Parts of a Carburetor

The carburetor is the piece of a car that assures the fuel to air mixture fed into the engine is mixed in the proper proportion for optimum performance and gas mileage. While many new cars today use a fuel injector, rather than a carburetor, many people do still drive cars that use carburetors. Keep reading to learn more about the parts of a carburetor.

Tube and throttle

The tube and throttle are the two major parts of a carburetor. The throttle is a little plate inside the tube that controls how much air can flow into the tube. Controlling the amount of air in the mixture is vital; with too much air, when compared to fuel, the car cannot run properly and the engine can sustain damage. With too little air, the car runs rough and suffers from sluggish performance.

Venture and jet

The throttle tube narrows into the area, known as the venture, where a vacuum is created. A small hole, known as the jet, draws fuel into the carburetor.

Other parts

Several other parts of the carburetor ensure smooth operation. The main parts that control this function are the pilot, pilot airscrew, throttle valve, jet needle, needle jet and air jet. Additionally, the choke, accelerator pump and float chamber ensure that the fuel and air mixture is created correctly.

For the most part, carburetor pieces are not available individually. Most of the time, they are only available as carburetor repair kits that include most or all of the carburetor's parts.