HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF CARBURETORS

HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT

A carburetor was among the early patents by Karl Benz as he developed internal

combustion engines and their components. The Austrian automobile pioneer Siegfried Marcus invented the rotating brush carburettor. This was further improved by the Hungarian engineers Jnos Csonka and Dont Bnki in 1893.

Frederick William Lanchester of Birmingham, England, experimented with the wick carburetor in cars. In 1896, Frederick and his brother built the first gasoline driven car in England, a single cylinder 5 hp (3.7 kW) internal combustion engine with chain drive. Unhappy with the performance and power, they re-built the engine the next year into a two cylinder horizontally opposed version using his new wick carburetor design.

In 1885, Wilhelm Maybach and Gottlieb Daimler developed a carburetor for their engine based on the atomizer nozzle.

Carburetors were the usual fuel delivery method for most U.S. made gasolinefueled engines up until the late 1980s, when fuel injection became the preferred method of automotive fuel delivery. In the U.S. market, the last carbureted cars were:

1990 (General public) : Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser, Buick Estate Wagon 1991 (Police) : Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor with the 5.8 L (351 cu in) engine. 1991 (SUV) : Jeep Grand Wagoneer with the AMC 360 engine. 1994 (Light truck) : Isuzu

In Australia, some cars continued to use carburetors well into the 1990s; these included the Honda Civic until 1993, Daihatsu Charade until 1997, the Suzuki Swift until its end in 1999, as well as the Ford Laser (1994), Mazda 323 sedan (1996), and Mitsubishi Magna sedan (1996). Low-cost commercial vans and

4WDs in Australia continued with carburetors even into the 2000s, the last being the Mitsubishi Express van in 2003.[citation needed] Elsewhere, certain Lada cars used carburetors until 2006. A majority of motorcycles still use carburetors due to lower cost and throttle response problems with early injection setups, but as of 2005 many new models are now being introduced with fuel injection. Carburetors are still found in small engines and in older or specialized automobiles, such as those designed for stock car racing.

CARBURETOR ADJUSTMENT
The carb is operating "normally" at full throttle. In this case the throttle plate is parallel to the length of the tube, allowing maximum air to flow through the carb. The air flow creates a nice vacuum in the venturi and this vacuum draws in a metered amount of fuel through the jet. You can see a pair of screws on the right top of the carb in photo 1. One of these screws (labeled "Hi" on the case of the chain saw) controls how much fuel flows into the venturi at full throttle. When the engine is idling, the throttle plate is nearly closed (the position of the throttle plate in the photos is the idle position). There is not really enough air flowing through the venturi to create a vacuum. However, on the back side of the throttle plate there is a lot of vacuum (because the throttle plate is restricting the airflow). If a tiny hole is drilled into the side of the carb's tube just behind the throttle plate, fuel can be drawn into the tube by the throttle vacuum. This tiny hole is called the idle jet. The other screw of the pair seen in photo 1 is labeled "Lo" and it controls the amount of fuel that flows through the idle jet. Both the Hi and Lo screws are simply needle valves. By turning them you allow more or less fuel to flow past the needle. When you adjust them you are directly controlling how much fuel flows through the idle jet and the main jet. When the engine is cold and you try to start it with the pull cord, the engine is running at an extremely low RPM. It is also cold, so it needs a very rich mixture to start. This is where the choke plate comes in. When activated, the choke plate completely covers the venturi see this video of the choke plate to see it in action). If the throttle is wide open and the venturi is covered, the engine's vacuum draws a lot of fuel through the main jet and the idle jet (since the end of the carb's tube is completely covered, all of the engine's vacuum goes into pulling fuel through the jets). Usually this very rich mixture will allow the

engine to fire once or twice, or to run very slowly. If you then open the choke plate the engine will start running normally. The Air/Fuel Equation Now that the ignition spark timing advance curves are optimized for the blend of reformulated and/or oxygenated gasoline your customers are using we will now show you how we use tools such as a 5-gas exhaust analyzer and wideband Lambda air/fuel (A/F) meter to tune the mixture. The Air/Fuel Mixture A lean fuel mixture can cause an engine to have a surge or miss at idle and part throttle stumble on acceleration, leading to engine overheating and lack of power. A rich fuel mixture can cause an engine to load up at idle, foul the spark plugs, and also lack power or run sluggish. If the A/F mixture that is delivered to the engine is excessively rich for too long the engine could leave leftover fuel from the combustion process, washing the oil off the cylinder walls. Without the oil to act as an anti-wear agent, the pistons and rings will make metal-to-metal contact with the cylinder walls. Also, if enough fuel gets past the rings and into the crankcase the oil can become diluted and lose much of its lubricating properties and accelerate engine wear. Theoretically, the ideal stoichiometric A/F mixture (the chemically ideal mixture of air and fuel that is required to provide a complete burn) for a properly tuned engine running on pure gasoline is 14.7:1; that is, 14.7 lbs. of air to 1 lb. of fuel. However, because of operating losses in the induction system due to intake runner and cylinder wall wetting, plus the fact that fuel may not fully vaporize in the combustion chamber, a 14.7:1 A/F mixture is often too lean for actual operating needs. A more realistic light-load, cruise A/F mixture for a stock carbureted engine running on reformulated unleaded gasoline is in the 14.1:1 range. The A/F mixture always varies from cylinder to cylinder, therefore we tend to tune the average A/F mixture slightly on the rich side to avoid engine misfire in the leanest cylinder. It is possible to target an A/F mixture leaner than 14.7:1 for maximum fuel economy but this can lead to driveabilty problems if any one cylinder is leaner than the others. The power mixture we target for maximum horsepower is in the 12.2:1 - 13.5:1 A/F range, depending on the engine package and its combustion chamber design.

