Carburetor VS Fuel Injection. Which is better?

Let’s dive head first into an age old debate. Is fuel injection better than carburetion? Before we get started on tackling this issue, let me first state that almost every gearhead has their own presuppositions and ideas about which system is better. Personally, I like components of both systems.

When it comes down to it, it’s all a matter of personal preference. At the end of the day, when you’re talking about power, one is really no better than the other is.

First, let’s discuss what these all important car parts are meant to do. Quite simply, they allow the fuel/air mixture that the engine needs to enter into the combustion chambers. Obviously, it goes into a bit more depth than that, but for the sake of ease and time, we’ll leave it to that.

So which is better? We’ll take a look at each in turn, first the carb:

Photo Credit: Mecum

The carburetor is an affordable piece. It is also relatively easy to install. Plus, when you consider that there is really nothing else needed besides a properly matched intake manifold, it gets even better. So, if you decide that you want two four barrel carbs on your big block engine, you’ll need to get an intake manifold designed for that setup.

Furthermore, while the same basic principles have remained the same since the inception of the carburetor, a lot of technological advancements have throttled both the economical side, as well as the performance side.

Now let’s take a look at fuel injection:

Photo Credit: Mecum

Fuel injection is really nothing new. For example, there were a series of fulie Corvettes that were put out in the 50s. Though, it is arguable that those injection systems were anything special, or even reliable.

However, fuel injection really started to be commonplace during the last couple of decades, and I want to say that it really started to gain traction right around the mid-1980s.

The main benefit of this intake system is precision. The computer aided fuel injection technology delivers the exact amount of fuel/air needed into the combustion chamber. So, it is a much more efficient system. Fuel injection is also slightly more reliable than a carbureted system is. Having said all of that, though, fuel injection can cost a lot more money, and takes a lot more tuning to get it working right.

So which is better?

When the two are compared, it seems like the no brainer is the injection. Truth be told, I love fuel injection. There’s almost no chance of flooding your engine with gasoline to prevent it from starting. You also don’t have to worry about proper adjustments (like I am right now with my truck). Once it’s tuned, you’re done. Unless you add a bigger cam or something like that.

You hear me say time and again, that if any given car was mine, I’d drop an LSX motor into it with a T56 transmission. But, I have to admit, I like doing things for cheap. For the price of an LSX, I could buy a big block and a couple of carbs and get much more power.

Photo Credit: Mecum

Which system do you prefer?