302 in ranger carb or efi?

[Beanmachine7000]

I'm not sure why everyone is so stuck in the past Yes, carbs work good for what they were designed, but EFI is just sooo much more efficient... I would much rather spend the extra work for EFI than a properly tuned carb...

 

[93'Stranger]

ya i already cant keep my foot off the throttle with a 2.3l i run it like theres no tomorrow hittin 2nd gear all the time lol, but ya i mean my cousin builds racing carbs for a living thats his company so he can tune one on a dime, so i think ill end up going carbed more than likely

 

[Ozwynn]

I show 200hp and 300lb-ft@2800 for a 1992 351W. I don't really see that whooping too hard on a 210 HP and 300 @2800 TBI 350. 185 hp and 270 @ 2400 rpm 302's need not apply.


http://www.intellichoice.com/pop/fe.../fn/1181713/fdn/1059024/vehicle_nmb/100009265

http://www.intellichoice.com/pop/fe.../fn/1182035/fdn/1059342/vehicle_nmb/100009473

http://www.intellichoice.com/pop/fe.../fn/1182036/fdn/1059343/vehicle_nmb/100009473

I don't know where you got your numbers but i just went through the sales brochure for my 91 Suburban and it shows 175 HP @ 4000RPM and 275ft/lbs @ 2400 for a stock 91 350 TBI from a 3/4 ton with a 4L80E. I see 190 HP @ 4250 RPMs and 290 ft/lbs @ 2600 for the carb'd engine with a 4spd. these are stock engines to stock engines with stock manifolds and stock exhaust compared to stock EFI engines with stock manifolds and stock exhaust.

and yes I have driven a properly tuned carb ....... wait till you have a drastic change in elevation, try to side hill, or worse .... get caught with out the proper emission controls for the year of vehicle..... $2500 a day fine until it is fixed....... and even if you live in an area that doesn't inspect you still have to comply.

 

[baddad457]

No elevations changes here, no nosy feds either. We sent em all up to michigan.

 

[Shran]

Heh. No emissions here. Half the cars here wouldn't pass anyway.

I am going to be using an Autolite 2bbl out of a '71 stang. My buddy has the same setup on his '73 Bronco and it's working pretty well...we will see. I don't like getting crazy in the rocks or really tipsy shit... I really just want to send a big one of these to the local guys who told me I was stupid for building a Ranger.

 

[HOT_ROD_CAR]

I can tell you've never driven a properly tuned carbed 302. I can put you behind the wheel of my 89 Ranger and unless you pop the hood, you'll never know what's under it by starting & driving it.

I agree BADDAD457! It's all in the tuning!

My Ranger is damn smooth with my carbed 1972 351 Cleveland and I find it hard to believe that a STOCK EFI can make as much horsepower as a carb engine. By adding larger injectors and performance chip I can see it, but there are many more parts (that can fail) and expense with EFI when installing a complete system on a previously carbed engine. But, that is a choice everyone has to make on their own.

Either system will be an exciting ride and that's what really matters. Good luck with your build 93'Stranger!

 

[baddad457]

The secret to EFI like performance with a carb is using an EFI cam, a good electronic ignition and a carb sized on the small side, if it's a 4 bbl, then a smallish cfm with vacuum secondaries is what you want. My Ranger's 302 is basically a carbed Explorer motor, but with ported E7's instead of GT40's. Same cam, but enhanced with 1.7 rockers. Intake is the old style A321 topped with a 570 SA Holley. Cold starts down to 25*F with no choke.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I don't know where you got your numbers but i just went through the sales brochure for my 91 Suburban and it shows 175 HP @ 4000RPM and 275ft/lbs @ 2400 for a stock 91 350 TBI from a 3/4 ton with a 4L80E. I see 190 HP @ 4250 RPMs and 290 ft/lbs @ 2600 for the carb'd engine with a 4spd. these are stock engines to stock engines with stock manifolds and stock exhaust compared to stock EFI engines with stock manifolds and stock exhaust.

and yes I have driven a properly tuned carb ....... wait till you have a drastic change in elevation, try to side hill, or worse .... get caught with out the proper emission controls for the year of vehicle..... $2500 a day fine until it is fixed....... and even if you live in an area that doesn't inspect you still have to comply.

