looking for truth about carbs..., do they really ruin your engine? Options

[pete914]

so,
i know a lot of people on here must be running carbs with stock a stock cam. everyone knows about Dr. 914's advice about putting a carb on your engine.
i've posted on here before that i'm thinking about moving my 1.8L to a FI setup from the POS carb that's on there now. reason being i don't want to ruin my engine as i need it to keep chugging (around 92k on there now) for another 3 years until i'm out of school. However, this is going to be quite an undertaking in that i will have to remove the gas tank, fuel lines, find wires that have been cut from the exit on the firewall, as well as install the FI system having zero experience.

right now (i'm a student spending my savings) i just want reliability. If i put a single (appropriate sized...what is the appropriate size?)carb on the car am i still risking wearing out my engine "twice as fast"? i feel like a single weber would be a plug and play option and allow me to save a little $ and a lot of time in the installation. again, performance is not my main goal here.
i have access to a garage and the full gambit of tools, ijust don't know if i want to spend the time and headache installing an FI system (although i do love working on the car). i feel like i might be getting in over my head especially because there isn't anyone in the immediate area to turn to if things head south.
thus far the work i've completed on the car is minimal:

adjusted valves
switched tranny mounts
switched alternator and harness
installed heating system

that's pretty much my experience, period.
whaddya think?

your opinions are appreciated.

[SLITS]

Unless the PO removed the lines, there should be no reason to change them, but the SS ones are real nice and safe.

What I have noticed on the '75 / '76 cars is that the fuel lines were no longer the clear plastic but the black plastic that appears to be like the high pressure lines used on CIS sixes. The consideration is that if the fuel pump is mounted in the front, the feed line to the injectors is under pressure. The return line sees little or no pressure.

Ok, to change over ...

1.) You would need an FI pump ... early styles (to '74) = expensive. Later style ('75-'76) are a bit more "reasonable".

2.) You would need the complete L-Jet setup (minus the emissions stuff hopefully depending upon the laws in your state). This means ... air filter assembly with vane air flow controller, fuel rails, injectors, pressure regulator, throttle body w/ throttle switch, throttle body mount, plenum, rubber vane airflow meter to throttle body hose, harness, resistor pack, brain, intake runners and correct distributor. There are no trigger points in L-Jet .... the brain is the injector timing device.

3.) All of it is bolt on and could be done in one day IF all the components are functional.

4.) L-Jet really hates vacuum leaks and won't run well if any exist.

If your carb is exhibitiing a high idle, it is either mal-adjusted or you have vacuum leaks somewhere (boots on runners, runner/head interface, carb mounting gasket, etc.

Others opinions may vary