SMARTCARB carburettor
- A promise from the USA
SmartCarb - From the USA comes a carburettor that promises to revolutionise mixture preparation for 2-strokes. The claims are:
10% increase in power
30% reduction in fuel consumption
50% reduction in exhaust emissions
22,000 feet & altitude compensation
To achieve these goals, SmartCarb carburettors offer three features that set them apart from other manufacturers' carburettors:
Tuning without jets
Extra fine atomisation
Automatic adjustment to air pressure
SmartCarb vs Lectron - The background story
The history of the flat slide carburettor with a kind of metering rod instead of a needle and different nozzles, is what both the SmartCarb and the Lectron carburettor have in common. They even share the same inventor: the late, renowned carburettor expert William "Red" Edmonston. Red pioneered the concept of metering bar carburettors with the unique "Posa-Fuel" and the "Lake Injector" in 1967 and 1971 respectively. Red's Lectron carburettor was launched in 1974 and represented a major leap forward for the technology with an innovative float bowl and the use of a flat gas slide, rather than a cigar-cutter shaped slide or guillotine as before. After selling the Lectron carburettor to General Motors in 1978, Red continued to develop and refine the carburettor with a metering rod, culminating in the SmartCarb in the early 2000s. Corey Dyess, Chief Technology Officer of SmartCarb Fuel Systems, has had the privilege of working with Red in recent years. He has led the continued development of the SmartCarb and has been awarded several patents for functional improvements over the years.
Same inventor, same concept, same result .... right?
Really not! While both carburettors use a "metering rod" or metering bar and a flat slide to provide precise control of the fuel-air mixture and better fuel atomisation than conventional needle and jet carburettors, there are more differences between the two than are apparent at first glance.
Always looking to make things better, Red and more recently SmartCarb Fuel Systems have continually evolved the design, adding enhancements and features to improve the basic operating principles of the technology while eliminating the shortcomings and limitations of earlier designs. The result is a fuel system that is substantially different from its predecessors, including the Lectron carburettor.
SmartCarb - function and future
The SmartCarb is the culmination of more than 50 years of development. Its pedigree consists of a long line of single-circuit flat slide carburettors, including the Lake Injector, Posa-Fuel, Lectron and Quicksilver.
The SmartCarb combines the best features of earlier flat-slide variable-vent carburettors with design features developed by SmartCarb Fuel Systems, making it a true solution for meeting emissions regulations and OEM performance requirements in small engine applications worldwide.
SmartCarb Fuel Systems is currently focused on the 2-stroke and 4-stroke markets, offering SmartCarb carburettors in 26, 28, 36, 38 and 40mm sizes. Application-focused development is ongoing, with recent testing for integration into drones, mini motocross bikes, micro-sprint karts, snowmobiles, paragliders and outboard marine engines. Proven in recreational and competition applications, the SmartCarb is able to compete directly with electronic fuel injection in meeting both emissions regulations and performance requirements.
Designed with the future in mind, the SC2 SmartCarb carburettor is capable of meeting the performance needs and emissions requirements of the rapidly changing off-road powersports industry. They are fully CNC machined for tight tolerances and high durability and are suitable for all modern production gas trains. TPS is available from the factory or can be installed by the user at any time.
Smart carburettor adjustment
SmartCarb carburettors are adjusted in seconds without tools using a "click" system that adjusts the position of the needle. The adjustment is made without changing the nozzle. To ensure that this works on the respective engines, they are pre-configured. For the carburettors we carry in our range, we have sent SMART CARB details of what type of engine the carburettors should work on. This allows the configurations to cover quite a wide range and be pre-configured to fairly generic specifications. They fit all 2-stroke engines and do not require special petrol. The carburettors are now only available in the improved SC2 version.