Those are pretty consistent with what I have elsewhere on the net as well. I looked it up awhile ago on a different page and we gave my dad a hard time that it put out similar #’s as my brother’s 4.6, but the ol’ 350 has a WAY flatter power curve and the two really don’t compare well in the real world. Really I kinda think they might have been sandbagging a little on their rating anyway. I went with 1992 model year half ton pickups just to keep it clean across the board, and I only picked that because that is what year my dad has. I wonder if maybe the ¾ ton ’91 ‘burbans where rated differently or had different tuning? I do notice the RPM’s are different, that could be the difference right there.

My truck has a carburetor on it now as it did new, and if anyone here ever does start caring about emissions in general I doubt they will go back that far to see if it is in fact still computer controlled. Besides that in a couple years she will be an antique anyway...

 

[93'Stranger]

ya HOT ROD i agree i mean my cuz knows anything about carbs and efi but carbing will be easier to tune and its street its not like its a rock crawler, just got to talk to my cousin to see what he thinks. but it will be an interesting project either way can't wait for it to be done

 

[superdave1984]

Carb setup is a million times simpler. You can tune a carbed engine to perform just as good as EFI. If you don't know how to tune your carbed motor, you ain't sharp enough to install the EFI anyway. My last V-8 Ranger had a Holley 600 on it and it never gave me a problem starting, running, etc. I could reach in and turn the key and it started immediately even in below freezing temps. Didn't have to touch the gas. The biggest benefit to EFI is yes, it is more reliable. You don't have to tune it, you don't have to worry about it getting out of adjustment. But you DO have to worry about all the damn sensors and computer parts. Carb is much cheaper than EFI.

All that being said, since I have all the wiring, sensors, computer, etc for my new project, I am going with injection. If it gives me problems, I am going back to a carb.

 

[Ozwynn]

Those are pretty consistent with what I have elsewhere on the net as well. I looked it up awhile ago on a different page and we gave my dad a hard time that it put out similar #’s as my brother’s 4.6, but the ol’ 350 has a WAY flatter power curve and the two really don’t compare well in the real world. Really I kinda think they might have been sandbagging a little on their rating anyway. I went with 1992 model year half ton pickups just to keep it clean across the board, and I only picked that because that is what year my dad has. I wonder if maybe the ¾ ton ’91 ‘burbans where rated differently or had different tuning? I do notice the RPM’s are different, that could be the difference right there.

My truck has a carburetor on it now as it did new, and if anyone here ever does start caring about emissions in general I doubt they will go back that far to see if it is in fact still computer controlled. Besides that in a couple years she will be an antique anyway...

I asked at the Machine shop this morning and I was told the carb'd engine in the trucks with the 4spd runs a more aggressive cam. I guess there is also a difference in the GVWR from the 3/4 ton Suburban and a 3/4 ton pick up. The GMC suburban was only available TBI 350/auto or 6.2L diesel/auto
so I had to llok up specs for a 4spd to find a carb'd engine for 91 3/4 or 1 ton truck


don't get me wrong, I am not knocking TBI or the fact that an EFI 302 is competitive with a TBI 350. I constantly hauled things that were way too heavy behind my Suburban........ just TBI would be my second choice and for the cost of fitting a chevy TB on a ford engine you could build and EFI system which would be my first choice. given the choice between carb and EFI ...... carb is not even a choice. And I had plenty of late 70's Ford F-250s to practice hating carbs on.

 

[baddad457]

And I had plenty of late 70's Ford F-250s to practice hating carbs on.

So that's what left the bad taste in your mouth from running carbs................. If that's all the experience I had with a carb, I'd be biased too. Some will not agree with me, but while the Autolite 2 bbls were simple, they also left a lot to be desired as far as performance. And the retarded cam & ignition timing the 70's stuff were saddled with, combined with a sometimes less than 8 to 1 comp ratio, didn't help one iota either. Add those two factors to a 351M, and "there's your sign" In short, it wasn't the carbs fault, if that's what your experience was limited too.

 

[Ozwynn]

uummmm .......... 460's with no emittion controls and 4bbl......... usually bought with a holley and replaced with a 750 CFM edelbrock with a manual choke. and stock engine to stcok engine I would take EFI any day and PISS on the carb. the only place a carb is cool is in a drag race.

 

[RangerFabWorks]

im quoting jesse james on this one, "all these fuel injected, computer controlled cars, thats how they gonna get you, hey theres jesse james, shut him down, click, thats why i use a carb, they cant catch a classic." i know he said it different but you get the idea. me personally, i use edelbrock 1406 600cfm electric choke carb. with a edelbrock performer eps, or performer air gap intake. then run a lunati bracket master 2 cam. but i dont give 2 craps about mileage.

 

[COPPERHEAD85]

I'll take carbs anyday.Single or in pairs.