Hey, I've always wondered what the big differneces, advantages and disadvantages of carberuratos and fuel injection. And mainly, witch is better?

My Opinion: Carburator, Because most fuel injection is a mist and carb isent. Plus 99.999999% of dragsters run carbs.

 

What do you mean by "fuel injection is a mist and carb isnt"? In order for the engine to run properly and have power, the fuel needs to be atomized. Fuel in the liquid form isnt extemely flamable, its the vapors that are. FI and Carb systems both achieve atomization of the fuel, however a MPFI system achieves that more efficiently.

My personal preference: Carb. Why? Because they are easy to work on, less parts to go wrong, and you dont have any of those damn sensors you do on a FI system.

Which is better? Fuel injection. One reason is what I stated above. Also, with those damn sensors, also mentioned above, can determine the exact amount of fuel needed and when. 99.9% of dragsters DO NOT run carbs anymore, more and more are turning to fuel injection, however you would be correct in saying that a majority of dragsters run carburetors.

A basic, non computer controlled carburetor system consists of a carburetor, a choke, and a mechanical fuel pump or an electric pump with a regulator running at 2-10 PSI.

A basic MPFI system includes a ECU/ECM/PCM, throttle position sensor, idle air control sensor, air intake temperature sensor, MAP/MAF sensor, fuel injectors, throttle body, knock sensor, oxygen sensors, and an electric fuel pump that must maintain a constant 35-50 PSI for the engine to run.

Carburetor cons: Carbs require constant adjustment with weather and elevation changes, which isnt hard for a mechanically inclined being. They are also harder to start and warm up in cold weather.

Fuel Injection cons: Sensors go bad, injectors clog, fuel pumps die, said computers fail. More parts=less reliabilty.

 

Well my friends dad whos a mechanic told me that So thats why i said it. And he seemed to know Alooooot about cars.

 

actuly c4maro is right. carbed cars gasoline drips into the engine and gets ingited by spark(most the time sparked by spark plugs) and i like fuel injection my because of beter acerlation. i love rippen donuts.

 

No no no... Nitro, i may be 15, but i know a thing or too, and im still learning. But your wrong, im not right, Jr.Mechanic is right.The injectors creat the mist shooting gas into the cylinder. Lol, it dosent just dripp into the cylinder from the intake mani, there would be no compression...And no.... Carburator can be just as good for acceleration as fuel injeaction or ( Multi port fuel injection ). But ya, Jr.mechanic your right, it was just because my friends dad told me that and he knows alot about cars, (hes got a preettty nice firebird and hes riped apart the block like 5 times and the cars worth atleast 30 grand) Thats the only reason i posted that statement. Hey, you gotta get your info someplace.

 

what does donuts have to do iwth this thread?

nothing "drips" in any setup. the carb has a pretty significant fuel pressure behind it. it still sprays, but it doesnt acheive the fine spray that a FI system does.
FI is better because the most power is created with a very precise air/fuel ratio. fuel injection can accomplish this with better precision

 

OK, you guys still need help clarifying the difference!
Yes, a carb "sprays" the fuel. But, that's not how the fuel gets into the cylinders. With a carb, when you hit the gas pedal, the accelerator pump on the carb gives an initial "squirt" of gas. The fuel supply from then on (unless you keep pumping the gas pedal frantically) gets "drawn" out of the carb and into the engine by cylinder vacuum. Basically, the pistons, through vacuum, are sucking in the gas it needs, and it is "metered" by the carb. A carb will work without the accelerator pump, but you'll have a terrible and unmanageable off-the-line bog.
By comparison, most modern fuel injection systems "injects" the fuel under high pressure, directly into the intake passages of the heads or intake manifold.

 

Ok thanks, So Camaro 69, Whats your opinion on witch is better? Or what you like more?

 

I don't know about 69, but I would favor fuel injection.... I used to hate it, but only because I didn't understand it. Now that I understand it better, I see all of the advantages and I prefer it over carburetor. On the other hand, carburetors ARE easier to work on. So, the easiest way to decide for yourself is to give both of them a shot. I don't mean necessarily pop a fuel injection system into your car, just drive an EFI car for a week or so and compare... that or find someone with and EFI motor and help them work on it or something to see if you think it's worth the trouble to get it on.

 

I like carburetors because that's what I grew up with. And you don't need to be a friggin computer scientist to make it work.
But FI gives better throttle response, and can give you better gas mileage. And when working properly, it can be less problematic. But when you have a FI related problem....refer to my first sentence!
I've worked on different FI systems, but still prefer a carb. With a carb runnability problem, you can pretty much put your finger on it right away.
So.....both are better in their own way. It's a matter of personal preference, and what you like to work on.