Re: Fish Carb

[TERNOV <TERNOV@domain.elided>]

Well, I understand both viewpoints, and I feel that in this case, the fish
carb probably is a myth. However, I would agree that tremendous increases of
mpg could be had simply by making the carbuerator atomize the fuel more
completely.  Essentially, the carb is just a contraption that "atomizes" the
fuel, making it into a mist. It must do this because this is the only way
gasoline can combust. If you don't believe me, throw a match into a pale of
gasoline (not recommended), or more realistically, picture your cylinders
filled with liquid gas. Now say you crank the engine over trying to ignite it.
It doesn't matter how much you try, your still not going to ignite that liquid
gas. Since this mist is the only thing that can combust, when properly tuned
relative the the mass of oxygen entering the engine, your fuel consumption per
unit-distance is almost entirely dependant on the efficiency of your carb.
(That's not to say other factors don't come into play) However, carbeurators
are not built at such an efficiency level as they could be. I can think of at
least two good reasons for this. 1. is the fact that oil companies would
suffer tremendous loss from these increases in fuel economy. 2. is the matter
of technology and how it would have to be developed/applied in order to
accomplish such a feat. To make a carb more efficient at atomizing the fuel,
engineers would all but have to reinvent the carbeurator. Throw in the fact
that carbs are only used on small engines nowadays, the fact that mechanicas
would have to practically relearn how to tune up a carb, and the incredible
sum that such a carb would cost, and you wind up realizing what I'm sure the
automobile industry realized ten years ago: its cheaper to go with fuel
injection. So, that brings us where we are right now, with inneficient carbs
on our engines. The industry has abandoned our "stone-aged" technology in
favor of new developments in efi technology. But heh, we have 'binders, so
what do we care, huh?????
Devin Smith
'65 Scout 80