Rover V8

[adamnreeves]

I was wondering on the pros and cons of injection or carburation. I think injection has more power from the start and is more tweakable! But I was wondering about additional cost, complexity and the dreaded SVA and emissions. I am assuming that a pre 95 car even if fuel injected does not need stringent emissions. Also assuming that a catalyser is not required?

[Darren B]

Hi Adam,

Just so you've got a baseline for assesment, mine is a factory supplied kit.  The engine is injected on a standard ECU and runs a catalyst on each bank of the engine for emissions.

I wanted the more modern approach with injection and plan to upgrade induction, exhaust and ECU (megasquirt or emerald depending on how brave I feel) and like the idea of being able to map it to optimise what I have.

I always thought of carbs as a raw power experience as you get the power delivery for a specific tune (fixed carb jets) whereas a good map should give a good balance of power across the rev range.

I'm no tuning guru so I'm sure someone has a more qualified opinion.

Darren

[dern]

I was talking to Justin about this in the pub last night... I've got a carb sitting on top of mine and it's normally pretty good but as has been said it is a bit of a compromise and can't provide correct fuelling under all circumstances. Occasionally I'll be at 2000 rpm and accelerate and it'll hesitate for a fraction of a second and then launch which can be a bit unnerving and it's all been set up to be the best it can be quite recently (I'm told). It's not a massive issue but I'm pretty sure you can iron all these little things out with FI.

I'd love to rip the webber off, fit 2 sets of gsxr throttle bodies on and fit megasquirt partly but I think I'll do the megasquirt thing on the R1 engine on the locost first and then apply what I've learnt to the v8 because I don't want the v8 to be off the road any more than is strictly necessary.

Mark

[zoso]

Injection is allways going to be the better system, it just does what carbs can't.

However carbs work if looked after and properly set up and they are seen to be simpler and cheaper most of the time...  But only when they work!

Personally i'd allways go with injection, it's a better investment of your folding drinking vouchers....

[studbuckle]

WIsh I had more time to answer this

But briefly. A good carb setup with provide more power than the stadard Efi setup for the same engine. EFi will give ou better economy and driveability. A good Efi Setup, i.e. throttle bodies and not just the standard Land Rover plenum will get similar power figures to a good carb setup.

I plan to go from Weber 500 on Edelbrock performer manifold to a 4BBL throttle body on the same manifold run my megasquirt. This should see very similar power figures but improve the economy and driveability

[adamnreeves]

Thanks guys, I've decided; injection it is. More money upfront but cheaper to run! Where have I heard this before.

[easyRobin]

Good decision I think.

Two weeks ago I bought a Westfield SEiGHT with the 3.9L.

It's running on EFI and has really instant power regardless of RPM.

Still smiling every time I take it out..............

Cu, Robin.

[adamnreeves]

Good decision I think.

Two weeks ago I bought a Westfield SEiGHT with the 3.9L.

It's running on EFI and has really instant power regardless of RPM.

Still smiling every time I take it out..............

Cu, Robin.

Wow,  I cannot wait to have mine on the road. I luv the sound of a V8 engine. Does the addition of injection make it sound any less awesome than the original SD1 3500 V8 did?

[Barry Ashcroft]

Well I did the exact reverse this time and went from EFI on old car to a monster carb this time round have to say runs great over here but in the states 8000ft up I wished I had fuel injection and then when I only got 13mpg again wished I had fuel injection

So I will hopefully be upgrading to the Edelbrock pro flow fuel injection over the winter if the car ever gets back home  

I for one think it sounds alot better on the carb the suck of air is awesome but then my filter sticks out of the bonnet.

Ah the pacific what memories

Barry

[studbuckle]

So I will hopefully be upgrading to the Edelbrock pro flow fuel injection over the winter if the car ever gets back home  

Can't tempt you down the megasquirt route?

[groucher]

Hiya,

I've run both carbs (holley 4 barrel) and now 3.5 flapper type injection.

When i first built the car and engine, i had the holley 4 barrel carb fitted, but when the car was finally finished.....i spent 2years trying to fine tune it to work correctly.

Finally i bought a flapper type efi system.....and wow is that better than carbs....

But its your own decision about which is best.....if you want a more driveable car.....then fuel injection in my opinion is much better.

I remember with carbs...that i had to leave the engine to warm up thoroughly before driving it...otherwise it would pop, bang, fart.....till it was warm...

Now i just jump in start & drive....with no worries....plus i get 22mpg on a steady run....

There is loads of tuning for hotwire efi systems....look here for lots of info....

hope this helps

scott richmond

[bill shurvinton]

Barry: Hate to say this but the edelbrock EFI is pretty awful. You'd be much better off with one of the other aftermarket systems, unless your just round the corner engine tuner only does them.

I am looking forward to simon emptying some of his bank balance in my direction :-)

But to qualify a few things. For the same intake configuration EFI will always have the capability to give more power. Its the physics of it. It may only be 5 or 10% but you get more. Where EFI wins is that you can have you cake and eat it. With carb you are always trying to pick any 2 of drivability, power and fuel economy. Having said all that most carb'd cars are not well setup, generally due to the lack of good tuners in the UK.

And aurally carbs generally sound better. This is due to the venturi. With EFI you can never quite get that slurping gurgle just before warp drive engages.

[melf]

Hi

Just doing the conversion on my Rover 3.5 V8 my self, replacing the Carb with this

4 - Injector Throttle  body

and a MegaSquirt ECU.

Still in the build stage, will let you know how it ends up.

Any one else on here running a Meqasuirt in a SEiGHT ?

Melf

[Mike H]

Any one else on here running a Meqasuirt in a SEiGHT ?

Melf

It's on my list once my car is finished.  I'm going Lucas 14cux first then Megasquirt once SVA'd.

Mike

[studbuckle]

If I had a car in the UK then mine'd be done by now with that luverly 4bbl throttle body. Soon as it comes back i'm on with it