The original equipment carburetor(s) that came on a muscle or classic vehicles engine was tuned for the leaded gasoline of the day, so in most cases the engine will tend to run lean with the reformulated and/or oxygenated unleaded gasoline of today. The gasoline of today also has lower volatility than the leaded gasoline of days past, which will cause most carbureted engines to need a slightly richer A/F mixture at idle and light load part throttle driving conditions to have the same drivability as it had with the leaded gasoline of the 60s and 70s. Back in the 1950s and early 1960s, the car manufactures tended to calibrate their carburetors on the rich side of the ideal A/F mixture needs of the engine with the leaded gasoline of the day. Then starting in the late 1960s, the carburetors were calibrated more toward the lean side of the ideal A/F mixture needs of the engine so the vehicle could pass the exhaust emission standards that were just coming into existence. The modern reformulated conventional and oxygenated gasoline of today will cause the A/F mixture to shift leaner when compared to the leaded gasoline of the 1960s and 1970s. This means if the A/F mixture was lean with leaded gasoline it will be even leaner with todays gasoline blends. The high performance and replacement carburetors sold today are sold with an A/F mixture curve designed for a generic engine; therefore they must be tuned for both the specific engine and the blend of gasoline they will be used with. These aftermarket carburetors should be designed with an A/F mixture that is rich enough for a wide variety of engine packages with different exhaust systems, but this is not always true. Some of the aftermarket carburetors we see need a lot of tuning work to get the A/F mixture correct for the engines demands with the reformulated unleaded gasoline of today. Air/Fuel Mixture Tuning Guidelines Back in the days of leaded gasoline an experienced tuner would adjust the A/F mixture the engine was getting from its carburetor by reading the color the fuel left on the insulator of the spark plug in the exhaust port and in the first 6 inches of the exhaust header. The reformulated unleaded gasoline we have today has made reading spark plugs almost impossible because it leaves little or no color on the spark plug insulator. However, modern technology has made available at an affordable price both portable 5-gas exhaust gas analyzers and wideband Lambda (oxygen) sensor based digital A/F meters that can be used to accurately read the A/F mixture in an engine by analyzing the content of the engines exhaust gases. These modern tools can allow you to observe what A/F mixture the engine is getting

from the fuel system while driving the car in real world conditions at any rpm and load condition. The ideal A/F ratio for maximum power or fuel economy may be best calculated at the factory with the engine on a dynamometer, but the readings that are available from a 5-gas exhaust gas analyzer allow you to tune the A/F mixture for what your engine needs in real world driving conditions. The readings from an infrared exhaust gas analyzer will indicate A/F ratio, engine misfire, engine combustion efficiency and excessive combustion chamber heat (detonation) by looking at the following exhaust gases: CO (Carbon Monoxide): The reading from an infrared gas analyzer that we use to determine the air to fuel ratio when the A/F mixture is on the rich side of stoichiometric. (Note: CO is partially burned fuel.) The other readings that exhaust analyzers provide are: HC (Hydrocarbons): The amount of unburned fuel in the exhaust (a indicator of an engine misfire). CO2 (Carbon Dioxide): A gas that is the product of complete combustion (the best A/F mixture gives you the highest CO2 reading). The ideal ignition-timing advance will also create the highest CO2 reading O2 (Oxygen): A high O2 reading indicates a lean mixture; an exhaust leak or the engine has a hot cam. Note: if O2 content is above 2 to 3 percent, air dilution of the exhaust gases being measured is indicated and the accuracy of the all of the gas readings may be negatively affected. NOx (Oxides of Nitrogen): A gas created by excessive combustion chamber heat. This gas can be used as a precursor to detonation. The readings you can get from a 5-gas exhaust gas analyzer can help an experienced tuner calculate what A/F mixture and how much ignition spark timing advance the engine needs to perform at its best. A wideband sensor lambda sensor based A/F meter calculates the A/F mixture by reading the unburned combustible content of the exhaust gases (note: a lot of people call the lambda sensor an oxygen sensor but Bosch calls it a lambda sensor). The wideband lambda sensor measures the amount of oxygen that must be added to or subtracted from the exhaust gas to form a stoichiometric gas mix in its reference chamber, the A/F meter then calculates the A/F mixture of the exhaust gas from that value.

