Carburetor

The purpose of the carburetor is to supply and meter the mixture of fuel vapor and air in relation to the load and speed of the engine. Because of engine temperature, speed, and load, perfect carburetion is very hard to obtain. The carburetor supplies a small amount of a very rich fuel mixture when the engine is cold and running at idle. With the throttle plate closed and air from the air cleaner limited by the closed choke plate, engine suction is amplified at the idle-circuit nozzle. This vacuum draws a thick spray of gasoline through the nozzle from the full float bowl, whose fuel line is closed by the float-supported needle valve. More fuel is provided when the gas pedal is depressed for acceleration. The pedal linkage opens the throttle plate and the choke plate to send air rushing through the barrel. The linkage also depresses the accelerator pump, providing added gasoline through the accelerator-circuit nozzle. As air passes through the narrow center of the barrel, called the "venturi", it produces suction that draws spray from the cruising-circuit nozzle. The float-bowl level drops and causes the float to tip and the needle valve to open the fuel line. To cause a liquid to flow, there must be a high pressure area (which in this case is atmospheric pressure) and a low pressure area. Low pressure is less than atmospheric pressure. The average person refers to a low pressure area as a vacuum. Since the atmospheric pressure is already present, a low pressure area can be created by air or liquid flowing through a venturi. The downward motion of the piston also creates a low pressure area, so air and gasoline are drawn through the carburetor and into the engine by suction created as the piston moves down, creating a partial vacuum in the cylinder. Differences between low pressure within the cylinder and atmospheric pressure outside of the carburetor causes air and fuel to flow into the cylinder from the carburetor.