The Basics of your Cars Carburetor

By Everette JT Jamison

Many people drive automobiles that run smoothly (usually) with sophisticated computer-controlled parts and systems. In fact car manufacturers has striven to design parts that are far more precise than those used in cars over twenty years ago. But, there are many auto hobbiest who still drive vehicles that use mechanical parts. In fact, these people not only own, but revel in maintaining their automotive relics of the past. Most of them use carburetors (or, carbs) instead of fuel injection systems.

We will discuss come of the ways on how carburetors work. we will discuss their operation and explain how they contribute to the function of your engine (if you're driving an older car).

The Reasoning

In order for your vehicles engine to operate, a proper mixture of air and fuel must be present. If the mixture is not balanced properly, the imbalance will affect your engine's performance. For example, if there's too much fuel, your vehicle may stall or operate sluggishly. On the other hand, if there's an insufficient amount, your car may not even run. The carb's job is to control the mixture, so that the right level of gasoline is present.

The Parts Effected

A carburetor is manufactured from a pipe (called the throat) through which air is allowed to flow. Toward the middle of this pipe, the passage narrows which creates a vacuum in that section. This vacuum accelerates the speed of the airflow in that section of the pipe (called the venturi).

Next to the throat is a component that contains the float chamber. Gasoline is fed into the chamber by way of the float valve. A "jet" allows the gasoline to enter the carb's throat. As air flows through the throat and accelerates through the venturi, gas is vacuumed from the float chamber and mixes with the air.

Below the venturi is a part called the throttle valve. This valve rotates to control the airflow. It can be positioned to allow a free flow (that is, no blockage) or to form a near-complete blockage. Because a vacuum is created in the venturi, and the force of the vacuum is dependent upon the airflow, blocking that flow controls the amount of fuel which is pulled from the float chamber. That is how the carburetor controls the mixture.

The amount of gasoline in the mixture that ultimately finds its way to your car's engine impacts your engine's performance and fuel efficiency. Unfortunately, because carbs are mechanical in design, the parts that contribute to your vehicle's performance and fuel efficiency must be recalibrated periodically. This is done by performing a tune-up.

What I've described above is an overview of how a carburetor works. There are a few other parts involved (for example, the air cleaner, float arm, and choke valve), but they are not essential for understanding its basic operation. Hopefully, you can now appreciate why fuel injection systems are more precise and therefore, have replaced carburetors. - 21396

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