The readings you get from a wideband lambda sensor based A/F meter can be quite accurate, but false readings can be created by an exhaust leak, engine misfire, or an engine with a high performance camshaft at lower engine speeds. These false readings are caused by the Lambda sensor misreading the unused oxygen and/or unburned combustibles that are in the exhaust gas mixture Tuning with a 5-Gas Analyzer and Wideband Lambda Meter The use of a portable 5-gas exhaust gas analyzer and/or a wideband sensor based A/F meter can allow a tuner to observe the A/F mixture the engine is getting from its fuel system at any engine operating condition. A starting point for A/F mixtures for most mild performance engines is: Idle: 1.0% to 3.0 % CO or a 14.1-13.4:1; Cruise rpm: 1.0% CO or a 14.1:1 with a mild performance engine; or 1.0% 3.0% CO or a 14.1 13.4:1 with high performance cam; and Power mixture and acceleration: 6.0% CO or a 12.5:1 for a normal engine or high performance engine with improved combustion chamber design such as a Pro Stock or a NASCAR engine; in some cases you may be able to use a slightly leaner power mixture of 4% CO or a 13.0:1. When we are tuning fuel systems, we use both infrared exhaust gas analyzer and the wideband Lambda sensor methods. This way we can take advantage of the strengths of both tuning methods. The infrared exhaust gas analyzer, while slower in reaction time than a wideband sensor based A/F meter can actually best determine A/F mixture needs. The misfire rate can be observed with the HC (hydrocarbon) reading. Efficiency can be observed by the CO2 reading (carbon dioxide) reading, and the NOx reading (oxides of nitrogen) can also be used as a precursor to detonation. A wideband Lambda sensor-based A/F meter systems available from companies such as Innovate Motorsports or FAST have almost no delay, while a 5-gas exhaust gas analyzer has a 6 to 10 second delay. If the engine you are tuning has an air-gap style intake manifold and/or high performance camshaft you may need to tune the idle and cruise mixtures richer than a stock engine with the same gasoline. The added performance from an airgap intake manifold and the increased valve overlap from a high performance camshaft can often come at the price of lower fuel vaporization at lower rpm operating conditions.

The richer A/F mixture can help cover up the driveability problems when the fuel is not completely vaporized. The heat the intake manifold gets from the exhaust gas crossover in a conventional intake manifold helps the engine vaporize the fuel as it travels from the carburetor into the cylinders combustion chamber. A/F Mixture Delivery Circuits A carburetor has an accelerator pump, idle, main jets, and in most cases a power system that is designed to supply the correct A/F mixture for the demands. The accelerator pump system adds fuel as the throttle valves are opened. Tuning the accelerator pump squirter volume and duration is mainly done by trial and error to obtain the best throttle response, but a 12.5:1 A/F mixture is a good place to start. An idle system will have an idle jet/restriction that must be changed to supply the desired fuel mixture for idle and off idle engine demands. If the engine you are working on is equipped with a power valve (no metering rods), the main jet size is what determines the A/F mixture that will be delivered to the engine at light-load/cruise speeds. The power valve restriction (under the power valve) determines what A/F mixture the carburetor will supply when the power valve is open; under high power demands a 6.5 power valve will be open, supplying richer A/F mixture any time the vacuum is below its 6.5 opening point. Power valves have a reputation for being a weak link in certain designs, but the carburetor can be retrofitted with backfire protection, which will improve reliability. A carburetor that uses metering rods in the primary jets will use the metering rods to change the A/F ratio for both the power and cruise mixture demands of the engine; the larger the metering rod diameter the leaner the A/F mixture. After the basic engine condition and tune-up (fuel pressure, timing curve, etc) is confirmed to be correct, as well as checking to be sure there are no vacuum leaks, the next step is to determine what the A/F mixture is at idle through 3,000 rpm. If the cruise mixture is off, first change the jets to get the A/F mixture correct at 2,500-3,000 rpm cruise range. Then check and set the idle mixture. If the A/F mixture is too lean at idle or part throttle and the idle mixture screws do not provide enough adjustment, the correction may involve enlarging the idle jet. If the mixture is still lean at 1,000 through 1,800 rpm after enlarging the idle jet, the idle channel restriction (if used) may have to be enlarged slightly to allow more fuel to be delivered at part throttle. It is important to note that any changes

other than basic adjustments and jet changes should be done by a carburetor expert to avoid damaging a vintage carburetor. If the carburetor is damaged a replacement numbers matching carburetor could be quite expensive. A modular design carburetor, such as a Holley, with a metering block does not use an idle channel restrictor. When we want to richen the part throttle we often must slightly enlarge the idle well in the metering block. When the A/F mixture is too lean at part throttle the engine may miss or stumble on light acceleration and at 5 25 mph light throttle cruise conditions.This lean off idle problem has become more prominent as the ethanol content in todays gasoline is increased and as the gasoline formulation is changed. If the A/F mixture is too rich at idle and/or part throttle, the idle jet or part throttle idle restriction may be too big. You may need to be replace it with a smaller one. Once you have the idle, part throttle and cruise A/F mixture curves correct, the next step is a road test. A road test using a portable infrared exhaust gas analyzer and/or a wideband oxygen sensor will allow you to check the cruise speed A/F mixture, followed by a check of the power A/F mixture under load. This type of test allows you to see what the A/F mixture is under real world driving conditions. During this road test you will be able to read and then correct the A/F mixture. If you see an A/F mixture reading that goes too lean at high engine loads, the first thing to do before you change jet size is to check the fuel pressure. The fuel pressure must stay above 5 psi at wide-open throttle; if not, the carburetor will starve for fuel. The most common accelerator pump-related complaint we hear is a hesitation on quick acceleration. This hesitation is most often caused by the changes in the gasolines volatility and changes in carburetor manufacturing. The accelerator pump duration spring used on most replacement carburetors is not as strong as the spring that was on these same carburetor designs used in the 1960s. We use an accelerator pump upgrade kit on most Holley modular style carburetors that consists of a stronger duration spring, a 0.031 squirter and a pink cam (Oles p/n 1330), this makes the accelerator squirt more active. When we are working on a engine with an Edelbrock Performer or Thunder series carburetor we use an improved accelerator pump (Oles p/n 1010). This accelerator pump has a stronger duration spring that allows the pump to be more active and thus help cure most of the accelerator pump related hesitation we see with these carburetors.

