EFI is it really worth the trouble and the money?

[torqueaddict]

Can you use a boost with a carb or do you have to go efi?

[Cooter]

Can you use a boost with a carb or do you have to go efi?

Yeah, but you will need one of them new fangled $1000.00 Holley's set up for Boost, called a "Blow through" carb...

[torqueaddict]

So if I plan on adding boost to this motor EFI might be more cost effective then?

[HP2]

Quick Fuel makes blow through carbs for around $800. Another option is to put a standard carb in a pressurized box. I think Vortec makes those for around $200.

As far as better mileage and power, how is your carb tuning ability? If you can tune a carb properly or are willing to spend some time on a chassis dyno to dial it in, then the carb won't give up much, if anything, in the way of power or mileage. I think PHR recently did this exact test on an engine and the two were so close as to be practically identical. If you are tuning the carb by guessing, then then a properly mapped efi will kick its butt, plus the efi can better adapt to changing conditions and better manage a wider range of change which will improve driveability.

[the_engineers]

As far as better mileage and power, how is your carb tuning ability? If you can tune a carb properly or are willing to spend some time on a chassis dyno to dial it in, then the carb won't give up much, if anything, in the way of power or mileage. I think PHR recently did this exact test on an engine and the two were so close as to be practically identical. If you are tuning the carb by guessing, then then a properly mapped efi will kick its butt, plus the efi can better adapt to changing conditions and better manage a wider range of change which will improve driveability.

EFI's ability to provide the same (or similar) results in varying conditions is huge.  To have a carb keep up with EFI consistently, I would think that you'd need to do a full tune at least every 6 weeks, if not more frequently.

[DJVCuda]

IF you have a Fuel Inj. unit on a engine with a huge cam, it is gonna load the cylinders down just like a carb would..

I can tell you with 100% certainty that you are incorrect.

here is my proof:

BEFORE: dual 390 cfm holley's on a t-ram - notice the heater hose shake

 

here it is afterwards - 2000 CFM of EZ EFI
 
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDmvMLKKPQM

I gained 21 hp over the holley's and tons of drivability, it starts the first time = every time without touching the pedals and it got me 16 mpg driving 65 mph w/ 3.23 gears

[Cooter]

Nothing's 100%....

[DJVCuda]

the difference in idle quality was  - lol

[500Stroker]

Cold starts is a 200% difference.

[DJVCuda]

some light reading material ...

http://editions.amospublishing.com/KRPR/Default.aspx?d=20110101&pagenum=117

http://editions.amospublishing.com/KRPR/Default.aspx?d=20110201&pagenum=115

[Roppa440]

In a good EFI system you can tune the mixture in each cylinder to perfection and the computer will adjust that perfect mixture under different driving conditions as it is always monitoring and adjusting. Coupled with computer controled timing advance it HAS to be better than an induction system designed 100 years ago.

Having said that....if you tune a carb well you can get pretty close. Carbs are not as good but if all you are interested in is power they can get pretty close to what EFI can give you. You will never quite get the same mileage and throttle response though and if you were paying half what we here in the UK pay for fuel you would be looking for every single MPG you can get.

[DJVCuda]

cabs can get you close -  yes, and no -

carbs can get you close for that moment, yes, if you are driving in drastic temperature, or elevation changes then no it will not be close any more since the carb is set at one point in time, - EFI will adjust several thousand times per second taking into account, air temp, pressure ( elevation changes) barometric changes,  - the list goes on and on!

[Cooter]

As stated, the biggest kicker for me would have to be the cost of F.I.
I can probably buy the entire top end to a 440  with aluminum heads and maybe a camshaft for what that tunnel ram set up cost you...Somebody here show me a homebuilt, junkyard set up, that the average Joe could build with limited funds...Not nessesarily tunable, but runable....And here again, the main thing is CHEAP..I think more of us "old skoolers" would "go green" if there was a Fuel Inj. system that was comparable in cost to a carb set up...

[DJVCuda]

if you are starting from scratch your not that far off if you use quality parts - some holley's are over a grand ya know. the EZ system is on ebay for 1300

 

[GoodysGotaCuda]

If money wasn't a factory, I'd be EFI in a heartbeat...