To carburate OR to not carburate Options

[sixaddict]

Restoring a 70 which will have a 76 2 liter. Currently has factory injection but guy who will be building engine for me is anti injection. I know this becomes personal decision but could use some input on pro/cons. Cost is a concern but so is practicality and performance.
Words of wisdom please.
Merry and Happy to all!

[Root_Werks]

Move to carbs will devalue your 914. If your mech doesn't like FI, most likely because he/she doesn't understand FI.

It's your car, do what YOU want, not what the mech wants.

[--axel--]

I'm with Root. Don't change to carbs would be my vote. They were FI for a reason.

[914Mels]

Unless you're building a race motor, I'd keep the injection, especially if it is in good working order. Had two different carb set ups over the years, went back to injection.

[mlindner]

I'd say they're all correct about FI. BUT i had dual Webbers on my bored 1.8 with a cam and had great fun for over 10 yrs. Now the 914-6 GT Tribute is a 2.2 E with S pistons and DC 30 cams with 40PMO's. Lots of power and fun to drive.

[Sycolyst]

Current motor (2056) is dual carb (Webber IDF 40's) and is reliable, runs well. Having said that....if you have a choice stick with fuel injection.

[lesorubcheek]

Our 914 had dual Webers when we got it back in 1980. It also had a non-factory camshaft from the previous owner which was likely the reason for the carbs. It had plenty of pep, especially in the mid range and can't say I ever missed the original FI. The carbs were easy to service and the engine always ran well.

Gotta ask what's the highest priority... resale value, upfront investment, ease of maintenance, power, originality, getting it running asap, etc.... ?

Since the 2.0 engine isn't original for the year of the car anyway, not sure if carbs would really hurt value. If it was a numbers matching engine for the car, maybe, but since this isn't the case, just doesn't seem as important.

Sounds like upfront costs may be more going FI, if nothing else from the labor side. No idea what parts may be needed for it to run correctly, but if the mechanic isn't comfortable working with the FI, that's a bad sign. He may never be able to get it running correctly with the FI.

If you want a performance boost that requires a different cam profile then carbs are a no-brainer. There's always the option of various aftermarket FIs, but that's another can of worms.

Real thing is to do what you feel is right. If you keep the FI components, you could always try to revert at a later time if you decide on carbs now, so it's not a decision that couldn't be changed.

Dan

[914Sixer]

I am FI guy,now that said ,run the 76 injection. Get all the smog stuff of the engine, plug the ports. Run a Elgin 330-1 performance cam for fuel injection. Bump to 96mm to make it a 2056.

[930cabman]

I am presently building a 2056 with an Elgin cam (266). It will have 44IDF Webers. While I am not 100% opposed to the stock Bosch FI, the fussiness of it all is just a PITA. Also, I am an old cranky guy

[Ansbacher]

Pros for FI:

Retains originality and value.
Turnkey starts and great performance.
Better fuel economy.
Quieter engine and smoother ride overall.

Cons for FI:

Difficult to troubleshoot.
Many of the available parts are ancient.
Relies on worn out wiring very often.
Your engine bay is a jungle of tubes and hoses interfering with other maintenance.
Parts, when available are expensive.
Failures can leave you stranded on the road.

Pros for Carbs:

Easy to tune and repair.
Parts are available and cheap.
No electrics or electronics to worry about.
Engine bay is clean and open, easier to work on other things.
Failures can be usually be fixed on the road.

Cons for Carbs:

Originality and value suffers (but as time goes by, less and less).
Cold starts can be tricky.
Poor fuel economy (+ you should burn non-ethanol fuel).
Engine is a bit louder (some owners like that).

Hope this helps your decision making.

Ansbacher

[930cabman]

Pros for FI:

Retains originality and value.
Turnkey starts and great performance.
Better fuel economy.
Quieter engine and smoother ride overall.

Cons for FI:

Difficult to troubleshoot.
Many of the available parts are ancient.
Relies on worn out wiring very often.
Your engine bay is a jungle of tubes and hoses interfering with other maintenance.
Parts, when available are expensive.
Failures can leave you stranded on the road.

Pros for Carbs:

Easy to tune and repair.
Parts are available and cheap.
No electrics or electronics to worry about.
Engine bay is clean and open, easier to work on other things.
Failures can be usually be fixed on the road.

Cons for Carbs:

Originality and value suffers (but as time goes by, less and less).
Cold starts can be tricky.
Poor fuel economy (+ you should burn non-ethanol fuel).
Engine is a bit louder (some owners like that).

Hope this helps your decision making.

Ansbacher

Well said, thank you

[nivekdodge]

one thing that will tell you about FI. People will want to buy it off you.

[bkrantz]

What do you and/or your mechanic want to spend time fooling with? IMO if the stock FI runs then you can probably keep it running (and maybe running well) with a minimum of effort and time. If the system is not running, then it can become a time and money pit--one that you really have to be ready to dive deep into the design of the system and trouble-shooting components.

Installing carbs will almost certainly get it running--but getting it running well will also require time and effort.

Which technology do you want to invest in?

[rjames]

If keeping the stock displacement, get a mechanic who isn’t afraid of the FI.

[914_teener]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

[Steve]

Pros for FI:

Retains originality and value.
Turnkey starts and great performance.
Better fuel economy.
Quieter engine and smoother ride overall.

Cons for FI:

Difficult to troubleshoot.
Many of the available parts are ancient.
Relies on worn out wiring very often.
Your engine bay is a jungle of tubes and hoses interfering with other maintenance.
Parts, when available are expensive.
Failures can leave you stranded on the road.

Pros for Carbs:

Easy to tune and repair.
Parts are available and cheap.
No electrics or electronics to worry about.
Engine bay is clean and open, easier to work on other things.
Failures can be usually be fixed on the road.

Cons for Carbs:

Originality and value suffers (but as time goes by, less and less).
Cold starts can be tricky.
Poor fuel economy (+ you should burn non-ethanol fuel).
Engine is a bit louder (some owners like that).

Hope this helps your decision making.

Ansbacher

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)
I had carbs on my 4 and on my 2.7 six. They never left me stranded, my 3.2 injection has. The DME injection is not as complicated as the older 4 banger injection. I later mastered the DME 3.2 injection and would never put carbs on a 3.2 or 3.6 motor.
Another question.. do you work on your own car or rely on a mechanic? Injection is better, but if you work on your own car, carbs are easier to understand and maintain. Some locals have injection and have spare parts and know how to troubleshoot it. It’s another hobby for them.
Injection is better, but you can always keep the injection in a box and either convert it back or sell it later with the car, if you decide to sell it.

[Mikey914]

Does your mechanic want to crack the case to put a cam suited for carbs?
If so take advantage of going to a 2056. You will still have to clean it all up and “build” the engine. New bearings, seals etc. this will cost no less than 2k most likely significantly more and have more down time.

As pointed out stock F/I is dependable and will keep the value of your car for resale higher ( at least in my opinion).

You can do a lot with 2K, and will be on the road faster.

Mark

[sb914]

Injection is nice.
But I’d rather be blown.
Sorry I can’t help myself.. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/poke.gif)

[sixaddict]

Great help......and as expected many angles to this.....
Thank you! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[iankarr]

In addition to @ansbacher 's list and the other great advice you've already been given, I'd add:

Carb Pros:
Can wake up the engine with lots more power for not a lot of dough
Great note / sound

Carb Cons:
Keeping them in synch can be fiddly, depending on your linkage and other factors.
May need to re-jet for changes in altitude