Selecting the Correct Carburetor The big four suppliers of 4 barrel carburetors today are Edelbrock, Holley, Quick Fuel and Barry Grant, each of these carburetor designs have strong and weak spots. The carburetor that we would recommend is based on how the customer will drive their car and the engine package that is in the car. The Carter-designed Edelbrock Thunder and Performer are reliable low maintenance carburetors with great electric chokes but if the driver likes to drive fast around corners they may not bethe best carburetor to select for that application. The off-idle system design in these Carter-designed carburetors can lead to a lean off-idle stumble problem when the engine has a hot cam or an air-gap style intake manifold. Enlarging the idle channel restrictor on the 500 thru 650 cfm units will often cure this lean off-idle stumble problem but we have not had the same success solving this lean off-idle stumble problem on the 750 and 800 cfm carburetors of this design. Modular carburetors manufactured and sold by companies such as Holley, Barry Grant and Quick Fuel are very good carburetors to select when the driver likes to drive fast around corners or when you are tuning for maximum power. Quick Fuel also sells billet metering blocks with changeable idle jets, power channel restrictors and emulsion well restrictions for the Holley style modular carburetors, which allow you to custom tune the fuel curve. When the customer wants a high performance modular carburetor with an electric choke we often recommend a Holley brand carburetor because their chokes have a choke pull-off built in. When we are tuning a high performance engine with a hot cam (over 240 degrees of duration @ .050) or any engine with an air-gap style intake manifold, we often recommend a race-designed modular carburetor with a four corner idle system. Tuning Results You can build your customer the perfect engine but unless it is tuned for the correct formulation of gasoline the engine will not perform like it should. The first person that most customers blame if the engine does not perform like they think it should is the person that built the engine. The best way to ensure your customer is satisfied with the dollars they spent to rebuild their engine is to either offer a tuning service or give them a tuning guide. Once the engine has been tuned so that it has the correct ignition spark timing and the correct A/F mixture for every operating condition the engine will perform like it should. Properly tuned engines will also have fewer alleged warranty claims since a properly tuned engine will not suffer from problems

such as the piston rings being washed down from overly rich A/F mixtures,

BUSHMAN'S CARB TUNING SECRETS

The following articles and instructions are provided as general information for working with AMAL and MIKUNI carbs on British Motorcycles, without the need for expensive tools or paying for expensive shop labour. Many British motorcycles are not properly enjoyed as the owners have neglected the basics of carb maintenance that they run so poorly and are frustrating to ride. A Norton Commando should idle evenly at 600rpm and be able to jump off the line at a traffic light with a fistful of throttle, without hesitation or stalling. Use this information with common sense and at your own risk.

AMAL CONCENTRIC REBUILD

Remove carb(s) from your bike. Completely dismantle them to last screw and soak in carb cleaner. Use stiff bristle brush, bottle cleaners, probes etc. to completely remove all dirt and scale from all passages. Clean filters. Blow dry with compressed air. Bead blast if required. Number one, make sure that your carbs have been checked out for factory settings and that all jets, slides, needles etc are set the same on each carb. Check the settings, do not assume anything. It is advisable to purchase and install new gasket sets. These are inexpensive and they come with gaskets, new rubber O-rings and washers. If you are restoring an older carburetor also consider a jet metering kit that replaces the needle jet and the needle and a VITON tipped float needle. Later style tickler conversion parts are also available as a kit.

PILOT JETS EXPLAINED

The number one cause for poor starting, erratic idle and poor low speed running is the pilot gas jets are likely to be clogged. The pilot (or the slow-speed, idle) circuit has two parts: 1. an air passage that is adjustable by the screw on the side 2. an internal gas passage with the fixed pilot jet. This jet is a small brass bushing with a tiny 0.016" (16 thou) orifice that is a press fit opposite the air adjusting screw. Gas is brought up from the the float bowl and travels toward the front and is metered before it mixes with the air in the pilot mixing chamber. piston damage from detonation or engine tuning related driveability problems.

The pilot circuit provides a metered amount of gas and air for idle and low speed running. Think of the gas circuit as an artery - over time the gas passages slowly clog up with scale and varnish from dried gasoline and eventually clog right up. The only remedy is to physically unclog the jet with a wire probe. The pilot jet is drilled 16 thou dia. (0.016"), a very tiny orifice indeed. I use an old guitar string wire with a filed flat end to probe the jet from the air side, after the air adjuster screw is removed (use a flashlight to locate the orifice). Another useful tool is a #78 drill, mounted on an end of small brass or plastic tube, The drill will re-size the orifice, so be careful and make sure all swarf is blown out by compressed air. You can see all the way into the jet on the far side and with liberal application of carb cleaner and compressed air the jet passage usually opens up. Best to do this on the bench with the float bowl removed so that any scale removed will exit the carb out the oriface on the underside. Make sure the fuel passage on the float bowl is also clear, crud and scale tend to collect on this at the bottom (there are two on each float bowls, one is not used) Many people say they have soaked the carbs in carb cleaner and blown them out - BUT this will not usually unclog the pilot gas jet, it needs to be physically probed and the scale scraped out.

MODIFICATIONS FOR BLANKING SCREW:

A better method is to actually drill out the blank plug on the opposite side from the air screw and physically probe the jet so that you can see with your own eyes that the jet is

clear. The drilled hole is tapped 10/32 (in real life it should be 2BA) and install a blanking plug (an old air adjuster screw cut to size) with Loctite. This is a machinist operation and should not be attempted without the proper tools. This process is a must if you plan to reuse old carbs on a new restoration.

