You're gonna get a million answers to this question and everybody will say their argument is right. My take on it, run what you want, but think about this: If something happens to the ecu, wiring, fuel pump or whatever, what are the odds there will be someone at the track with spare parts that might be willing to help you out? At least if you have carbs you have options and less likely to have issues. It's also been proven time and time again that PROPERLY tuned carbs can and will make more hp than even the best injection systems, but on the track the difference is pretty much a wash....

 

Your wrong. Why don't formula 1, indy run carb. Also trans am cars. Haven't found out how to inject fuel properly

 

Really? How about the ability to change the entire fuel curve during a race? How about fuel mileage management? Boost management? I can go on....

Fuel injection has it's place, and it's advancing all the time. No question there. But for what he's asking, is there any performance advantage? Not really. Several guys here run electronic fuel injection on their cars and guess what, other than costing about twice what carbs would have, they aren't any faster....

Why does F1, Indy, TransAm cars run it? Because they can and it has certain advantages for them. Also look at budget...F1 is constantly researching and developing their stuff, and they have budgets that run into the 100's of millions of dollars per year to work with..

For a 632 on nitrous, is it an advantage? Not really....it's not a bad choice, but it has drawbacks as well and the advantages will not likely outmeasure the cost...


How old are you anyway, 10? 12? I'm not wrong, just a different opinion.....Go ask mommy if you can get back online again.....

 

Here's my take. I race all motor and there is a decent mix between efi and carbs. they will all make around the same power when tuned right. The efi will be more adapting to weather conditions. How ever lots more stuff to fail on a efi system. Can be a big learning curve If you've never done it before but there is plenty of resources. I personally like carbs only reason being. If I have something go wrong it's typically mechanical and can be fixed within reason at the track. If you have efi and have a tps or a sensor go bad youre sometimes shit out of luck.

 

One more thing to think about. If fuel injection is so good, then why are some of the fastest cars in the world still running carbs???

 

And the "other" some of the fastest cars in the world are running what, fuel injection?

 

It comes down to personal preference. I have a carb car and an EFI car.

I hate it when either of em breaks down.

 

I did a set of carbs that went 6.46@203 in a Top Dragster in Orlando and Gainesville divisional races recently. Carbs get my vote.

 

The fastest Nitrous cars run fuel injection. Think Musi power. Poster is talking about Nitrous setups, not NA, not turbo, not blower.

And the new engine management systems have infinite adjustments, sometimes too many.

Also, if you need more fuel it is just change injectors

 

The very fastest cars are mechanically injected and blown on Nitro...

EFI will get you to the track when it's installed by Detroit. But Holley Carbs get you down the strip.
If a carb were to break, another entire carb can be had in the storage cabinet. If an EFI were to break, which part was it? ECU, A sensor etc?

 

Next thing you know, somebody's gonna ask why Top Fuelers aren't running Dominators, if they're so damn good....:smt119

How about this...start with a carb setup on that 632; it'll be relatively inexpensive (and simple) compared to EFI, and get the car sorted out and consistent FIRST. Then learn all you can about EFI or get with someone who already knows - or maybe you already do - and try it. Run with the system that works best for you....if that's EFI, you can always dispose of your carb setup and get most, if not all, of your investment back.

If you don't like the EFI, sell it all to one of these people who claim that if it weren't the best, they wouldn't use it in F1.

 

Ask those F1 owners how much the EFI systems they use cost... The NASCAR processor alone is well into the 5 figure range...

 

When you factor in data logging that most EFI's do now, its the cheaper way to go vs Carb and racepak.

 

I've run EFI on our T/S N2O car since 1999. When you first start you have to have someone knowledgeable start you with a good safe baseline tune. After you get comfortable with the system you can refine from there. The fuel system plumbing is simpler with the EFI as all the N2O enrichment is done through the injectors and is controlled by the ECU. The fuel control is also better with the EFI. The ability to adjust the system with the laptop is cool. An ECU with a data recorder incorporated makes diagnosing the system easy if there's a sensor failure. There are downsides though. Initial cost and you have to be self sufficient at the track. We carry all spare sensors and if the ECU fails (rare) it's in the trailer. All that being said I'm not sure I'd do it again. The learning curve was steep.

 

Here's my 2 cents, if you afford a 632, you can afford EFI

 

I've run both on the same motor(340 N/A), both on the dyno and at the track. The EFI made 15-17 less HP average than carbs on the dyno, but was as quick if not quicker on the track. The ability to adjust and tune the fuel and spark curves at multiple points is a huge advantage over carbs IMO. And we haven't even really dug into the EFI as far as tuning yet(injector phase, etc).

 

I have seen the same exact thing with a good SBC.

 

IS THIS EVEN DEBATABLE? ...

 

They should let Pro Stock run either one.....pretty sure one of them would be faster....then the debate would be over....

 

Makes as much sense as anything else in here.

For years I've heard NHRA is reluctant to allow EFI in Pro Stock because they're afraid the teams will turn the ECU into a traction control device. No idea if there's any validity to that or not.

 

An engine is just an air pump. The more fuel you can burn in a given engine, generally the more air you can pump/power you can make.

There are advantages to both. When someone says the same engine on the same dyno will make more HP with a carb than it will with a EFI set up may not understand why if all things are equal. It has to do with the cooling effect. Put the injectors near the top of the intake runner then that advantage tends to go away.

EFI is easier to equalize the cylinders in relation to O2 readings than most carb set ups. It is virtually impossible to over scavenge an EFI set up, but this can be an issue with carbs.

