Another "Is Fuel Injection a Worthwhile Upgrade?" Question

70chall440 said
Good question actually. I grew up on carbs as many members here did. Not to date myself but I started working on cars at about 75 or so. I learned how to work on carbs in auto tech in HS and was very good with Thermoquads as even then I was a Mopar guy. I agree that many carb problems are not actually carb problems, just like many EFI issues are not all EFI related (many times its a power thing or lack there of). As to learning EFI, I am far from an expert but what I have learned I did in a much shorter time frame than with carbs; perhaps a more accurate statement is that I have far more experience with carbs than with EFI.

The thing that got me to EFI was really related more to my laziness when it comes to starting and driving my classic cars which I don't very often. I had a carbureted 6 pack on my 70 challenger which was a ***** to get running after sitting for any length of time. I rebuild the carbs probably 3-6 times, i/we could get it running ok but again, if it sat for say a month it is back to priming and tuning. I put an EFI 6 pack system on the car (with a hall effect distributor, MSD and bigger alternator). I can now let the car sit for months, go out and it fires right up, idles and has amazing throttle response. Oh and power is noticeably better.

Then there is my 52 Dodge PU with a 56 Desoto 330 Hemi. I put a brand new Holley 600 on it and at first it ran great. I let it sit for 3 months, went out and got it running and drove it about 1/2 mile and it started sputtering and spitting, limped it home and beat on the float bowels and got it to clear up, then I ripped off the carb and replaced it with a Fitech system. As with the Challenger, it starts immediately, idles smooth and runs fantastic.

Now, I am not saying that the EFI was "all that' but it definitely works for me. I like being able to tune it with a laptop and that the more I drive them the better they run. Sure, one of the ECUs could die and i would be screwed but that is the case with many thing (fuel pump, coil, BR, etc).

I have 3 Harleys; 2 are newer bikes with EFI and I can go out and start them right now, but my 78 FX still has a carb and I know I'd have to take it off and rebuild it in order to get that bike to even think of running. This bike has been sitting for a number of years and this might still be the case with an EFI system but I would a lot more confidence in that if it had it (currently a hardtail frame so I am not in a real hurry to ride it anyway, so its garage art at the moment).

I am building a 71 Charger, it will have a 5.7 obviously with EFI. My 70 RR will have a 66 426 GII Hemi and it will be EFI. My 68 Cuda (if I do it) will probably have a 5.7 and EFI.

Again, not a carb hater, I know they make power and can be reliable (were used for many many years) but for me personally, EFI is the way to fly.

LOL...had to laugh at the power comment because that is a FACT. The other issue with electronics of ANY type is the grounds. People just don’t ground stuff correctly and your hair will fall out chasing down crap only to find out the ground(s) are horrible.

I remember the last year Mark Pawuk had his Pro Stock car. Back then, the PS us would stop at Woodburn between the Sonoma and Seattle Nationals. It was a two day deal with Tuesday a test day and Wednesday had a Chicago style shoot out. Awesome show but the test day was the best.

Anyway, Pawuk wasn’t there, so his crew chief was driving the car. They had picked up a slight miss (I could hear it even in the burnout) and they couldn’t find it.

So all Tuesday I hung out at their trailer, bench racing the guy and watching them work. They busted their asses all day and by the last pass of the day they thought they found it. The found two wires had chaffed each other. Wasn’t it.

The next morning when I get there they are already in the staging lanes so I run up to see the pass, and they laid down a perfect run, no miss.

I ran back to my truck so I could get my pit bike so I didn’t have to walk all day, and rode over to the trailer. They were all smiles and I asked what the hell they found. He said we didn’t find anything. Walk around behind the trailer and look.

They had stripped every wire off the car. All of it and it was there in a pile. The ignition box was on the bench marked questionable.

I said WFT??? And he said it was do that or give up because everything else was changed. He figured there was a broken wire inside the insulation or something. But it was a nightmare.

I’ll never forget that.