THROTTLE SLIDES: These are the round thingies that slide up and down and over time they wear in the carb body and let air past, particularly noticeable at idle. One simple test to see if the slides are contributing to the rough running is to hold the throttle at idle and then take up the slack on the cable by slowly turning the throttle - if the idle speed drops, it indicates that the slides are a loose fit in the carb body and should be replaced. As a rule of thumb, slides can be replaced at least once; maybe twice in the life of a carb, they are expensive at around $25US each, so most people don't think of changing them. If new slides don't fix the running problem, new bodies can be purchased at a reduced cost rather than buying new carbs. However one should consider that other parts like needles,

needle jets can be worn as well and that new carbs maybe the way to go. Re-sleeving is a viable solution, especially for one off carbs that cannot be easily replaced (Monobloc 689's for instance). Remember, that just about ALL AMAL carbs are available newly manufactured nowadays, even the TT's and 276's.

CHECKING & SETTING FLOAT HEIGHT:

Improper float level can be determined by several factors

fuel leaking out from the gasket joint (too high) fuel spilling out the intake holes at the rear into the air cleaner (too high) rich running, erratic idle (too high) slow to tickle (too low) lean running (too low)

There is a very simple method to checking the float height, without special tools or risking the chance of spilling fuel and a fire. This is taken straight from the Triumph Factory Service bulletins. This is how they were set up in the factory and is good enough for general running, including Norton Commandos and BSA's. This setting is good for singles, twins and triples. For down-draught carbs that slope down (i.e. on Atlas), the setting will need to be adjusted to suit using other methods (see below). The setting is 080" (80thou) or approx. 2mm BELOW the back edge of the float bowl. This is the measurement of the TOP edge of the plastic float to BELOW the top edge of the float bowl. Make a scribe mark on the metal float bowl and eye sight the plastic float when the float needle is seated by gently pushing down on the two pronged tab, using a spare finger to hold the brass pivot pin in place.. ADDENDA: May 2010 - The Norton ATLAS/DOMI engine with the carbs tilted forward, require a different setting. From what I have found is original spec noted as 3/32" ABOVE the float bowl (~94 thou). However in measuring several carbs, there is not enough clearence for 94 thou, it measures closer to 75 thou. In any case you can measure the recess in your carb and thickness of gasket and calculate a theoretical maximum float height leaving at least 10 thou clearance.

To adjust the seat height, DO NOT try and bend the plastic tab, it has memory and will not stay adjusted. Heat the float bowl on hot water then use a 1/8" drift to move the brass seat in the float bowl itself. It is a tight fit, but can be moved with gentle tapping. Adjust from underside to lower float height, from top side to raise the float level. The Factory suggested heating with a propane torch, but as a measure of safety, I do not recommend this due to gasoline fumes and possibility of explosion.

SYNCHRONIZING TWIN CARBS FOR IDLE AND SLOW SPEED RUNNING:

This is one area where there is a lot of misinformation on the process, even in workshop manuals. This will outline the simple methodical professional shop steps to synchronize your twin (or triple) carbs, once all the prep and rebuild work above is completed. 1. Adjust pilot screw to 1 turns out (turn all the way IN till stops then count 1 turns OUT). This assumes that the pilot gas jet has been cleaned as above) 2. Open the throttle to full open and check that each throttle slide is up the maximum amount (i.e. disappears up into the carb body). Adjust the cable adjusters until an equal amount of throttle slide is seen, just peaking through on each carb. It is surprising the number of bikes I have seen with a major difference in the full open position. 3. Once cables are adjusted for full open, fully turn out the throttle adjusting screws (to past were it touches the throttle slide) 4. Insert two 3/16" dia drill bits (or 4" long peice of round bar) into each carb (diameter size should be adjusted to suit the throttle cut away), seating the drill bit under the throttle slide, so that they stick out the end of the carb evenly. Screw in each throttle stop screw until the drill bit "dips" a little, find the happy spot, where the screw just touches the slide. Repeat for the other carb. With a felt pen mark the screw head flat-slot position for reference on each carb body.

5. With the drill bits still in place, perform the fine cable adjustment - by gently opening the throttle and seeing that each drill bit moves at precisely the same moment. Adjust the cable adjusters on the carb or on each cable so that movement is even (should be only - turn each). 6. Start the bike, it will likely idle too high, wait for engine to warm up, then adjust each throttle stop screw down (out) by EXACTLY the same amount, i.e a turn at a time on each, using the felt pen reference mark to make sure the adjustments are same. The idle should be even and by blipping the throttle the pick-up should also be even. 7. The pilot jet air screw may be adjusted at this time, but by very little, no more than to 3/4 turn in either direction. The effective range of adjustment for the pilot jet is 1 turn to 2 1/2 turns. This is where a bit of skill & experience comes into play. By turning one screw a little at a time with the engine running (on both cylinders) you can gauge any difference in running and find the sweet spot. When you hear the engine revs race, you want to turn it back a 1/8 to turn - the sweet spot is not at the extreme. The idle may need to be dropped equally again. If you have to screw it in all the way or out all the way, then the pilot circuit is still clogged, maybe not completely, but enough to affect the running. Go back and clean the jet.

