What to Know about your Carburetor

It’s a Power Supply

Found in cars, lawnmowers, and most machinery with a small engine, carburetors are metal tubes located inside of the engine.

Often referred to as a ‘carb’ in the automotive world, a carburetor acts similarly to the ‘carbs’ (carbohydrates) you consume to fuel your body with energy. In your vehicle, this component mixes fuel and air, pushing the mixture into the engine to burn. This process of energy translates to the power needed to move your vehicle.

So when you think of a ‘carb’ in either sense, you can think: power supply!

Sounds like an easy job, right?

Think again! This is a very complex and specific process.

Depending on the driving conditions and power being used, a carburetor has to release precisely the right amount of air and fuel mixture needed to propel the car. Just as you would not expect a person to function without any food, a vehicle cannot work without the correct mixture of air and fuel.

As you can imagine, more air and gas will generate more energy, which will allow your vehicle to accelerate as you step on the gas pedal.

If you have a newer vehicle, you may not have a carburetor. Over the years, they’ve been replaced by the fuel injector system.

How to Maintain your Carburetor

Making sure your carburetor is clean and maintained is essential to preventing corrosion and keeping your car running correctly.

When air is pushed through the carburetor, it slowly dries out the gasoline. This can leave a viscous, greasy residue on the inside of the cylinder. We recommend cleaning your carburetor to get rid of this sticky build-up, as well as any other debris hindering optimal functionality.

For most people, take apart the engine just to clean your carburetor is unrealistic. It takes a big chunk of time to continuously do that!

Luckily, there are phenomenal products out there — ready to do the job for you.

Make your life easier with our Berryman® B-12 Chemtool® Carburetor, Choke, and Throttle Body Cleaner:

– Quickly dissolve gum, varnish, fuel residues, and other deposits from the carburetor, PCV valve, automatic choke, carburetor linkage, throttle body, and distributor shaft with H.E.S.T. for maximum performance and fuel economy.
– Improve drivability by removing deposits that cause rough idle, stalling, and loss of acceleration.

Check out our video here on how to use our B-12 Chemtool® to keep your car running clean and mean!

Don’t forget: Keeping your carburetor clean is vital to preventing fuel system corrosion, improving your car’s drivability, getting better gas mileage, and reducing engine knock!