I have a coupla questions for anyone who can answer them.
1) how much more Hp do you get with EFI vs a carb setup?
2) would a hopped up EFI 302 put in the same car as a hopped up carbed 351w do 0-60 faster? (same car different engines)
3) does EFI help more with fuel economy than performance? or does it help with both?
4) Which system is more reliable, and (for someone who knows how to work on it) easier to tune?
What a question,I generally favor more cubes and fuel injection over carbs.But flat out there are some carbs out there that will honk.I actually loved the old 471cfm Autolite 4bbl(simple and worked great-even on other engines)
Really I can only give a fair opinion on 3.helps both.4.Fuel injection-Kevin
See Kevin’s comments. It’s not simple - super-high output motors, with lots of cam overlap, can have trouble with EFI, so it really depends on your specific application. For all but those, I’d prefer EFI for better drivability and (with the right equipment and skills) easier tuning.
There’s not a set answer for your question. All things equal, a carbed 351 will usually put out a few more horses than an FI one.
A 302 can outrun a 351 but again, that all depends.
The EFI setup will provide better fuel economy and generally make the car more pleasant as it does away with things like chokes, fast idle, hanging linkage, etc.
The downside is that it’s more costly to keep up.
Depending on the year of the engine and camshaft profile, some FI systems won’t handle the cam profile.
The earlier FI systems were Speed Density and a mild performance cam may cause the engine to run rich. In a case like this one has to convert to a MAF (Mass Air Flow) system.
That being said, I think the earlier Ford FI system is pretty simple and reliable actually. Hope that helps.
Is this car going to have to meet any emission test requirements? The main advantage of EFI is more precise fuel delivery which makes it possible to meet more stringent pollution levels than a carb can achieve. As far as power is concerned a good 4 bbl or 2 4bbls can get you all the power you need. There is no real advantage to fuel injection as far a power is concerned.
If you don’t need to pass emission tests you can likely get more performance with less dollars spent with carb and a good intake manifold.
As for fuel economy the EFI is better.
Reliable, carbs are easier to work on for the average mechanic.
Can’t tell which would be faster, 302 w EFI, or 351 w a carb. My guess would be the 351 would win the drag race, the 302 would be more fuel efficient and smoother in normal driving, the 351 will sound better on full throttle.
If you want performance go with 351 and a big 4 bbl. If you want fuel economy and decent performance go for the 302 w EFI. If you have to meet a pollution test it depends on the age of the car. The older the car the lower the bar to meet pollution standards.
The 351 Windsor had a lot more power than the 302 and a two barrel Holley carb will probably be enough for the 351 to beat any injected 302 if the other factors are equal. The 302 doesn’t have a long enough stroke to really deliver the power. A 71 LTD with a Windsor had shocking amounts of power.