Carbuerator or Fuel Injected? Which is better and why?

[MAKG]

What happens when he's on the trail and gets the truck at a 70+ degree angle?

In a Courier? He opens the seatbelt and falls onto the roof....

70 deg is a HUGE grade, even on-camber. Can a Humvee even do that? Or a Unimog?

FWIW, electronic fuel injection will run upside down (it's been demonstrated by certain board members, at least for 2.9Ls). The fuel system doesn't depend on gravity. However, the oiling system does.

I'd be concerned on a 70 deg hill for any engine not specifically designed for that, as one will want to rev it high to get up the hill or control it downhill, and the oil pump pickup may or may not be submerged. You're essentially running the engine with its flywheel pointed nearly straight down (or straight up).

 

[Kommando SS]

Holyford86 and Makg, If you take a properly tuned carburator off of an engine and replace it with fuel injection you will lose fuel mileage. It has been proven many times. An engine can be built for fuel injection that will get better mileage than a carburated one and make the same or better performance(possibly). Comparing the difference between a 2.8 and a 2.9 has nothing to do with fuel injection. They have a different port design, and a different stroke which makes most of that difference.
We have had this discussion before but, I'll say it again. Carburators do not come out of adjustment on there own! They do get dirty but, so do fuel injectors. There is no possible way a carb could ever cost more to maintain than any EFI system.
The biggest problem with carbs is that they have to be tuned properly to the engine, you can just take them out of a box and bolt them on and expect them to run properly.
Kommando SS, What engine is in the courier?

Ford Ranger, 4 cylinder. I don't know where the original engine was. It was suppose to be a special kind of engine.

 

[Evan]

In a Courier? He opens the seatbelt and falls onto the roof....

70 deg is a HUGE grade, even on-camber. Can a Humvee even do that? Or a Unimog?

FWIW, electronic fuel injection will run upside down (it's been demonstrated by certain board members, at least for 2.9Ls). The fuel system doesn't depend on gravity. However, the oiling system does.

I'd be concerned on a 70 deg hill for any engine not specifically designed for that, as one will want to rev it high to get up the hill or control it downhill, and the oil pump pickup may or may not be submerged. You're essentially running the engine with its flywheel pointed nearly straight down (or straight up).

How much offroading have you done? 70 is a little extreme, I admit, but I've had my truck pretty close if not there several times, and each time I still needed engine power. In many cases I was supported by an earthen bank on the other side, much like Todd is in the pic. I'd say he's at 60 degrees or higher here. But the point wasn't to establish an exact number, it was to ask how the carb performed at very steep angles.

 

[Simple_serf]

hmmm....I prefer a carb for applications where if HAS to work...oilfield, genset (if spark ignition), etc. My ranger is my first FI truck...and I gotta say, I like not having to mess with a carb, choke, icing, etc when it is below 20 out. Hop in the ranger, turn the key...all set.

Propane/Natural Gas is wonderful....On most of the propane/NG burners I am around, the oil stays nice and clean, and they pretty much have no fuel issues after they are initially setup.

If I get something to tinker with (i am looking at an 88 2wd 2.0 4 speed) It will end up running on propane.

 

[Mutant Pony]

If it is a Ranger 2300 you can use a Ranger fuel injection system. It would be a lot of work and it might not be worth the trouble. You could use a holley 2300 or 2305 with a spring loaded needle and float(both). Getting the carb jetted right for your combo would be a pain though.
I've had the Mutant pony at some pretty extreme angles, I climbed out the door, stood on the back tire, looked across the seat bottoms, climbed back in and proceded forward. It has a bored motorcraft carb (600 cfm). I also made the intake manifold from sheet metal and tilted the carb forward a tad for hill climbing.

 

[92_Ranger_4x4]

Electronic Feul Injectors

Electronic Feul Inection! That would have to be your best choice.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I have been a fan of carbs for quite awhile, when they work they work great. For the wheeling I do they work fine, and the ones we have that work well start great in cold weather. The one on my Ranger is being a real pain lately, I think namely the choke. It is still the piece of crap feedback unit so I can't really knock it too much, but it is very irritating to fight with.

