Carberators vs Fuel Injection

[Gary]

I thought this would be a fun topic to discuss so here it goes. First I will admit I have a bias towards carbs but I have my reasons. The way I see it, this is how they stack up:

Carburetor Pros:
1. Adjustable
2. Can make more power than EFI
3. Cheaper
4. Highly modifiable
5. Simple
6. Can use a mechanical fuel pump or electric fuel pump
7. Can be rebuilt

Carb Cons:
1. Harder cold weather starting
2. Typically will get less fuel economy than an equivalent EFI setup(though this is not always the case)
3. More parts to go wrong
4. Some cylinder wash can occur when choked
5. Requires more maintenance
6. Can muck up emissions controls if car is equipped with them(one of the reasons carbs and leaded fuel went away)

EFI Pros:
1. Better fuel economy in most cases
2. Better atomization of fuel leading to better cold starting
3. Stochiometric ratio is much closer to 14.7:1
4. Requires little to no maintenance
5. Play better with emissions controls such as cats

EFI Cons:
1. Not adjustable without programming and not to the same extent as carb
2. Requires a higher fuel pressure hence needs an electric pump
3. More costly
4. Hardware cannot really be modified
5. Less power than a carb(as long as the carb is tuned correctly and everything is functioning as it should, ignition timing must also be in the right spot for the carb to make the power)

These are just some basic pros and cons that I could think of off the top of my head. I think carbs are superior as long as they ain’t strangled with emissions controls. A carb allows you more tuning freedom and is fun to rebuild(at least for someone like me!)
What do y’all think?

Topic

[James O’Hara]

I would rather have a BCM, ECM, TCM, BCM with all this wiring then not have one. The reason they were brought out was actually due to the fuel economy and vehicle cost (go figure). The old way had wires run directly to and from everything. More wires = more weight. Copper is also not cheap.

It is stupid if you ask me we should take all the computer stuff out of the cars. Leave safety things like air bags and seat belts (without the beeping). Teach the drivers what they really need to know and hold people accountable. But, that is not going to happen so…

[Bluesnut]

A couple of carburetor tales to think about. Back in the mid 1980s Subarus used an EEC controlled carburetor on their 1.8 Liters. These cars would rattle off 40 MPG or even a bit more on the highway. They introduced multi-port fuel injection on basically the same car and they would get 27-28 MPG.
How would that be considered an improvement in regards to fuel conservation, emissions, etc.

Back in the late 90s I owned an 80s era Subaru with the notoriously crappy Hitachi carburetor on it. These carbs were garbage. My 4WD Subaru would get about 27 MPG which was normal for that engine and the 4WD setup. I got tired of wrestling that carburetor and went to a boneyard run by a guy I knew. He let me walk the yard and I finally settled on a 1 barrel carb off of a Ford 200 cubic inch 6 cylinder for 10 bucks.
I made an adapter plate and replaced that 2 barrel Hitachi with the Ford 1 barrel. There was a night and day difference. The car would bust right off every time hot or cold, idle smooth as silk, and accelerate smoothly through every gear.

The part that bothered me was that the Subaru engine was a 1.6 L and that Ford carb was a bit much for it so I expected the gas mileage to suck. As long as it behaved I didn’t care about mileage. A week or so later I took a road trip and that thing got 38 MPG which was verified on another road trip later on.
Who would have thought.

That being said, I like cubic inches. The more the better. :woohoo:

[Gary]

[quote=”MDK22″ post=125189]I would rather have a BCM, ECM, TCM, BCM with all this wiring then not have one. The reason they were brought out was actually due to the fuel economy and vehicle cost (go figure). The old way had wires run directly to and from everything. More wires = more weight. Copper is also not cheap.

It is stupid if you ask me we should take all the computer stuff out of the cars. Leave safety things like air bags and seat belts (without the beeping). Teach the drivers what they really need to know and hold people accountable. But, that is not going to happen so…[/quote] I prefer having wires outside a harness(makes work much easier and quicker). Having individual wires also allows for easier additions and modifications. Computers have no place in cars in my opinion. While I can work on them without issue, they just seem unnecessary. I do agree, people need to be held accountable. Personal responsibility is a must.

[Gary]

[quote=”andrewbutton442″ post=125182]You know, I agree with you. I actually got into a discussion with a tech who has to fix all this late model stuff..and his answer was this.. you wouldn’t even be able have things like Rain sensor wipers without body computers. I really didn’t know what to say, other than, well, it controls a bunch of unneccessary things then….sorta like having a toilet with rhinestones… BCMs and the likes are meant to shut the indenpendants out and keep Stealerships in business…. count me out of that scam.[/quote] Agreed…and that toilet with rhinestones comment is priceless.

[Author]

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