CARBURETORS

1. What could cause fuel to pour out of the main jet discharge at idle or with the engine
off?

Answer: Sticky float needle or float out of adjustment.

2. What could cause a rich mixture when the engine is under load but okay at an idle?

Answer: Restricted air cleaner element or a plugged hose.

3. What will cause the engine crankcase to fill with raw fuel after the engine has been
off for a long time?

Answer: A defective or dirty needle valve or a hole in the accelerator pump

diaphragm.

4. What can cause the engine to run on (diesel) after the key is turned off?

Answer: The idle speed is set too high.

5. If no adjustments to a carburetor mixture have any or very little effect, what could
be the cause?

Answer: A leak in the carburetor mount gasket.

6. If an engine runs fine at an idle but loses power under a load, what should you
check?

Answer: Restricted air filter or a restricted fuel filter.

7. What should you look for if an engine runs fine most of the time, but runs poorly or
dies after making a turn?

Answer: Look for debris in the fuel tank that plugs the outlet once in a while.

8. Should the air filter be cleaned daily? Explain your answer.

Answer: No. If the air filter is serviced too much, the fine dust particles that
are knocked loose during removal of the filter will be pulled into the carburetor
and on into the engine where damage could occur. The air filter should be
serviced only when the indicator shows service is needed.
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9. If the engine operates better with the choke partially pulled out, what should you
check?

Answer: Plugged fuel filter, fuel tank outlet, or fuel line.

10. If the engine is overheating and the fuel consumption is unusually low, what could be
the cause?

Answer: The fuel mixture is very lean.

11. If the spark plugs have a pronounced white appearance at the base of the electrode,
what could be the cause?

Answer: The fuel mixture is very lean.

12. If the spark plugs are black and sooty, what fuel-related problem should you look
for?

Answer: The fuel mixture is very rich.

13. What is the function of a carburetor?

Answer: To supply the correct amount of fuel and air to the engine at the
proper time.

14. If an engine is running very rich, what color of smoke should you see from the
exhaust pipe?

Answer: Black

15. What should be checked if the exhaust pipe is glowing?

Answer: Fuel mixture is probably lean.

16. What would happen if the fuel pump pressure was higher than normal?

Answer: The needle would be pushed off of the seat and the engine will run
rich at all times.
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17. What would be the result of a leaky or worn throttle shaft bore.

Answer: Erratic idle

18. What should you check if the engine dies once in a while and there is nothing in the
fuel tank?

Answer: Check for debris in the carburetor bowl that plugs up the jet once in
a while.

19. What would happen if the float was adjusted too low and did not let enough gas into
the carburetor.

Answer: The engine will be hard starting.

20. What would happen if the idle shutoff solenoid did not receive the proper voltage?

Answer: The engine will not start or be very hard starting.

21. Air is largely made up of ___________ and _________.

Answer: Nitrogen and oxygen

22. Gasoline is largely made up of __________ and _________.

Answer: Hydrogen and carbon

23. Symptoms of a rich condition (excessive fuel):

Answer: Exhaust smells like raw gasoline. Fuel consumption is abnormally

high. Tailpipe is black and coated and dry soot. Spark plugs are black and
sooty.

24. Symptoms of a lean condition (inadequate fuel):

Answer: Misses under load. Hesitates when speed increased. Fuel

consumption abnormally low. Exhaust manifold and pipes glowing.
Overheating. Operates with choke partially closed. Spark plugs have
pronounced white appearance at base of electrode.
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25. An average fuel to air ratio for normal operation is ________ parts of air to ______
part of fuel.

Answer: 16; 1

26. Name the parts that make up the fuel delivery system.

Answer: Fuel tank, fuel line, fuel pump, fuel filter, and carburetor.

27. Define vapor lock.

Answer: Gasoline reacts at a certain temperature. It will turn to vapor

causing the fuel flow to be reduced or completely stopped.

Major Carburetor Systems

28. Float system:

Answer: Maintains supply of fuel in carburetor bowl.

29. Idle system:

Answer: Provides a small amount of fuel for low-speed operation.

30. Off idle system:

Answer: Provides correct air-fuel mixture slightly above idle speeds.

31. Acceleration system:

Answer: Squirts fuel into air horn when throttle valve opens and engine speed
increases.

32. High speed system:

Answer: Supplies lean air-fuel mixture at cruising speeds.

33. Full power system:

Answer: Enriches fuel mixture slightly when engine power demands are high.
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34. Choke system:

Answer: Provides extremely rich air-fuel mixture for cold engine starting.

35. A computer-controlled carburetor system normally functions in this mode:

a. Open loop
b. Repeating loop
c. Cycling loop
d. Closed loop

Answer: d.

36. When vacuum connections or port is below the carburetor throttle plate, the port
always has full intake manifold vacuum.

True False

Answer: True

37. When vacuum port is above throttle plate, you also have full intake vacuum.

Answer: False

38. Define accelerator pump.

Answer: When throttle is suddenly open, a momentary lean condition exists

and engine bogs. An accelerator pump solves this problem.

39. Changing the air cleaner too often will result in premature failure of the rings and
block.

Answer: True

40. How is fuel delivered equally from the carburetor to the valve ports?

Answer: Intake manifold