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Swap to carb?

  • Thread starter Thread starter SpeedDensityET
  • Start date Start date Sep 11, 2005

SpeedDensityET

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Mar 30, 2005
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  • Sep 11, 2005
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I have a buddy with an 88 GT with GT40P heads with upgraded valvesprings, Lunati 509 cam (.509, .509, something like 282, 284 duration), GT40 intake, C&L 75mm MAF, Motorsports 1.6 RR, 3.73s, T5, full 2.5" exhaust with off-road pipe. The best MPH the car can run in the 1/8th is 85. Meanwhile cars in town with the same heads, similar cam and equal driving style run 92 MPH, the only exception being that they are carbed. These guys are trying to get him to carb the car, while I keep preaching the driveablity, reliability, and torque of EFI. What do you guys think? Anyone pick up significantly swapping to carburetor? Keep in mind that we have no emissions laws here, and the car is driven very often to work (interstate and town driving).
 

Modular2v

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#2
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well havent had mine at the track yet but when my 331 was speed density it laid down like a dog.....when i threw the carb on it seriously felt like i gained 50hp
 

DarkMesa8

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Modular2v, clear your PM box. I've been trying to PM you for a few days now.

Have you been getting my emails through stangnet?
 

jrichker

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Carb = gasoline toliet - Press the pedal and hear it flush! CA-CHING!!! The sound of the gas pump as your wallet empties at $3 + a gallon.

Carbs can't be beat for a simple strip only car, but the are not good for a street car where economy & driveablity are important.

Tell you buddy to spend the $$$ the carb conversion would cost on a good dyno tune & chip. He will be miles and $$$ ahead of the game in the end.
 

DarkMesa8

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Injector pulsewidth, hot start fuel tables, cold start fuel tables, part throttle tables, injector timing tables matching camshaft events, leaning or enrichening a fuel curve at a specific RPM...

Some people love tinkering with those things, others hate it. Simplicity is king in the carbed world.
 

SpeedDensityET

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Well put, jrichker. That's what I've been thinking from the beginning, but there's just not many N/A EFI mustangs around that run the same numbers as a carbed car with the same heads and cam. Anybody else?
 

jrichker

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SpeedDensityET said:
Well put, jrichker. That's what I've been thinking from the beginning, but there's just not many N/A EFI mustangs around that run the same numbers as a carbed car with the same heads and cam. Anybody else?
Click to expand...
Apples to Oranges - how many top Pro Stock Turbocharged Mustangs are carb'd? Isn't that an indication of where the best power can be found by some excellent tuning?
 

txstang84

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May 21, 2005
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Sep 12, 2005
#8
  • Sep 12, 2005
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jrichker said:
Carb = gasoline toliet - Press the pedal and hear it flush! CA-CHING!!! The sound of the gas pump as your wallet empties at $3 + a gallon.
Click to expand...



I couldn't agree more-I've been running carb'd for 11 years...I'm acquiring parts for the FI swap-I can't wait to be able to crank my car when it's 28* outside and not have to pull a choke handle, and bring up the idle for 5 minutes just so I can drive home from work without the car falling all over it's face, or crank it when it's 105* and not have to worry about my gas boiling out of the bowls...ahhh I can't wait for that
 

crazypete

All my crevices are greased.
Oct 22, 2004
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Sep 13, 2005
#9
  • Sep 13, 2005
  • #9
jrichker said:
Carb = gasoline toliet - Press the pedal and hear it flush! CA-CHING!!! The sound of the gas pump as your wallet empties at $3 + a gallon.

Carbs can't be beat for a simple strip only car, but the are not good for a street car where economy & driveablity are important.

Tell you buddy to spend the $$$ the carb conversion would cost on a good dyno tune & chip. He will be miles and $$$ ahead of the game in the end.
Click to expand...

No way. A well tuned vacuum secondary street carb that is PROPERLY SIZED for STREET duty will get great idle/driveability/gas milage

My 670 street avenger pulled down 25 mpg highway with 3.73's and a t-5

My 570 street avenger starts so easy, you turn the key and it kicks in on the first turnover. Driveability issues? None. Even in dead of winter, you dial in some extra idle mixture and she will start right up.

Meeeeeeanwhile, the stupid factory EEC kept dying, MAF shorted out, sensors wires were getting frayed, O2 sensors got dirty. It was the most unreliable setup. Since my carb swap 4 years ago, I broke down twice. Both times, I was able to restart the car within 10 minutes after figuring out what was amiss. Carbs are simple and understandable.
 

crazypete

All my crevices are greased.
Oct 22, 2004
930
4
18
Arlington, MA
Sep 13, 2005
#10
  • Sep 13, 2005
  • #10
txstang84 said:


I couldn't agree more-I've been running carb'd for 11 years...I'm acquiring parts for the FI swap-I can't wait to be able to crank my car when it's 28* outside and not have to pull a choke handle, and bring up the idle for 5 minutes just so I can drive home from work without the car falling all over it's face, or crank it when it's 105* and not have to worry about my gas boiling out of the bowls...ahhh I can't wait for that
Click to expand...

Set the idle mixture one turn richer and set the idle speed to 1100. You will never have cold issues again. Add a carb spacer and your gas will never boil again.
 
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