360 block limits
This is a valid point, a lot of people do make mistakes with EFI because they make assumptions or don't research properly before they get hands on with the laptop. This is a very optimistic approach.
But bad tuning isn't really the fault of the system.
EFI is more complex than carburettors, but the upside is it has capabilities far beyond that of a carburetor as long as the tuner is on top of his game.
You may see a lot of EFI cars **** the bed. But with EFI There are specific active systems that can be implemented to avoid having your engine **** the bed
Even though these systems are usually routine for professionals, unfortunately very few amateurs or DIY guys take the time to set these systems up correctly because they consider them unnecessary.
If your wideband O2 sensor detects an unexpected lean condition it can dial back ignition timing in milliseconds. The same can be done with thermocouples to keep an eye on EGT.
With the addition of a fly by wire throttle body you can even set it up your desired parameters for cutting any combination of air, fuel and spark to any degree you choose
A coolant pressure sensor can immediately detect a spike in coolant pressure caused by a head gasket failure. Or a lack of pressure caused by a water pump failure which limits circulation.
Same goes for your trans fluid.
The cooling systems can also have fans dialed to run your trans fluid or engine coolant within a narrow temperature range for optimum performance and reliability.
If any of these go beyond normal operating range, you can catch the problem and fix it *before* your engine/trans lunches itself.
There's just so many things you can do with EFI that can make your parts survive when something small inevitably goes wrong.
Carbs are great at what they do, but there is a whole world of things they don't do at all.
All great points. I didn't wanna skew from the main topic of this thread (which is obviously to make fun of the rodent), but since you put effort into making good points, I feel like I can add to them.
I do have a Holley/Quick Fuel 850 "race" Brawler on my '71 Swinger, and I like having it there. That car is all old-school, and the carb helps paint the picture. Bench seat, big factory steering wheel, you know the deal. It's a ~500hp 360, nothing crazy, just nice. I've put hours into that carb, it has all screw-in restrictors and bleeds so it's "easy" to tune (easy in quotes because it's still a pain in the ***). I have a micro drill bit set, blanks, mic, and I drill my own restrictors. It idles clean and crisp, and behaves well under all scenarios... until the weather goes up or down 30 degrees lol.
However... I also have another vehicle that has 12:1 compression, AND receives up to about 40psi of boost, depending on what the track surface will take. Makes over twice the hp of the Dart. It runs well in any scenario, from hot to cold, low to high altitude, and can run on any mixture of alcohol and gasoline, thanks to the flex fuel sensor I added. Also gets decent mpg, and I run it primarily on E85, so it's cheap to run. I use most of the safety features Frosty mentioned. Completely tuned by me from day 1. If any part of the maps is not right, it takes seconds to fix it with the push of a couple buttons, no need to pull over, shut it off, open hood, get tools out, remove fuel bowl, blah blah blah. Oh, and did I mention it's my daily? THAT, is the beauty of EFI.
