EFI or Carb'd??

[harwood39]

Ok guys. I got a free 302 and AOD tranny to swap into my ranger. It is an EFI out of an 85-86 LTD. Should i go carb on it or keep it efi? And how hard would it be to put this into my 96 if i keep it efi? and if i go carb what all do i have to do wiring wise to keep everything working good(speedo, tach, other guages)

I know about the obviouse, Advanced adapters headera, mounts, and tranny/t-case adapter. And fuel pump if i go carbed. Im mostly just wondering about the wiring.

 

[88mudder]

If you know about wiring up the EFI then stick with it. If you are more beginner then stick with a carb because thats what i did and mine runs like a top.

 

[baddad457]

If you know about wiring up the EFI then stick with it. If you are more beginner then stick with a carb because thats what i did and mine runs like a top.

What he said. Mine's carbed but runs exactly like EFI. It's all in the cam and carb choice.

 

[Will]

I would keep it EFI. EFI is simpler and more reliable. And you already have it so it's cheaper. It's certainly simple to bolt on a carb. You need a manifold, carb, low pressure fuel pump, probably a distributor and ignition control box, throttle linkage, maybe a modification to the tranny for the 3-4 shift and converter lockup.

That engine is CFI isn't it? Throttle body injection? Get this book and read it. That's not a bad price, by the way. On bookfinder.com the cheapest secondhand copy was $22.

I would also get the Electrical/ Vacuum Troubleshooting Manual (EVTM). That's the '85--get the right year. It has enough diagram information to help you figure out what wires you need. It's great for getting it running again after the swap--and for finding the things you need to swap.

This is only a 150hp motor. Even with a carb, those heads are bad enough you will only be able to pick up a little power and that will come at a loss of low rpm power. Keeping the EFI will teach you a ton about it and when you are ready to upgrade you can switch the heads and intake for something like this.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

TBI is more like a carb in setup than regular EFI, your OBDII Ranger probably won't care for it too well, or at least as well as it would a EFI system closer to its model year.

 

[Ranger44]

Truly...carbs are dead.

EFI is the way to go. Way more efficient and reliable.

If it is already EFI, why go through all the trouble to convert to an obsolete and more complicated system? EFI isn't really that complicated.....

 

[harwood39]

ha, crabs arent obsolete... i built a buick with a 383 and 4 barrel that is gettin 20 in town. just need to tune them right. And it is much easier. Rebuilding and jetting a crab is much easier for me than tuning a computer. Plus up here in ND we dont have to deal with emisions so why not junk all the electrical and go simple??

 

[Will]

They are obsolete. I don't think you can get 20 with your setup in town--but maybe ND towns don't have many traffic lights. Seriously, the main circuit is never in steady state--it's always using some accelerator squirt, getting some help from the power circuit, the air through the venturis is going too slow most of the time. On the highway, yes, they can do as well as EFI--unless you are in the mountains. They can't adjust to pressure changes.

As far as tuning a carb goes, the best you can do is to put an A/F meter on the tailpipe and jet it on a chassis dyno at a steady state. It is not a feedback system so you always have to err on the side of rich because lean is bad. And being a wet intake manifold, there can be a lot of difference in the mixture by the time it gets to each cylinder because the bumps and curves are not the same throughout. Again, you have to err on being rich. The EFI is always right. It's always accurate. Any elevation, any temperature.

Next thing is, the EFI controls not only the fuel--it also controls the spark advance. It's not locked into using the same curve for everything. It can adjust it as it needs to.

Carbs are more complicated, not less. They attempt to do what EFI does, but can't. They can do very well if they are sized right. The Quadrajet is the best 4V for making that 20mpg goal in town. It has the right sized primary venturis and can get a decent airspeed through it at low speeds. No Holley or AFB is going to do that well. And nobody puts the right sized carb on anything. My last carbed motor was 472" and used a 600cfm AFB. It used ALL of it, but it had electric motor throttle response. It would get 12 in town though and 16 on the highway--I towed all my houshold goods with it after I got married from Iowa to California, then commuted for a year with it--then another year in Columbus, Oh. 20 is a heck of a jump and I would not believe it without seeing it first hand.

Last thing is, he is $500 worth of used parts from having a carb'ed motor. He needs everything. It's just a bad idea to get rid of all of those good parts and swap them for a carb.

 

[Ranger44]

ha, crabs arent obsolete... i built a buick with a 383 and 4 barrel that is gettin 20 in town. just need to tune them right. And it is much easier. Rebuilding and jetting a crab is much easier for me than tuning a computer. Plus up here in ND we dont have to deal with emisions so why not junk all the electrical and go simple??

As some have said, carbs offer the WRONG amount of fuel ALL the time.

I agree with Will on this.

Oh, and a carb can not compare to EFI if used on an off-road vehicle.....carbs don't hadle inclines very well.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Actually IMO he pretty much has a clean slate... like I said before it won't be that big of a deal to get the TBI engine to run, but the rest of his truck probably won't like it. Either way he goes he is either going to need a carb setup or a real EFI setup.

I would grab the package, store the AOD, sell the 302 and watch for something that would actually make a 4.0 look bad... anything but a former power plant for a mid 80's land yaht.

Your truck is a year too new for this to be an easy swap...

 

[Ranger44]

Actually you may have a point....

What engine do you currently have? If you have a 4.0, a shitty 5.0 won't be much of an improvement. I'd wait for a 5.0 or 5.7 that actually says electronic fuel injection on the manifold.

If you don't mind me asking, what would you be using this truck for?

 

[mkpecor]

ill never have a carbed rig ever agian.

 

[Mutant Pony]

Well, If you want a truly objective opinion... I have both. I, unlike most people here, know how to properly use and tune a carb. I have succesfully used carbs OFFROAD for years. I also have swapped in, fuel injected vehicles that work as well.
For me it is a monetary issue, I can't afford a fuel injection system that will work on my Cleveland so, I use a carb and it works!
I also have Carburated 2300 in the Mutant Pony. There is NO fuel injection system that will make the power that my carb and intake combo does.
As far as a 302 goes, If you can't get at least an H.O. intake, Go carburated. You can make far more h.p./$ than any fuel injection system.

 

[harwood39]

I honestly think that a built 302 will be better than my shitty 4.0... it has 200k on it, leaks, is very weak, ticks like a mother, and has way too many trouble codes....

The 302 will be getting an Edelbrock intake, carb, cam... Bored over .040 and will be getting headwork done. I will be doing all the engine work besides the machining.

 

[harwood39]

also, i should add its mostly a project for a head turner, it isnt going to be on huge inclines as it is very flat here. mostly just mud runs and some desert stuff...