RE: K&B engines
Sport Pilot nothing has changed since I wrote that a year and A half ago to change my opinion and yes I still feel that carburation was the weakest part of the K&B line and toward the end may have contributed to the failure of the screwhead 61 and .48 in the marketplace.
Actually agine in my opinion I feel the best carbs they ever used that were in house K&B and were the first one's with the large smooth block shape with no fins. These worked quite well but these were never used with any of the sportster series.
First problem with the rotating spraybar has to do with education of the customer in how to operate it this at a time when all the competition was going double needle. Heck this was always a big perception problem with the dykes ringed versions of the forty and sixty one's , with folks thinking their engines were no good not realizing that their was almost no compression when not running and the dykes rings relied upon the combustion gasses to complete the seal.
I also feel the machine work on the carbs of the sportster series went downhill and barrel binding was a problem with only slight contamination at a time this did not seem to affect contemperarys to the same degree.
I have had many K&B's the old forty and sixties and a pot load of the Sportsters in all the sizes, In fact My little personal best Cross country flight was with a .45 Sportster lifting the airplane and fifty ounces of fuel.
So yes I am sorry but I still feel the carbs were just a little crude for their time and a contributor to the demise of the company At Lake Havasu before RJL picked up the pieces.
John