🔍 Key Concepts

• 46 CFR regulations for small passenger vessels regarding fuel systems and carburetors • The difference in fuel/air flow direction between updraft and downdraft carburetors • Why a drip collector (drip pan) is needed when fuel can fall or leak onto hot surfaces

💭 Think About

• Think about which carburetor design would allow leaked fuel to fall downward out of the carburetor body, and which would tend to hold or drip fuel onto the engine or bilge area • Ask yourself: in which arrangement is a drip collector most important for preventing fuel from accumulating on hot engine parts? • Consider which carburetor type routes the air/fuel mixture upward versus downward, and how gravity affects any liquid fuel that might leak

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify in 46 CFR that drip collectors are required where fuel might drip onto the engine or into the bilge • Check which of the listed carburetor types use upward vs. downward flow relative to the engine intake • Confirm which carburetor orientation naturally prevents fuel from dripping into the machinery space, reducing the need for a drip collector