Carburetor Theory

Variable Venturi or “slide”

carburetors
 The goal of providing
the stochiometric
ratio, (14.7:1) is
tempered with the
goal of providing
extra fuel to cool (by
evaporation) the
engine.
 Carburetor tuning
must be done to
provide max power
without overheating
the 2 stroke engine.
VM Carburetor
 Slide carburetor
provides smoother
variation and better
adjustment than a
throttle plate
carburetor.
 VM is a Mikuni round
slide carburetor.
 Various circuits control
fuel and air flow for
different conditions
◦ Starting, (idle) pilot, and
main
Integrated carburetor systems
 The carburetor has
multiple adjustments
for different throttle
positions;
◦ 0-1/4 Pilot jet
◦ 1/8-1/2 Throttle cutaway
◦ ¼-3/4 Jet needle (clip)
◦ ¼-3/4 Needle jet
◦ ½-Full Main jet
◦ ½-Full Air adjustment
screw
◦ ½-full Power jet
(optional)
Starter Circuit
 Mini- slide carburetor
used for starting
 “Choking” the
carburetor actually
opens plunger to
allow gas flow
 Gas is drawn from the
bottom of the bowl
through a starter jet
 Air is drawn from in
front of the slide
Starter circuit
Starter Circuit
 Starter can only function when slide is
closed and vacuum is high
 Starter jet may need to be changed if
using a snowmobile carb on a
motorcycle, or vice-versa
 Plunger positions – Open
(choked), half-open, closed
 Starter circuit can be used to enrichen
mixture at other times to check
carburetor problems.
 Pilot circuit
 Used at idle to ¼
throttle
 Gas flow is controlled
by pilot jet size, this jet
is the first to plug if gas
thickens
 Air flow is controlled by
air adjustment needle
 At idle, air flows in at 5
to further mix with fuel
 At just off idle, mixed
fuel-air flows out at both
Pilot Circuit
 Stumble coming off
idle indicates plugged
pilot jet or air screw
too tight
 Idle speed controlled
by a separate screw
that determines how
tightly the slide
closes.
 Slides with different
shape cutouts are
also sold for tuning
applications.
Mid range operation
 ¼ to ¾ operation is
controlled by needle
jet and jet needle. As
slide pulls up the long
tapered needle is
drawn out of needle
jet.
 The air jet controls
the air bled in to
atomize the fuel.
 The main jet is so
large that it does not
limit flow
Mid range operation
 Both needle jet and
jet needles can be
changed, as can the
position of the clip on
the end of the needle.
 Needles can have up
to four different tapers
on them for different
performance
throughout the slide
travel.
Tuning
 Simple tuning can
begin with moving the
needle up or down
one clip position.
This can be done
before changing
needles or needle
jets.
 Any tuning
adjustments should
be made by stepping
jets up or down one
size at a time.
Full throttle operation
 At ¾ to full throttle, the
needle is so far
removed from the
needle jet, that it no
longer limits flow.
 At this throttle
range, the main jet
limits gas flow.
 Air jet limits air flow.
 Always jet main rich
and work down.
 Air jet is typically not
 Power jets
 Not found on all carbs – Provides richer mix at
top end
Jetting adjustments
 To make proper
carburetor
adjustments the
mixture ratio at each
range will have to be
determined. There
are various methods:
 Plug reading – plug
chop
 Piston wash
 Pyrometer readings
 Condition corrections
Plug Reading – Plug Chop
 To get an accurate read
of the condition, perform
a “plug chop”
◦ Install a new plug
◦ Warm engine up
◦ Run engine at selected
throttle setting for 30
seconds – 1 minute.
◦ Cut ignition and
simultaneously close-off
carb
◦ Study insulator down
toward the base of the
insulator, not on the tip!
◦ Appearance of tip better for
determining detonation
Plug appearance
Center electrodes
 Another valuable indicator on
the spark plug is the center
firing electrode; as the plug
color starts to lighten up when
properly jetted, the center
firing electrode will start to
have a “silver” tip, or crown. As
the mixture becomes
leaner, this silver crown will
start to creep down the side of
the electrode; this is your
target. This metallic
appearance on the end of the
electrode should not extend
any further than 1/4 - 1/3 of the
way down the tip. Many tuners
are happy with the margin
afforded by simply seeing the
silver tip; then they’re close
enough for trail riding with a bit
of margin to spare.
Side electrode
 The ground electrode is
also an indicator; on
many engines you will
see a “shadow” (darker
area) just up to the radius
(bend) that will usually
coincide with the color
and firing electrode
appearance. If this
shadow is further down
the ground strap towards
the plug threads, you’re
likely too lean. If this dark
shadow is all the way
across the strap to the
center of the plug, you’re
too rich.
NGK plug numbering system
 The plug heat range can be
adjusted to keep a plug tip
clean, or avoid detonating on
an engine that otherwise has
the right mixture.
 For NGK and most foreign
manufacturer’s spark plugs
there is a simple rule of
thumb:Low heat rating number
(for inst. BP4ES) "Hot spark
plug".high heat intake due to
long insulator tip.
 .High heat rating number (for
inst. BP8ES) "Cold spark
plug".Low heat intake, due to
short insulator tip.
 For Champion and most
domestic manufacturer’s spark
plugs (e.g. in ATVs, the
numbering is opposite.
Piston reading

