The carburetor is one of the car parts where petrol and air is combined; usually used in cars, boats and motorcycles. Low air pressure is created to produce air intake so that the airstream is rushed through the fuel. This technique has been slowly replaced by fuel injection engines in the 1980s because it helps reduce fuel consumption but there are still older car models that depend on them.  If the carburetor becomes dirty, you might not be able to start the engine. Therefore, it needs to be cleaned to ensure that the engine runs smoothly. Here are some tips on how to clean a carburetor.

First of all, make sure that your engine is off before you remove the air filter’s cover. The carb is right in the middle of the air filter’s housing. Put on gloves and safety goggles to prevent harmful injuries. Place protective materials around and under it to prevent the chemicals of the cleaner to stain on the other parts of your car’s engine. The chemicals might stain the paint surrounding it.

Next, spray carb cleaner into it. Read the instructions written on the bottle before using it so that you know the exact amount of cleaner to use. You must maintain high rev by pulling on the throttle linkage located near the valve cover while spraying short burst of cleaner into it. The engine will tend to choke and you will notice white smoke emitting from your tail pipe. It is an indication that the cleaning is in progress. Clean up the accumulated oil on the carb by using wire brushes. Spray the entire carb including the linkage and throttle of it with cleaner, then let it rest for a while. Wipe off the excess cleaner with paper towels after it is set.

Before you start up your car, remove all the tools from your engine (paper towels, cleaners, lubricants etc) take the car for a quick spin around the block Occasionally revving the engine to rid of remaining cleaner in system. Remember not to over rev it else your may risk blowing up our engine.

Turn of the engine to fix the air filter’s housing back onto the engine. When everything is done, drive your car around for about ten minutes so that the carb cleans better. That is basically how to clean a carburetor. By cleaning the carburetor frequently, it helps to prevent excess build-ups and reduces petrol consumption. For carbs that are excessively dirty, they will have to be removed from the engine and placed in a cleaning solution but this can only be done by professionals.