MIKUNI CARBS FOR BRITISH MOTORCYCLES:

Mikuni VM series carbs are a popular modern replacement for the old AMALS. The advantages of VM Mikuni's over Amal's are: -fully tunable in fine increments -made of lighter aluminum, not zinc pot metal -have a lever cold start circuit (choke) -pilot fuel jets are replaceable -have long lasting anodized slides -throttle slides come in smaller increments for fine tuning (i.e. .019" compared to 0.03125") -air jets are replaceable -float height is fully adjustable -assortment of needles with varying tapers available for 4 stroke engines -assortment of replaceable needle jets -larger sizes up to 38mm Setting up the VM Mikuni's for a British twin is not difficult. The following list is a starting point, make adjustments as required by road testing. On a 650/750 Twin (Triumph &/or Norton) for a PAIR of Mikuni VM's 32mm dia, use pilot 20-25, throttle slide 2.5, needle jet type 159, needle jet size P-2, P-4, needle 6DH2, 3, or 4, Main 220-230, air jet 1.0. On a 850 Norton for a SINGLE Mikuni VM 34mm dia, use pilot 30-35, throttle slide 3, needle jet type 159, needle jet size P-4, P-6, needle 6DH3 or 4, Main 260, air jet 1.0. These settings were provided by the Victory Library "Mikuni Tuning for British Twins" author Jeffery Diamond www.victorylibrary.com

TUNING & JETTING CHART:

The following chart shows how the carb components interact and the effective range of adjustments.

TUNING BY ROAD TEST

I have spent most of the summer test tuning ATV's in the sand dunes of Oregon including fitting the popular Dyno-jet Kits, modifying exhaust, airboxes etc.. These kits offer new main jets and a needle to replace the stock items. The jets are claimed to have venturi action and the needle have a custom taper, fine tuned by Dyno-testing. The claims are more mid range and top end. Combining a jet kit with a free flow air filter (K&N) can add an easy 5hp to most 4 stroke singles. The process of road testing and fine tuning is simple. Firstly get it running. Do the wide open throttle (WOT) test in say 3rd-4th gear and plug chop - change main jets to get desired plug colour (light tan, not chocolate brown) and performance. The pilot circuit (IMS, idle mixture screw and the air screw) is next - make adjustments so that there is no hesitation when the throttle is blipped or blubbering when at low speed. Adjustments can also be made to needle clip position to fine tune mid range. Changing throttle slide should not be necessary.

MANUFACTURERS
Argelite, producer of Holley and Magneti Marelli carburetors for the Argentinian market Autolite, a division of the Ford Motor Company from 1967-1973. Ball & Ball, US manufacturer, eventually part of Carter Bendix Stromberg and Bendix Technico carburetors used on aircraft and vehicles made by Chrysler, IHC, Ford, GM, AMC, and Studebaker Bing Carburetor, used on motorcycles, mopeds, aircraft, boats.

Carter carburetor, used on numerous makes of vehicles, including those made by Chrysler, IHC, Ford, GM, AMC, and Studebaker, as well as on industrial and agricultural equipment and small engines. Claudel-Hobson, UK Dell'Orto carburetors from Italy, used on cars and motorcycles Demon Carburetors Edelbrock performance carburetors Hitachi carburetors, found on Japanese automobiles Holley, with usage as broad as Carter and Weber. Keihin, a keiretsu group company affiliated with Honda Lectron Fuel Sysytems carburetors Marvel Schebler carburetor, used for aircraft, tractors Mikuni, common on Japanese motorcycles, especially in the 1980s. Mikuni also made Automotive Racing Carburetors for Japanese, British and European cars. Original equipment carburetors supplied on Mitsubishi engines. Motec Engineering - high-performance updraft carburetors Pierburg carburetor, in Saab, Volvo, VW and Audi Rochester Products Division, USA (A General Motors subsidiary; also sold Weber/Magneti Marelli carburetors under license) Solex carburetor SU carburetor widely used on British Commonwealth and European-designed vehicles AMAL Carburetter Company, supplier to the British motorcycle industry UCAL FUEL SYSTEMS - Carburettors Villiers UK Motorcycle and small engines

Walbro and Tillotson carburetors for small engines Weber carburetor, Italian, now made in Spain, owned by Magneti Marelli

MANUFACTUING METHOD BY DIE-CASTING

This invention relates to carburetors for small internal combustion engines, and in particular to a method for making carburetors for small internal combustion engines such as are used in lawnmowers, snowblowers, chainsaws and the like. Prior art carburetors have generally been manufactured by die-casting a body and securing a fuel bowl assembly thereto by means of threaded fasteners. The die-cast body is generally made of either aluminum or zinc. Since die-cast aluminum tends often to be porous, die-cast aluminum carburetor bodies must first be impregnated with a special sealing material. After casting, the body must be machined to provide numerous orifices, apertures and the like. While zinc may be used as a die-casting material and is not as porous as aluminum so that it does not need to be impregnated to seal the body, zinc is higher in weight and cost than aluminum and therefore is not a preferred material. In small internal combustion engines, especially those which are used in hand held or easily maneuvered appliances, such as leafblowers, lightweight snowblowers and the like, it is particularly important that the weight of the carburetor be kept to a minimum. As an alternative to manufacturing die cast carburetor bodies, it has been proposed in US-A-3 188 060 and GB-A-900-443 to fabricate tubular carburetor bodies e.g. from sheet metal. Bodies thus formed necessarily have to have a simple section. As such, more complicated shapes cannot be economically produced using this method. The fuel bowl of prior art carburetor assemblies was generally either made of cast metal or was molded from plastic. Prior art carburetors have also been provided with molded plastic bodies in an attempt to reduce machining and the overall number of separate components required for a carburetor. By manufacturing the carburetor from plastic, many of the details which would normally be machined may be molded in. However, it is difficult to mold certain of the orifices and other features which must be held to required close tolerances such as, for instance, 0.002 of an inch (0.05 mm) on a .250 (6,35 mm) dimension or larger. Two items which are particularly difficult to mold in plastic carburetor bodies are the throttle bore and the throttle shaft bore. Both of these bores must be held to very tight tolerances and their alignment to each other in the carburetor body is critical. Good performance of a carburetor requires a true throttle bore, especially in a full progression carburetor. Even if close tolerances can be held during the plastic molding process, in time, after