 Normally done for an engine that has been run for ¼

mile at constant speed. By looking down the spark
plug hole with piston at BDC, a clear look at the top
of the piston can determine how much carbon is left.
A ½” ring of wash (clean) is “normal”, typically a
little variation at transfer and exhaust ports will be
noted.
Exhaust gas pyrometers
 Uses the Exhaust
temperature as a check
on mixture, and relative
changes, not for baseline
tuning. Thermocouples
are typically installed
permanently 5-10” from
exhaust port and they
must be centered in pipe.
Manufacturers will often
give you an exact
location.
Interpreting EGT values
 Each gauge is used
for relative readings
◦ Guidelines
 Below 1100 – Rich
 1200-Ideal
 Above 1250 Lean
Changing a Mikuni
carburetor jet one size
will cause about a 50
degree temperature
change
Relative Air Density correction
 Once an ideal jetting has
been developed for one
condition, it will need to
be corrected for changing
environmental conditions:
◦ Temperature (Loss of 2%
per 10 degree F increase)
◦ Altitude (loss of 3.5% per
1000’ increase)
◦ Barometric pressure
◦ Relative Humidity – Moist
air is less dense
Relative Air density
calculations
 Calculating Air Density
 Air density is expressed in units of mass per unit volume, in this
case kg/m3. The formula for this calculation is derived from basic
physics.
 Air Density (kg/m3) = 1.2929 * (273.13/(T+273.13)) * ((P-
MN*RH)/760)
 Simplified = 0.46464*(P-MN*RH)/(T+273.13)
 where
 T = temperature in Celsius
 P = barometric pressure in mm of mercury
 MN = moisture number from the following chart - include chart
 RH = relative humidity, expressed as a decimal (0.55, not 55%)
 For example:
 T = 13C
 P = 770 mmHg
 MN per the chart for 13C is 11.24
 RH = .21 (21%)
 Air Density = 1.25 kg/m3
 Relative air density use
 In simple form, the change in relative air density
corresponds to the change in jet size.
◦ e.g. – If relative air density goes from 100 to 103 (a 3
% change) the jet size should increase by 3%. If you
are using a 300 jet, the new jet size will be (300 x
1.03) = 309. Since jets only come in multiples of
5, you could use a 310.
 Jetting changes in direct proportion to changes in absolute
temp on the Rankine scale (460 + Farenheit temp)
 Jetting changes only 70% as much as absolute barometric
pressure changes. This is due to the fact that the bowl is
vented, and less pressure is exerted on the gas in the bowl as
well
 Hex head jets are marked in area, round head jets in diameter.
Correcting jet size for RAD
 For instance, if you get the jetting perfect at AD = 1.05
and the air density changes to 1.08, you know that you
will need to go up at least one size. If it goes from 1.05
to 1.06, is it time to change a jet or not? This is why you
need to check all the way through the range. I know that
for my bike, AD = 1.03-1.05 is one jet size and 1.06-1.08
is the next size up. In the above example, I would have
known to go up one size. If it had gone up to 1.08 and
looked like it was going to continue rising, I would go up
two sizes.
Engine sound
 An engine running
way too rich will “four
cycle” or miss ignition
on every other stroke.
 An engine running
way too lean will be
running very fast and
not return to idle
TM Carburetor
 TM is a flat slide carb
 Less disruption of air
flow in venturi gives
carbs better response
and power.
 Rack mounted for
twins and triples
reduce throttle
effort, and are held in
synchronization
 Circuits similar to VM
Mikuni CV Carb
 Used on four
strokes, this is a
“Constant Velocity” or
“Constant Vacuum”
carb.
 Butterfly throttle is
combined with a slide
to give the carb good
response to quick
throttle opening.
 Butterfly controlled by
operator, Slide is
controlled by vacuum
CV Carb Operation
 Operator controls
butterfly from idle to ¼
throttle, during this slide
is held ¼ open
 Past ¼ throttle, the
engine vacuum is applied
to the slide, and the slide
movement is controlled
by vacuum
 Slide will not open until
sufficient engine vacuum
has been developed.
 Opening throttle quickly
will not produce “flat spot”
 Setting Idle speed too
high will cause carburetor
to “hang”, or not return to
idle
Carburetor size
 Carburetor size must  Carburetor Throttle
be matched to flow Bore Diameter
for displacement and  D = K x SQRT( C x N )
rpms that engine is  D is throttle bore
diameter, in millimeters
used. Changing
 K is a constant (
either will require an approx. 0.65 to 0.9,
adjustment to the derive from existing
carburetor to match. carburetor bore)
 C is cylinder
displacement, in liters
 N is RPM at peak
power
Tuned intake
 Intake (airbox) can  Resonance Effects
also be “tuned” to  F = Vs / 2¼ * the square
match resonance of root of A / Vc (L + 1/2 the
square root of ¼ A
intake with peak
 Vs is the sonic speed
power band. Usually about 1100 ft/sec)
 A is the cross-sectional
area of the inlet
 L is the inlet pipe length
 Vc is the flask (crankcase)
volume
Ignition safety
 To avoid having the
slides freeze open and
customer stuck on a
runaway sled, the safety
switch on the side of carb
measures a magnet on
the slide to be sure the
slide closes when throttle
is released.
 When replacing throttle
cable, BE SURE TO SET
FREE PLAY or engine
may not start