(2) Thought Experiment....

You're an auto mechanic who learned his trade in the 1970's. You've become pretty decent working on carburetor engines. It's what you know.

Over time the industry for the most part switched to fuel injected engines. All your mechanic friends are telling you they are far superior and that you need to update your skill set. You guestimate that could take at least a year to become okay at it. Another year to become good at it. And maybe still another to really be profitient with fuel injected engines.

Meanwhile, the car you've been using (which uses a carb engine) breaks down. It's completely shot. You need to build a new car. You can't buy one because you don't have the money. But using parts from the junk yard, and your skills you could build a new car for peanuts.

You both want and need to get driving again asap because you need transportation desperately.

So do you first try and upgrade your skills and then build a car with a fuel injected engine? Or do you just go with what you know best and build your new car using a carburetor engine which you could build 10 times faster, and have the confidence in knowing it will run, even if it's not the latest and greatest???

This is a serious question.

a reply to: lavatrance
Ever heard of Chilton's How-to books? (sp?) Fuel efficiency is only found with today's fuel injected ,4 valves per cylinder engines. I guess I am swayed in my thoughts though. When I was young I had a Plymouth 440mag Road Runner that got 20 gallons / mile.

a reply to: lavatrance

You stick with what you know, build yourself a car for peanuts from the scrap yard. Once you have mastered the art of fuel injected engines if the car you rebuilt has packed it in you can make the decision then. Always go with what you know best unless there is a serious reason to change something.

a reply to: Aeshma

ya that's kinda what I was thinking

Junkyard EFI requires no work, just drop it in and go (unless you need to have someone just come remove the engine-key security. I did this years ago on a BMW, we dropped in an LT1, and I just wired the GM fuel pump wire to the BMW fuel pump relay, Ignition power went to ECU power, and then wired the BMW starter relay to the LT1 starter. Had a friend stop by and plug in his laptop, ran a program and boom the security was disabled.

Turned the key and VROOMMM job done.


Funny thing though, carburetors actually atomize the fuel better than all but the very best injectors, and so they have the potential to get better fuel mileage, however carbs don't have the mixture adaptability, so in the real world in varying temperatures, altitudes, humidity and loads; fuel injection works better all round. There were some electronic carbs around in the 80's but the tech back then really wasn't there to do things properly.

I'd love to see what could be done today using a truly electronically controlled carburetor with an airflow meter and wideband O2 sensing.

a reply to: lavatrance

Build a fuel injected engine from the crap yard. Learn fast. Once you get it going you have a car and all the new skills you need.

a reply to: lavatrance

Well, i just replaced the head gaskets on a 60 degree gm v6 3200, and i had never done that. it had fuel injection, but after 40 hours of work and mistakes, the fuel injection gave me NO problems. (i had replaced a clutch and rear main seals before this but nothing like this)

I would stick with what you know for know, but i am telling you..... you are getting yourself more worked up than need be.

If you can rebuild a carb, you can DEFINITELY install injectors, rails and lines.

and good luck.

a reply to: 8675309jenny

I knew i remembered something like that.

hope you haven't seen these. enjoy.

fuel-efficient-vehicles.org...

a reply to: lavatrance

You probably need to do some research into one of these:

a reply to: lavatrance

Just get a bike!

a reply to: 8675309jenny

this is a hypothetical. No one actually knows anything about engines. It's about the rational process on the best course of action so to speak.

I would fall into the Build the carburetor based car for personal use, play around with a second engine fuel injection for the three years to learn it then trade out the engines when I felt comfortable enough with Injection. Then when the Carburetor engine is sitting on the tree tune it better the the fuel injection one and swap back and forth like that working on the engine that is not in the vehicle.

There you go an Answer that gets both a working car and skills to move forward.

CoBaZ

I would fall into the Build the carburetor based car for personal use, play around with a second engine fuel injection for the three years to learn it then trade out the engines when I felt comfortable enough with Injection. Then when the Carburetor engine is sitting on the tree tune it better then the fuel injection one and swap back and forth like that working on the engine that is not in the vehicle.

There you go an Answer that gets both a working car and skills to move forward.

CoBaZ

I wouldn't deviate from something I know I could create versus something that I know nothing about, but I wouldn't abandon the idea. Instead I would build both types side by side. Seeing how I could do relate the two difference wise. That way I could have practise building an injection based car while I build something to show off my proficiency in the carb based engine. It all depends on how you are it.

In my own opinion I feel that people would not want to waste time trying something new, or not want to waste their time on it because they have so little time to spare for other things like wife n kids. But I'd you are the passionate type in your job you will build both types at the same time and see it through your tests and milestones.

I would go with the fuel injection, much better.

a reply to: Gothmog

When I was young I had a Plymouth 440mag Road Runner that got 20 gallons / mile.

Aaah, the old days. I had a 70 Duster - 440 w/ quads on a weiand tunnel ram. About 7 mpg. Thanks for the memories of being broke.

a reply to: GiulXainx

might be an idea