efi vs carbureted

EcHo · #1 (**permalink**) 10-26-2006, 05:48 AM

looking at an 84 and 85 toyota truck to buy for offroading but was wondering what exactly are the pros and cons when it comes to efi vs a carbureted engine..... i was planning on probably just dropping another 22r/22re engine in there... is it that hard/expensive to convert a carbureted 22r 84 truck to a fuel injected 22re or vice versa? the only difference between a 22r and 22re is just that one is carbureted and the other has efi correct?

Bowtie3 · #2 (**permalink**) 10-26-2006, 10:42 AM

Get the EFI it will save you money in the long run. You can swap or get EFI kits but you will be much happier with a EFI truck to start with. When I started my project that was the top of my list. The carbureted trucks do not do well in off camber situaitons. They can be....but you'll be happiest with EFI.

TwinStop · #3 (**permalink**) 10-26-2006, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bowtie3

Get the EFI it will save you money in the long run. You can swap or get EFI kits but you will be much happier with a EFI truck to start with. When I started my project that was the top of my list. The carbureted trucks do not do well in off camber situaitons. They can be....but you'll be happiest with EFI.

What he said. And you'll be happier with the performance of the EFI.

Rcross · #4 (**permalink**) 12-14-2006, 11:30 AM

Yes for offroad I'll swear by the EFI on my 91, a friend in his 85 (carb) and another friend with his J-10 (also carb) wheel quite alot and between their trucks stalling while off kilter or worse (the J10 had a nice fire in the intake once) the EFI just keeps the3.0 purring right alot (well as much as the 3.0 would purr)

jayotto4 · #5 (**permalink**) 04-06-2007, 03:02 PM

Yes EFI. Not hard to swap from on to the other you I think you just need the whole intake manifold for the corect bolt locations and such.

dsrtrcr01 · #6 (**permalink**) 04-12-2007, 10:01 AM

EFI. Carb will cut out over serious bumps. I have had both

rambrush · #7 (**permalink**) 04-16-2007, 06:32 PM

EFI !!!!
As posted off camber = no good

Hangin on a steep slope, sand dune and the carb bowl is floodin over and won't start. Not a great place to back er back down.

EFI's the way to fly

Kempspdr · #8 (**permalink**) 03-25-2008, 04:46 PM

From my experience (more mud than rocks) I always loved the carburator better. Until i found the snorkle. My only drawback with EFI was once the air filter gets wet she won't run good if at all. Just so you know if your in deep water or the rice fields in Arkansas, get a snorkle kit.

rx7vert · #9 (**permalink**) 03-25-2008, 09:46 PM

EFI is definitely the way to go, and this is coming from a guy running a carb. And swapping is not all that easy. You have to have an EFI fuel tank, all the wiring, the ecu, and all the intake goodies, plus a few other odds and ends.

I'm planning on converting my carb truck to run on propane after I get my new motor built.

Either way, you can't go wrong with any of the old solid axle trucks. Mines an 82, and i wouldn't trade it for anything.

kathyricks · #10 (**permalink**) 03-25-2008, 10:23 PM

Carburetor for me. Carburetor = mechanical control = you can usually find a way to limp home if something goes wrong. Or you can just carry a spare carburetor with you and swap the carbs while on the trail if something goes wrong. Carbureted Toyota also have an easily accessible fuel pump in case that goes bad in the boonies.

EFI = electronic control = you're stranded if the slightest thing goes wrong with any of the electronics or sensors = your dead if you break down in the desert in the summer. It's totally impractical and prohibitively expensive to carry spare EFI electronics and sensors. EFI fuel pump is inside the gas tank so you can't replace it if it fails in the boonies.

The power gain with EFI is marginal and there is no fuel economy gain.

rx7vert · #11 (**permalink**) 03-26-2008, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kathyricks

Carburetor for me. Carburetor = mechanical control = you can usually find a way to limp home if something goes wrong. Or you can just carry a spare carburetor with you and swap the carbs while on the trail if something goes wrong. Carbureted Toyota also have an easily accessible fuel pump in case that goes bad in the boonies.

EFI = electronic control = you're stranded if the slightest thing goes wrong with any of the electronics or sensors = your dead if you break down in the desert in the summer. It's totally impractical and prohibitively expensive to carry spare EFI electronics and sensors. EFI fuel pump is inside the gas tank so you can't replace it if it fails in the boonies.

The power gain with EFI is marginal and there is no fuel economy gain.

That is true. Servicing a carb is much easier than EFI, but the toyota EFI system is pretty reliable. As long as you make sure all the wires are shielded pretty well, and can't get wet and short, you shouldn't run into many problems.

One way to get around the carb problems (mainly running on a steep slope) is to go aftermarket. You can get a 350 holley or a 36/38 weber and get better off kilter performance.

Or you can go propane and have a truck that will run upside down and backwards and ever other way.

kathyricks · #12 (**permalink**) 03-26-2008, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rx7vert

One way to get around the carb problems (mainly running on a steep slope) is to go aftermarket. You can get a 350 holley or a 36/38 weber and get better off kilter performance.

Then carburetor reliability really goes out the window. Holley & Weber can't begin to match the 20+ year bulletproof reliability of a Toyota carburetor. Holleys & Webers are made with floats that become saturated with gasoline, with power valves that stick in the open position causing a rich mixture, needle valves that stop sealing and cause the carb fuel bowl to overflow, accelerator pump leathers that deteriorate and accelerator pump rubber bellows that crack in as little as 6 months causing hesitation upon acceleration.

rx7vert · #13 (**permalink**) 03-26-2008, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kathyricks

Then carburetor reliability really goes out the window. Holley & Weber can't begin to match the 20+ year bulletproof reliability of a Toyota carburetor. Holleys & Webers are made with floats that become saturated with gasoline, with power valves that stick in the open position causing a rich mixture, needle valves that stop sealing and cause the carb fuel bowl to overflow, accelerator pump leathers that deteriorate and accelerator pump rubber bellows that crack in as little as 6 months causing hesitation upon acceleration.

I'd agree with you on the holley, but beg to differ on the weber. i have always had very good luck out of the webers I've had in the past. My 1st yota had a weber on it from the previous owner. It had been on the truck for about 6 years before I got it, it then sat for 2 years with a dead transmission. I got it, put a new tranny in it, fired it right up and drove it for another 4 years without ever touching the carb. Never had a single problem out of it. I also had an old AE86 yota running a weber, no problems out of it either.

Now with the holleys, thats a different story. I am pretty good at blowing pieces out of holleys. I have had a couple, but none on a 4 cylinder. i had twin 650's on my 460ci 72 mustang, and had the carbs apart about as often as I changed the oil. My old '66 240ci inline 6 f-250 truck had a 450 holley on it, and i also had nothing but trouble out of it.

I might have just been lucky with the webers, but they are definitely my #1 choice for the 22r if i'm going to run gas in it.