Benefits of a Multiple Barrel Carburetor

Learn about the benefits of a multiple barrel carburetor and what types of vehicles frequently employ this type of device.

Who needs a multiple barrel carburetor?

Multiple barrel carburetors are commonly used with engines that have six or more cylinders. Although they are available with different numbers of barrels, two and four barrel carburetors are the most common. In large engines, the workload is split between the carburetor's cylinders. The multiple barrels of the carburetor act independently of one another to feed the fuel/air mixture to the engine's cylinders. For example, if a two-barrel carburetor ran an eight-cylinder engine, one carburetor barrel would control the first four cylinders and the other carburetor barrel would control the other four cylinders.

What are the benefits of multiple barrel carburetors?

Multiple barrel carburetors are popular on motorcycles, trucks and muscle cars. The thought is that multiple barrel carburetors are able to gain greater performance from these engines, which is particularly important to many motorcycle and muscle-car owners. Achieving the correct air-to-fuel ratio is critical for an engine to run effectively. With too little fuel, the mixture is considered "lean." A lean mixture can cause engine damage. With too much fuel, the mixture is "rich." A rich mixture causes sluggish performance and a rough feeling in the engine. A rich mixture not only robs the vehicle of performance, but it also can cause a dramatic decrease in gas mileage and fuel efficiency. By using a multiple barrel carburetor on a large engine, you can ensure each cylinder receives the correct fuel/air mixture.

Traditionally, motorcycles and engines with more than six cylinders have relied on multiple barrel carburetors in order to ensure the correct air-to-fuel ratio reaches the engine.