[Jeimuzu]

Are there any ways to tweak a carb without spending money ? I remember Darrell and a few other people saying that to tune a carb, you put different parts in it, open the jets, and stuff like that, but is there anything that doesn't cost money ? Like changing a setting on it to give it a bit more power. I've got a slight understanding of how they work, but have no idea how to make them work better

[ReverendDexter]

A carburetor can only be tuned to make more power if it's currently out of tune. That may sound obvious, but what I mean is that a carb is designed to flow a certain amount of air. With a certain amount of air, there is an ideal amount of fuel added for optimal combustion. If your cab is tuned right, you're already at that point.

Now if you're running rich or lean, then you can adjust things (like your idle mixture) to bring that back into line. You may also choose to sacrafice proper tune in one rpm range to get a slightly better tune at a different one. OEMs usually will tune for idle and mid-range rpms for best drivability. You can set up your carb to be ideal at top-end (and thus get more peak power), but you'll be detuning it for idle and normal driving conditions.

Realistically, the only way to get more power from your carb is if your carb isn't running right as it sits, or to replace it with one that can flow more air. Of course, that assumes that your carb is the choke point for your system. If it's not the carb that's restricting flow, then all of this is for naught.

[Jeimuzu]

That makes sense. So how do you tune it to work right ? I'd like to get into carb stuff, plus it's getting cold and I think I might need to tweak it a bit to deal with it

[ReverendDexter]

Well, working right in the cold will be just how your choke is set up. I guess it would also depend how different your average temperature between summer and winter is; cold air is more dense, so it would be like tuning it for lower altitude.

And insofar as tuning, my best suggestion is to go buy a book on it, there's a fine art involved. The basic principle is to gross tune with your jet size, and then fine tune through the mixture screws. I know you can do it without one, but my understanding is that it's a lot easier if you have a wide-band O2 sensor.

All I can say is be careful - lean makes more power, but you run the risk of creating a lot more heat, and potentially burning a piston. I leaned out the carb in my Bronco and slagged one of my catalytic converters.

[boney1]

run a demon carb and you cant go wrong...they are awesome!!!