Taking steps to combat the effects of heat soak and vapor lock will lead to improved all around performance of your engine, and one of the most compelling forms of resisting these detrimental consequences is to use a carburetor insulator. The addition of a heat shield and heat-resistant carburetor spacer will greatly increase a carburetor ability to provide a steady supply of fuel to the engine.
Quick Fuel Technology’s Quick Cool Insulator Kit is the blending of both technologies, providing an adequate barrier between the intake manifold and the carburetor, all designed to fitting snugly under a factory hood, thanks to its total 1/2-inch installed height.
As the goal of every intake spacer, the goal is to decrease the rate at which heat is transferred from the engine to the carburetor. Without separation of theses two pivotal components, the heat can quickly permeate the carburetor and cause the fuel in the float bowls to expand and eventually boil or percolate. Since gasoline is a complex mixture of molecules, the initial boiling point of refined petrol is around 104°F, with a final boiling point of 395°F. Which means that, depending on the atmospheric, the vaporization of your engines’ fuel could leave you stranded or make it incapable of making it to the next round of racing.
This vaporizing of fuel is more commonly referred to as vapor lock. This is caused when the fuel pump or carburetor are hindered in their ability to supply liquid fuel into the airstream entering the combustion chamber, and for obvious reasons, this prevents the engine from running properly or starting.
Air-cooled and mechanical fuel pump-type engines are more susceptible to vapor lock, while there are instances when the in-tank fuel systems have experienced its effects. The best way to address this kind of problem is to route the fuel lines away from any radiant or convection heat sources, and to install an insulator and heat shield, like this Quick Fuel piece.