EFI systems are more complex and can have more things go wrong with them, but I cannot think of a single time I have been at a track when something went wrong with my EFI system. They are pretty reliable. I have had more issues with ignition systems and E-shifts than anything else. That would have been the same with a carb set up.

About the only time I have heard of someone really forking up their ECU is when they were using a 16 volt system and left the ECU turned on while connected to the battery charger. The ECU's don't like super high voltages in the 20 volt range.

 

fugg both of them, on a budget, 632, ron's on alky. Mech-FI all day for the fastest- cheapest.. period..

 

It all evens out in the end.
The one thing that stands out in my head is why is there more and more efi cars showing up at race tracks ?

 

ive had a carb 565 with nos and ive had a 615 with efi and nos... i prefer efi.... big learning curve... took me about 1 full season to sort things out and fix wiring trouble, but it was worth it.

cleaner install and simpler to make changes too.

 

I didn't want to start a new thread on what I'm sure is an beat to death topic, so I jumped onto this old one from 2015, just because the title came up when I searched.

BBC, runs great with my 850 double pumper. I have only two issues, and they may both be due to my not knowing how to adjust a carb.

1. Erratic idle. I set the idle, it works great, I drive somewhere, and it's too low. I adjust it, and drive it more, it's too high. This is constant, but worse if I start on a cold morning and it gets warmer.

2. The Holley 850 I have was professionally built, and the guy that built it milled off all of the provisions for a choke. The damn thing won't idle until the block hits 160 degrees no matter the outside air temp.

I live in New England, and to be blunt, I am fucking sick of this. I have always been under the impression that if I had EFI, all my problems would be solved. But all the people I know that run built big blocks run carbs. Mostly because all my friends are cheap pricks. I'm not trying to be the fastest guy at the track, I think that ship has sailed, I just want to be able to move my car without waiting 15 minutes for it to warm up, and without the damn thing backfiring and popping 12 power valves per summer, and I'm willing to spend $1500 on EFI to achieve that if it will help

 

I didn't want to start a new thread on what I'm sure is an beat to death topic, so I jumped onto this old one from 2015, just because the title came up when I searched.

BBC, runs great with my 850 double pumper. I have only two issues, and they may both be due to my not knowing how to adjust a carb.

1. Erratic idle. I set the idle, it works great, I drive somewhere, and it's too low. I adjust it, and drive it more, it's too high. This is constant, but worse if I start on a cold morning and it gets warmer.

2. The Holley 850 I have was professionally built, and the guy that built it milled off all of the provisions for a choke. The damn thing won't idle until the block hits 160 degrees no matter the outside air temp.

I live in New England, and to be blunt, I am fucking sick of this. I have always been under the impression that if I had EFI, all my problems would be solved. But all the people I know that run built big blocks run carbs. Mostly because all my friends are cheap pricks. I'm not trying to be the fastest guy at the track, I think that ship has sailed, I just want to be able to move my car without waiting 15 minutes for it to warm up, and without the damn thing backfiring and popping 12 power valves per summer, and I'm willing to spend $1500 on EFI to achieve that if it will help

I'll try to assist. I'm a tuner of the Holley Fuel Injection Systems. Mainly Drag race Only cars. I get into a street ride occasionally, but not much. Most of my cars are Stock and Super Stock cars. If all your after is drivability and cold start issues, I think you need a true carb specialist to help set you up in the right carb and help you figure out why you hate what you have.. There are shit loads of people on this forum that have great carbs that do not act like yours. Seek them out. Start a new thread lookin for what you're looking for in a Carb Specialist and builder. It might not "just" be your carburetor. Timing or spark issues will make your problem worse. But maybe you already been through all of that...
For starters, 1500 wont get you there with FI. You want to stay away from the Snipers. Yes their cheaper but have shit loads of crazy RFI issues because the ECU is inside one of the float bowls. You would want something like a Holley Terminator Stealth. That's a nice (4150) piece that will idle nice when 1000-1200 rpm no matter what temperature your at. They are 950 CFM, good for around 700 HP. If your ride is more HP than that they make a 4500 series. BUT, your gonna spend every bit of 3 grand by the time its installed and Tuned..Holley says you can easily tune these things yourself, but if your car has a radical camshaft and limited over the road time (like a race car) a true tuner will keep you from pulling your hair out, and that's what you're trying to get away from.Actually my choice is a true Multi Port Fuel Injection (MPFI) which is the traditional FI set up. They are HP's and Dominators. The Holley HP's and Dominators have the capability to use a much better 02 sensor. Your stuck with a Bosch on the carb based units, where on the MPFI units you can step up to a NKG, which does remarkably well with leaded racing gas or even methanol. The Boshes have a habit of not liking leaded fuel and fail quite frequently. If a MPFI unit is chosen you would have to buy a specific intake manifold or drill yours for the injectors. Then a throttle body, FI specific fuel system, installation of a mammoth amount of wiring, and some help from a tuner to get you quickly up and running to your desire..
(If you actually want someone to tune your FI after YOU install it, I can help. I do them remotely, although if your close I'll drive to your location as it's easier and quicker if I'm actually on site).
Hope this helps ..
Jeff Niceswanger

 

biggest advantage to carbs-cheaper and easier for average tuners and racers.
fuel injection- more expensive must be computer saavy, but ability to fine tune an engine to near perfection.

 

I agree with that assessment for NA. Carbs vs EFI is like a butcher with a cleaver compared to a surgeon with a scalpel. A butcher does fine whacking at pieces of meat, it makes a mess but tastes just fine. If you need (or want) precision, then a surgeon with the right tools is needed.

With power adders the game changes. If you want to make some real power and keep it running well, EFI is the best option.