to carb or to inject?
- Thread starter 88347lx
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white 89 GT
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BayBoss
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- Jul 21, 2005
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It really depends on how much money you want to spend and how much time you want to spend tuning it...
I feel that "out of the box" a carb will out-perform EFI but with fuel injection the tuning possibilities are endless. With some effort in the tune, you will pull on that carb you were running any day of the week. Do you have any tuning experience? Are you interested in learning? If so then go EFI or even better, DFI! Things like tweecer, pms, megasquirt, etc leave you with a ton of options for how you'd like to go about squeezing more power out of your combo
Good luck and let us know which direction you go.....they both have their pros and cons
Drew
I feel that "out of the box" a carb will out-perform EFI but with fuel injection the tuning possibilities are endless. With some effort in the tune, you will pull on that carb you were running any day of the week. Do you have any tuning experience? Are you interested in learning? If so then go EFI or even better, DFI! Things like tweecer, pms, megasquirt, etc leave you with a ton of options for how you'd like to go about squeezing more power out of your combo
Good luck and let us know which direction you go.....they both have their pros and cons
Drew
the tweecer more or less tweaks the factory ecu....It'd be a good idea to have a laptop handy so you can make changes on the "fly". Devices like the PMS are hand-held and very user friendly. I am running a PMS in my turbocharged hatch and I like it. The fancier setups (like PMS) are more expensive than tweecers.....that's the downside. It's convenient to make changes though using the controller and keep on cruising. No laptop required with mine UNLESS you want to datalog (which I do) BTW are you familiar with wideband o2's? Depending on how wild your setup is you will mainly be tuning for WOT.... The critical issues here are A/F and total timing. Despite the tuning device you use, you'll need something to monitor your A/F and a way to change your timing. Tuning isn't all it's cracked up to be......most people just lack the testicles to give it a shot.
Drew
Drew
If you do go EFI nate has good experience on the mega squirt system (i beleive?) if you do go EFI go see john at HP ranch for a tune! It's a well worth 3 hour drive up north! But a 95% drag car carbed! EVERY N/A car in the NMRA (atleast 2 years ago) was carbed! All the power adder cars (turbo/S/C) was EFI.But also carbed cars are streetable but maybe not a daily driver streetable. But then to if you can tune a carb go for it! Plus it's cheaper carbed. peace
john
john
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My testicles work perfectly fine as do those in my family, assuming I wouldnt be here otherwise. That being said, both my father and I, as well as John chose HP Ranch owner John to tune our cars because hes the best. Takes balls to admit as a man someone else is better at something than me.
I wanna know what it’s going in? If it’s to replace the mill in your '88 LX (which I assume you have now based on your screen name), you're probably better off to stick with an EFI set up. The return fuel system is already set up, wiring, computer, sensors are all in place. You're further ahead moving forward at this point, then back pedaling into some archaic carbureted set up.
Carbs are fine if you're building a car from scratch on a budget, but any time you're working with an existing EFI platform, its always more economical and less hassle to stick with what you've got. The only driving conditions a carb comes close to performing on par with a good running EFI set up are WOT running down the track. And even that's all out the window now with the latest tuning software available for the EFI guys. The performance and tunabilty advantage continues to lean towards the EFI.
Carbs are fine if you're building a car from scratch on a budget, but any time you're working with an existing EFI platform, its always more economical and less hassle to stick with what you've got. The only driving conditions a carb comes close to performing on par with a good running EFI set up are WOT running down the track. And even that's all out the window now with the latest tuning software available for the EFI guys. The performance and tunabilty advantage continues to lean towards the EFI.
HP ranch?
where is that?
If you do go EFI nate has good experience on the mega squirt system (i beleive?) if you do go EFI go see john at HP ranch for a tune! It's a well worth 3 hour drive up north! But a 95% drag car carbed! EVERY N/A car in the NMRA (atleast 2 years ago) was carbed! All the power adder cars (turbo/S/C) was EFI.But also carbed cars are streetable but maybe not a daily driver streetable. But then to if you can tune a carb go for it! Plus it's cheaper carbed. peace
john
where is that?
Yes it is senceless to buy a tunner and then take it to someone to tune it. But if you caint figure it out then what? Like Gearbanger 101 said if your already set up for EFI then just stay with it.Not only are you 99% of the way there but you have to hack into the wireing harness's. Lots involved to do the conversion correctly.peacehttp://www.hpranch.com/
john
john
ranch?
thats just a hop ship and jump from my place. i'm in olympia wa...thanksYes it is senceless to buy a tunner and then take it to someone to tune it. But if you caint figure it out then what? Like Gearbanger 101 said if your already set up for EFI then just stay with it.Not only are you 99% of the way there but you have to hack into the wireing harness's. Lots involved to do the conversion correctly.peacehttp://www.hpranch.com/
john
""That being said, both my father and I, as well as John chose HP Ranch owner John to tune our cars because hes the best. Takes balls to admit as a man someone else is better at something than me.""
Nah, it takes balls to do it yourself and actually read up and learn fundamentals of tuning your car instead of shellin out the coin for someone else to do it. It's not rocket science.
""Yes it is senceless to buy a tunner and then take it to someone to tune it. But if you caint figure it out then what?""
If you can't figure it out then reading might help....god knows there are tons of threads/forums on tuning engines. This is, what I feel, separates the boys from the men. Tuning your own **** is not only cheaper but you feel like you accomplished something....you also learn more about your engine. You just put together an engine, Jon, what makes you think tuning it is so out of reach?
Drew
Nah, it takes balls to do it yourself and actually read up and learn fundamentals of tuning your car instead of shellin out the coin for someone else to do it. It's not rocket science.
""Yes it is senceless to buy a tunner and then take it to someone to tune it. But if you caint figure it out then what?""
If you can't figure it out then reading might help....god knows there are tons of threads/forums on tuning engines. This is, what I feel, separates the boys from the men. Tuning your own **** is not only cheaper but you feel like you accomplished something....you also learn more about your engine. You just put together an engine, Jon, what makes you think tuning it is so out of reach?
Drew
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