EFI or Carb????

[PCW]

Hello,

I'm in the middle of trying to decide on a Superformance or a Kirkham. If I go the Kirkham route it will take me an addition year to save the extra money. But for now wondering about the EFI vs Carb question for the motor. I will be using the car for weekend street fun, no racing. Those that have carbs do you find that you have to adjust if you take a ride to higher altitudes etc...Those of you that have carbs, if you were to do it again, would you go the same route or this time go with EFI?

Thanks,
pcw

[lippy]

I just went through this decision. I was looking at Fast EFI but it's limited to about 600 HP. Above that I would need a port system that would be expensive and difficult to program. I will only drive the car a few k miles per year, so I'm going with a simple Quickfuel carb setup. I'm not worried about elevation changes/compensation. To me one of the top advantages of EFI is increased engine longevity, but it will probably take me 15 years to reach 50k miles anyway.

[bobcowan]

I have built and driven both, and both have their plusses and minuses. They are both good. Here are some random thoughts:

Carb:
- Cheap
- Not very accurate, relativley speaking
- Because they are not very accurate, they are easier to tune. Kind of like hitting a target with a shotgun.
- Period correct look.

EFI:
- Kind of expensive. But, you're building a $75,000 car.
- There's a learning curve, and it can be steep.
- A couple of hours on the dyno with a good tuner is only a few hundred dollars, and well worth it.
- Extremley accurate
- Self adjusting for all situations - temperature, humidity, altitude, etc.
- Better gas mileage.
- Smells better
- 8 stack systems on a big race engine can be very complicated. But a Mass-Flo system on a mild small block is plug and play using mostly stock over the counter Ford parts.
- If you do it right, you can easily switch back and forth between gasoline and E85. That's nice when it's really hot.

Having built and used both, I don't think I'll ever go back to a carb. There's just too many advantages to EFI.

[Hydramada]

Jim Inglese Carburetion



Keep it old school IMHO. Saving my pennies to upgrade to this from a Holley Avenger 770.

[PCW]

Thanks for all the replies. I have to admit the EFI sounds like the easier way to go for a number of reasons. Plus you can have that old school stack look that just looks right. What would I be looking at price wise for an all aluminum 427 w/EFI stack?

pcw

[vatdevil]

Toy...carb. Daily driver....EFI.

[Kobura]

I agree. A carb is fun if you are in the group of gearheads who like them. If you are of the group who expect an engine to always have a cold start up and run without treadling the gas pedal in order to keep it running until it warms up, then EFI is for you.

[MRGEORGE077]

Originally Posted by MRGEORGE077

I was running two 4/b's on a high pro 289 , car was way over carb. Put on a eight stack easy tune system, totally changed the car, love the EFI would never go back.

Eight Stack Injection- 289 302 347 Systems

[Dimis]

It's all up to you.

But my two cents...
Start with carb get it going. If you grow bored of it, "upgrade" to Efi.
The cost to do it the other way is not as economically viable.

Enjoy either way.

[fordracing65]

Originally Posted by Dimis

It's all up to you.

But my two cents...
Start with carb get it going. If you grow bored of it, "upgrade" to Efi.
The cost to do it the other way is not as economically viable.

Enjoy either way.

Agreed, well said...

[bobcowan]

Originally Posted by Hydramada

Jim Inglese Carburetion



Keep it old school IMHO. Saving my pennies to upgrade to this from a Holley Avenger 770.

You are a glutton for punishment.

[blykins]

Carb. Simplest, cheapest, hard to beat the WOT horsepower. Once they're tuned they should stay tuned.

I like vatdevil's summation.

[snakebittexan]

I have a MSD Atomic EFI on a 427 Ford Racing engine. No fuel logs, digital tuning and diagnostics and it looks like a carb. Almost 4k miles on her and I am a big fan!

[cobra]

pcw

Go with Weber's and Jim Inglese (Home) you will have a great engine with a great service from Jim

[PANAVIA]

EFI. hands down is the best thing to do for the car....

[Thor maine]

EFI only way to go. I have Old School Holley Pro Jection system with a fuel pump and soft ware upgrade , works great. All the talk about carbs and stack and Webers and about "originality" is for the birds, go EFI.

[289fia_cobra]

I went with carb but I built the fuel system to allow for an EFI conversion if I had the chance to purchase a stacked injection system.

I currently run my 347 w/Barry Grant 650DP. It has been to Lake Tahoe 2x (3?), 2x to Los Angeles up and over the San Gabriel Mountains and so far, elevation has never been a problem.

But I do know that someday, stacked injection is a very good possibility.

[PCW]

Originally Posted by 289fia_cobra

I went with carb but I built the fuel system to allow for an EFI conversion if I had the chance to purchase a stacked injection system.

I currently run my 347 w/Barry Grant 650DP. It has been to Lake Tahoe 2x (3?), 2x to Los Angeles up and over the San Gabriel Mountains and so far, elevation has never been a problem.

But I do know that someday, stacked injection is a very good possibility.

Right now I'm leaning towards going the carb route and then upgrading to EFI later on if I find i need to make a change. Thinking of going with an original FE side oilier in Wimbledon White w/guardsman blue strips, trying to keep it old school.

pcw

[D-CEL]

A single carb, sized and tuned correctly, coupled with the right manifold for the application will provide years of trouble free motoring. That being said, a single Holley on a dual plane manifold is not the top of the performance ladder nor is it the sexiest thing to look at.
If you’re looking for sexy, go with an Individual runner EFI system. Many to choose from and the controllers are getting better and cheaper all the time. Still expensive to do correctly, but its getting better.
A word on Weber’s: They are cool to look at…on a self in the garage!
They are hideously finicky and sensitive to EVERYTHING. If ever a car part could be said to have WICKED PMS, its Weber’s. Even the guys that LIKE (never love) them will say, “Yea they are a lot of work..”
Years ago a good friend had a completely gorgeous, ultra sweet, magnesium, side draft Weber rig on a pretty bad a$$ (for the time) small block Chevy. He would say “it’s a Super model…. Cool to look at, just be thankful YOU don’t have to live with it” It’s long gone now and much better as a memory!
There was a time 45 years ago when Weber’s offered a performance advantage and on a race car, might have been worth the effort. Not anymore LOL! You can easily make the power with other set-ups and not have to screw with it constantly.

[MRGEORGE077]

Originally Posted by D-CEL

A single carb, sized and tuned correctly, coupled with the right manifold for the application will provide years of trouble free motoring. That being said, a single Holley on a dual plane manifold is not the top of the performance ladder nor is it the sexiest thing to look at.
If you’re looking for sexy, go with an Individual runner EFI system. Many to choose from and the controllers are getting very better and cheaper all the time. Still expensive to do correctly, but its getting better.
A word on Weber’s: They are cool to look at…on a self in the garage!
They are hideously finicky and sensitive to EVERYTHING. If ever a car part could be said to have WICKED PMS, its Weber’s. Even the guys that LIKE (never love) them will say, “Yea they are a lot of work..”
Years ago a good friend had a completely gorgeous, ultra sweet, magnesium, side draft Weber rig on a pretty bad a$$ (for the time) small block Chevy. He would say “it’s a Super model…. Cool to look at, just be thankful YOU don’t have to live with it” It’s long gone now and much better as a memory!
There was a time 45 years ago when Weber’s offered a performance advantage and on a race car, might have been worth the effort. Not anymore LOL! You can easily make the power with other set-ups and not have to screw with it constantly.

Well said and so true