the plastic structure has been subjected to thermal cycling and/or stress under load, the plastic material tends to deform due to plastic creep and the tolerance limits are therefore exceeded. Manufacturers have attempted to avoid this problem by eliminating certain functions from the carburetor such as, for instance, an idle system, thereby both limiting performance capabilities and avoiding the need for precision bores. In some plastic carburetor structures, the throttle bore, throttle shaft bore and idle progression holes are machined in an aluminum portion of the carburetor in order to insure close tolerances. In another attempt to improve performance of molded plastic carburetors, high quality glass, reinforced plastic, or mineral filled plastic materials have been used. However, such filler materials make drilling and machining of the plastic carburetor very difficult. Furthermore, the cost of high quality plastic can be as much as the cost of aluminium. Still another problem with prior art plastic carburetors has been that the performance of some plastics will deteriorate by contact with gasoline, gasoline/alcohol blends, and especially decomposing gasoline which generates acids and peroxides. Thus, it is desired to provide a carburetor for small internal combustion engines which is not only low in cost and is simple to manufacture but has excellent performance, is simple to assemble, and easy to service. The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the above-described prior art carburetors by providing a method of making a carburetor which comprises forming an aluminum extrusion having an axial throughbore therein; cutting a carburetor body of a predetermined length from said extrusion; providing a venturi member and inserting said venturi member axially into the throughbore of said body; providing a fuel bowl; securing said fuel bowl to said body; and forming fluid passages in said body. One advantage of the present invention is that it provides a low cost carburetor which has excellent performance and is very simple to assemble whereby the manufacturing process of the carburetor may be automated. Another advantage of the method according to the present invention is that the tooling cost for manufacturing the carburetor is lower than was necessary with prior art methods of manufacturing carburetors. A further advantage of the method according to the present invention is that it results in a lightweight aluminum carburetor wherein the extruded body need not be impregnated to seal the body as extruded aluminum is much less porous than die-cast aluminum.

A still further advantage of the method according to the present invention is that it results in a carburetor which is easy to service because the carburetor can be disassembled by merely removing the spring clip without the use of any special tools. A preferred embodiment of the present invention is detailed is dependent claim 2.
The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of an extruded carburetor body; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the carburetor body of Fig. 1 taken from the right hand side thereof; Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the carburetor body in Fig. 1 taken from the right hand side thereof with several of the passages and cavities in the extruded body shown in dotted lines; Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the carburetor body of Fig. 1 taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 1 and showing the carburetor body with a venturi member inserted therein; Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a carburetor assembly including the carburetor body of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a front elevational view of the carburetor assembly of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of the carburetor assembly from the right hand side of Fig. 7; and Fig. 9 is an elevational view of the venturi member for the carburetor of Fig. 6. Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, in one form thereof, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Referring to Figs. 1-4, there is shown a carburetor body 10 which is formed by extruding a length of aluminum through an extruding die and from which a desired length is then cut. An advantage of using extruded aluminum for the carburetor body is that extruded aluminum does not need to be impregnated with sealing material to make it non-porous as is the case with die-cast aluminum. As can be seen by referring in particular to Figs. 2 and 3, all of the extruded portions of the carburetor body run lengthwise along the body from right to left and are of uniform transverse dimensions as shown in Figs. 1-3. Thus, as shown, the extrusion includes a flat base 12, a through bore 14, a projection 16, and a top portion 18. Additional bores, projections and the like may also be incorporated into the body as desired for a particular carburetor design. Thus, this method of manufacturing carburetor body is advantageous in that the extrusion surface is smooth as compared to die-castings which

