(Michael) wrote in
om:

I had always assumed that fuel injection was a must for this, but upon
reflection this is just stupid. As long as the carb does a good job
of atomizing/vaporizing the fuel, it should not matter. That would
explain why carb heat makes a difference, though - hotter air means
more complete vaporization.

Absolutely... it's all about the Fuel/Air ratio. How you get it the same
to all cylinders is unimportant.

Now, having said that, most carb systems do such a poor job of it that it
is actually TAUGHT to primary students as a leaning method. "Just pull
that little red knob until the engine runs rough, then push it back in a
little."

As you surmise, every now and then, you get a carb'd engine that runs very
smoothly, even very lean of peak. I've seen more than one newly minted CFI
get surprised when he goes to show the student how to lean... and the
engine just quietly and with no muss or fuss - QUITS!

jmk