle
It is a passage that
connects the fuel bowl to
the center of the venturi.
6-Fuel bowl
The fuel bowl holds
a supply of fuel that
is NOT under fuel
pump pressure
Carburetor size is stated in CFM (cubic feet of
air per minute).
This is the amount of air that can flow through
the carburetor at wide, open throttle.
CPM is an indication of the maximum air
flow capacity. Usually, small CPM carburetors
are more fuel-efficient than larger carburetors.
Air velocity, fuel mixing, and atomization are
better with small throttle bores. A larger CPM
rating is desirable for high engine power
output
The seven basic carburetor systems
are the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Float system
Idle system
Off idle system
Acceleration system
High-speed system
Full-power system
Float system
The float system (fig. 4-20) maintains a steady
working supply of gasoline at a constant level
in the carburetor. This action is critical to the
proper operation of the carburetor. Since the
carburetor uses differences in pressure to force
fuel into the air horn,
The float system keeps the fuel pump from
forcing too much gasoline into the carburetor
bowl
An excessively high float level will cause fuel
to flow too freely from the discharge tube,
causing an overly rich mixture
whereas an excessively low float level will
cause an overly lean mixture
The basic parts of the float system are
the fuel bowl, the float, the needle
valve, the needle seat, the bowl vent
The carburetor float rides on top of the fuel in the
fuel bowl to open and close the needle valve.
It is normally made of thin brass or plastic. One
end of the float is hinged to the side of the
carburetor body and the other end is free to swing
up and down.
* The needle valve is usually made of brass
Idle system
Off idle system
The off idle, also known as the part throttle, feeds
more fuel into the air horn when the throttle plate is
partially open. It is an extension of the idle system. It
functions above approximately 800 rpm or 20 mph.
Without the off idle system, the fuel mixture would
become too lean slightly above idle. The idle system
alone is not capable of supplying enough fuel to the
air stream passing through the carburetor. The off idle
system helps supply fuel during the change from idle
to high speed.
Acceleration system
The carburetor acceleration system, like the off idle system,
provides extra fuel when changing from the idle system to
the high-speed system. The acceleration system squirts a
stream of fuel into the air horn when the fuel pedal is
pressed and the throttle plates swing open.
Without the acceleration system, too much fuel would rush
into the engine, as the throttle quickly opened. The mixture
would become too lean for combustion and the engine
would stall or hesitate. The acceleration system prevents a
lean air-fuel mixture from upsetting a smooth increase in
engine speed.
High-Speed System
The, high-speed system, also called the main
metering system, supplies the engine air-fuel
mixture at normal cruising speeds.
This system begins to function when the throttle
plate is opened wide enough for the venturi action.
Air flow through the carburetor must be relatively
high for venturi vacuum to draw fuel out of the
main discharge tube.
The high-speed system provides the leanest, most
fuel efficient air-fuel ratio. It functions from about
20 to 55 mph or 2,000 to 3,000 rpm.
Full-Power System
The full-power system provides a means of
enriching the fuel mixture for high-speed,
high-power conditions.
This system operates, for example, when the
driver presses the fuel pedal to pass another
vehicle or to climb a steep hill.
The full-power system is an addition to the highspeed system. Either a metering rod or a power
valve (jet) can be used to provide variable,
high-speed air-fuel ratio.
Choke System
When the engine is cold, the fuel tends to condense
into large drops in the manifold, rather than
vaporizing. By supplying a richer mixture (8:1 to
9:1), there will be enough vapor to assure complete
combustion.
The carburetor is fitted with a choke system to provide
this richer mixture.
The choke system provides a very rich mixture to start
the engine and to make the mixture less rich
gradually, as the engine reaches operating
temperature. The two types of choke systems are the
manual and automatic
COMPUTER-CONTROLLED
CARBURETORS
A computer-controlled carburetor uses a solenoidoperated valve to respond to commands from
the microcomputer (electronic control unit). The
system uses various sensors to send information
to the computer that calculates how rich or lean
to set the carburetor air-fuel mixture.
The system is also known as a computer
controlled emission system which consists of the
following: oxygen sensor, temperature sensor,
pressure sensor, electromechanical carburetor,
mixture control solenoid, computer, and idle
speed actuator
1-The oxygen sensor, or exhaust gas sensor, monitors
the oxygen content in the engine exhaust
2-The temperature sensor detects the operating
temperature of the engine
3-The manifold pressure sensor (MAP) measures intake
manifold vacuum and engine load.
4-The computer, also called the electronic control unit
(ECU), uses sensor information to operate the
mixture control solenoid of the carburetor
CARBURETOR TROUBLES
1-EXCESSIVE FUEL CONSUMPTION
2-A SLUGGISH ENGINE
3-POOR IDLING
4-FAILURE OF THE ENGINE TO START
5-HARD STARTING OF A WARM ENGINE
6-SLOW ENGINE WARM-UP
7-A BACKFIRING ENGINE
CARBURETOR ACCESSORIES
There are several devices used on carburetors to
improve drivability and economy.
These devices are as follows:
The fast idle solenoid, the throttle return
dashpot, the hot idle compensator, and the
altitude compensator. Their applications vary
from vehicle to vehicle