cannot be made equally smooth, therefore, less machining is necessary for finishing various surfaces of the carburetor body. It should be pointed out that tooling costs for the carburetor body are also less than for diecasting. Flat base 12 is used to mount the body 10 to the fuel bowl as further explained hereinafter. Furthermore, the upstanding top portion 18 is provided to ensure that sufficient material is available to provide for a throttle and choke shaft bore which provides bearing area to reduce wear. After extruding the body and cutting it to length, machining operations are performed to provide further bores, apertures, passages and the like in the carburetor body. The machining of holes and passages is limited to four sides rather than six sides, as in the case of a cast carburetor body, to thereby enhance automation. It should also be understood that additional bores may be made in the carburetor body such as, for instance, a throttle shaft bore 20 shown in Fig. 3, a nozzle bore 22, and a fuel bowl vent bore 24. Additionally, as shown in Fig. 4, well vent bore 30, as well as vent passages 32 and 34 are machined into the body. The next step in the manufacturing process is the insertion of a venturi member in the through bore 14 of the carburetor. By referring to Figs. 5 and 9, a venturi member is shown. The venturi may be either molded, cast, or machined. In the preferred embodiment, the venturi member is molded from a plastic material. The venturi member includes an annular channel or groove 42 at one end thereof and an axial groove 44 which interconnects with the annular groove 42. These two grooves, after assembly of the venturi member into the through bore 14, form passages therewith for venting purposes. Thus, for instance, it can be seen in Fig. 5 that annular groove 42 connects with well vent 30. Additionally, by referring to Fig. 4, it should be noted that vent passage 32 connects with the passage formed by annular groove 42 with the wall of through bore 14. Lastly, it should also be noted that the bowl vent 24 connects with the passage formed by groove 42 with through bore 14. Referring further to Fig. 9, it can be seen that venturi 40 includes a tapered edge portion 46 which, upon insertion of the venturi member 40 into through bore 14, is deflected inwardly by virtue of the fact that tapered edge 46 is flexible. Thus the venturi is securely sealed in through bore 14 whereby no leakage around the venturi is possible. Venturi 40 also includes a nozzle aperture 48 which is aligned with nozzle bore 22 in body 10 for purposes further explained hereinafter. Lastly, it should be noted that venturi member 40 is shaped to provide a nozzle throat 50 for generating a low pressure zone within the venturi member 40 as is conventional in carburetor throats. Thus, in summary, the steps necessary to form the carburetor body described so far is to form the extrusion in the extrusion die, cut the extrusion to length, perform the necessary machining operations to form various passages and bores in the body, and insert the venturi member in the through bore of the carburetor body. The carburetor body is now ready for assembly to the fuel bowl assembly as best seen in Figs. 6 - 8. The carburetor assembly 52 includes the carburetor body 10 and the fuel bowl assembly 54. The carburetor body is provided with a throttle shaft 56 which is inserted in

throttle shaft bore 20 and which is sealed to upper portion 18 of body 10 by means of a seal washer 57. Throttle shaft 56 has throttle plate 58 secured thereto by a fastener 60 for control of the fuel mixture into the cylinders of the engine. Fuel bowl assembly 54 includes a nozzle 62 which is inserted through nozzle bore 22 in body 10 and nozzle aperture 48 in venturi member 40. Thus it can be seen that nozzle 62 aids in positioning venturi member 40 and retaining it in the through bore 14 of body 10. Nozzle 62 includes a nozzle passage 64 whereby fuel can be drawn into the throat 50 of the venturi from fuel bowl 70. The fuel bowl 70, in the disclosed embodiment is molded from plastic but may also be formed in other ways such as, for instance, from cast metal. By molding fuel bowl 70 from plastic, a number of components may be molded directly into the fuel bowl assembly rather than being added thereto, thereby effecting additional cost savings. The molded fuel bowl assembly 54 includes a well 72 formed by an upstanding wall 74 which is molded generally centrally of the fuel bowl 70. Within well 72 a spring 76 is provided for biasing nozzle 62 upwardly whereby shoulder 82 of nozzle 62 is biased against flat 12 of body 10, thereby providing a good seal therewith. Nozzle 62 is sealed inside well 72 by means of an O-ring 78 which is seated in a groove 80 to prevent fuel from leaking past the bottom portion of nozzle 62 into the upper portion of well 72. It can be seen that the well is vented by means of passage 30 which, as described hereinbefore, is interconnected with the channel formed by annular groove 42 with bore 14 of body 10. Nozzle 62 also includes two additional passages 84 and 86 whereby air may be drawn into nozzle passage 64 through aperture 84 and wherein fuel can flow into well 72 through passage 86. A metering jet aperture 88 is formed in the bottom portion of nozzle 62 whereby fuel is metered from the bottom of well 72 through aperture 88 into nozzle passage 64. A mixing screw housing 94 is also shown in Fig. 7 which, in the disclosed embodiment, is plugged with balls. A fuel inlet 96 is provided which may be provided with a fuel valve, as desired. A spring clip 98 is used to secure the fuel bowl assembly 54 to body 10. Spring clip 98 includes a pair of bights 100 which grip the upper surface of flat 12 and comprises a cradle for cradling the fuel bowl assembly 54 and securing it to body 10. Fuel bowl assembly 54 is sealed to body 10 by means of a resilient gasket 104 as is conventional in carburetor assemblies. Lastly, a Welch plug 108 is shown in Fig. 8 for closing off the idle pocket as in conventional carburetors. In summary, after molding of the fuel bowl 70, a spring 76 is inserted in well 72 after which nozzle 62 including an O-ring 78 is inserted into well 72. The entire fuel bowl assembly 54 is then secured to body 10 with gasket 104 inserted therebetween. Fuel bowl assembly 54 also includes a pair of locating studs which are inserted into apertures in flat 12 of carburetor body 10. Therefore no threaded fasteners are necessary for securing the entire assembly. Conversely, if the carburetor is to be disassembled only clip 98 needs to be removed after which the entire fuel bowl assembly may be cleaned. Thus the servicing of the carburetor assembly is simplified and may be performed without removing the entire carburetor from an engine. It should also be noted that by providing the primer assembly as well as the fuel nozzle and the like as parts of the fuel bowl assembly, servicing can be accomplished of the carburetor without loosening and removing the linkages for operating the throttle and choke, thereby eliminating the need for readjustment of those parts after the carburetor is cleaned and reassembled.