I am putting in a 289 that will probably be carbed to start with, but another member on here turned me on to the idea of retrofitting GM TBI fuel injection later on. I will have enough experimental stuff going on out of the box to deal with EFI at the same time. The TBI setup is stupid simple and keeps the engine bay clean much like a carburator setup (a major peeve of mine with fuel injection) It isn't optimal for a performance/milage standpoint, but seems like it will be a happy medium between the two setups, you get most of the milage/adaptability benefits of EFI, along with the simplicity of of carburation.

 

[86ford]

I also made the intake manifold from sheet metal and tilted the carb forward a tad for hill climbing.

DID I READ THAT RIGHT?

86

 

[OilPatch197]

I have been a fan of carbs for quite awhile, when they work they work great. For the wheeling I do they work fine, and the ones we have that work well start great in cold weather. The one on my Ranger is being a real pain lately, I think namely the choke. It is still the piece of crap feedback unit so I can't really knock it too much, but it is very irritating to fight with.

I am putting in a 289 that will probably be carbed to start with, but another member on here turned me on to the idea of retrofitting GM TBI fuel injection later on. I will have enough experimental stuff going on out of the box to deal with EFI at the same time. The TBI setup is stupid simple and keeps the engine bay clean much like a carburator setup (a major peeve of mine with fuel injection) It isn't optimal for a performance/milage standpoint, but seems like it will be a happy medium between the two setups, you get most of the milage/adaptability benefits of EFI, along with the simplicity of of carburation.

Carbs all the way!! Sure EFI gets better milage, but Carburetors can be easier to adjust(when you don't have $$$ scanners) and easier to convert to "alternative" fuels, like propane, LNG...

I can rebuild carbs, but the one thing I hate about carbs is I can NEVER EVER get the Choke right! either it's too lean or too rich.

 

[Simple_serf]

Simple solution....manual Choke!!!!

I refuse to use automatic chokes, because they NEVER work right. I convert all over to manual.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Carbs all the way!! Sure EFI gets better milage, but Carburetors can be easier to adjust(when you don't have $$$ scanners) and easier to convert to "alternative" fuels, like propane, LNG...

I can rebuild carbs, but the one thing I hate about carbs is I can NEVER EVER get the Choke right! either it's too lean or too rich.

The TBI setup has about 5 sensors and very few moving parts, and adjusts itself.

 

[blackbronc]

I would think that an F.I. system senses zero load closed throttle coasting situations and turns off the injectors should make a mileage improvement. If anything a carb goes full rich in those conditions and just sucks the the gas out of the float bowls. Ever had a rig that smoked downhill but not up. The extra fuel washes the cylinders and you start sucking oil past the rings. F.I. is there to make engines last longer, improve mileage & driveability and reduce emissions and tuneups for the life of the vehicle. And fuel injection can make everybit as much power as any carb. Seen any carbureted Top Fuelers or Funny cars lately?

 

[LIMA BEAN]

EFI has always worked better for me at -50 below zero. Any engine burps there cause major bowel constriction.

 

[Totalled]

I'm kicking my truck avenger to the curb for ford efi... I guess it can't hang with the terrain I wheel on.. I spend more time trying to keep it from flooding out than wheeling.

A guy I know has an almost identical rig to mine and gained 3-4 MPG when he went from a truck avenger to ford efi.. sounds like a winner to me.

 

[Bob Ayers]

Carbs all the way!! Sure EFI gets better milage, but Carburetors can be easier to adjust(when you don't have $$$ scanners) and easier to convert to "alternative" fuels, like propane, LNG...

I can rebuild carbs, but the one thing I hate about carbs is I can NEVER EVER get the Choke right! either it's too lean or too rich.

When you don't "adjust" EFI, how can a carb be easier to "adjust"?