Carburetor needle valve adjustment limiter cap apparatus and method of

Abstract

A needle valve limiter cap of single-stage and two stage types having a hollow cylindrical outer body of rigid material, carrying a limiter arm. A spring steel hollow retainer clip sleeve is telescopically received in the body and has inwardly and outwardly protruding resilient barbs reversely oriented relative to one another to respectively engage the cap body and the needle valve shank to respectively prevent retrograde relative telescopic motion between the clip and the body and between the clip and valve shank. Easy seating of the single or two-stage caps into their locked first and/or second stage needle adjustment positions also produces an audible click and feel as the inwardly protruding spring barb(s) snap into a needle shank groove or grooves. A cap living-hinge type anti-tamper flap at the cap end prevents access of any adjustment tool to a needle valve head. A 'peanut clip' cap orientor and holder encircles the cap bodies to hold them in a paired side-by-side subassembly for storage, shipment and/or telescopic installation and rotational orientation of the caps simultaneously on their respective needle valve shanks. A peanut clip stop leg automatically halts initial push-on assembly of the paired cap bodies and peanut clip at first stage position. Cap limiter arm entrapment extensions on the holder clip lock the caps angularly in rich-rich orientation only in first stage position. Improved forms of needle valves with shank grooves, cooperating barb retaining shoulders, an anti-pry-off cap abutment conical shoulder and anti-tamper adjustment head cooperate with the limiter caps.