Perhaps you shouldn’t install a carburetor on a fuel-injected car
If your car has a fuel injection system, then you own a more modern vehicle, and installing a carburetor will take you one step back in the evolution of cars. Of course, the carburetor system also has its advantages, but they are rather fragile. Moreover, the quality of current gasoline is designed specifically for fuel injection. Let's look at certain disadvantages of replacing an injector with a carburetor:
- if you decide to carry out such a process, your car may begin to consume more gasoline;
- the carburetor risks reducing the car’s power by 5-7 percent of its original potential;
- the unit can be configured exclusively for direct injection, some of the fuel can fly out into the pipe;
- you will have to abandon the use of normal fuel filters, placing cheap barrels under the hood;
- You will also have to spend a lot - buying a carburetor, as well as other spare parts for the implementation of the process, will cost a lot of money.
In terms of maintenance, carburetors are no cheaper or easier than injectors. Today, cleaning the injector system nozzles is inexpensive, since every service station has special equipment to perform these tasks. You may think of an injector as an inefficient, delicate, and over-designed component in your car, but the global auto industry doesn't think so. This unit saves fuel and allows you to slightly increase the engine potential
What are the advantages of a carburetor?
Despite the truly outdated carburetor injection system, it has its advantages. Of course, we must immediately note that the disadvantages of this system outweigh its advantages, but in comparison with a cheap and constantly failing injector, there are still advantages. The carburetor is a classic development, and, as a rule, such developments carry quite a lot of positive aspects.
In particular, the following advantages can be noted:
- Reliability. If you compare inexpensive injectors in budget cars and high-quality carburetors, the difference in reliability will be colossal. Carburetors work with little maintenance for hundreds of thousands of kilometers without problems.
- Simplicity of design. Even if you stop on the road, with a little experience and knowledge of the carburetor engine system, you can restore the device using available means and drive to the nearest station on your own. With an injector this is not always possible.
- Cheap service. The carburetor is as simple as possible - you only need to occasionally change the repair kit and make minor adjustments at the service station so that the device runs for a long time and pleases with its reliability.
- Cheapness of all parts. If you compare the cost of replacing an injection system and the cost of replacing a carburetor, you will be very surprised at the difference. Replacing a carburetor is tens of times cheaper than installing a completely new injection system.
For these reasons, the owners of some budget cars do not want to stay with the injector, but want to switch to a more practical, simpler and cheaper carburetor. However, this idea may not always be successful. You need to carefully study the main advantages and disadvantages, and also understand whether the game is worth the candle. For each car owner, the answer in this case will be individual. No general recommendations should be given.
Converting the injector into a carburetor
Let's start with the fact that the decision to install a carburetor instead of an injector is not very popular and usually arises when serious problems begin with the power supply system of an injection engine (fuel pump, injectors, etc.), as well as the ECU itself and ECM sensors.
If malfunctions affect several expensive elements of the system, then the cost of purchasing spare parts can be relatively high. In other words, the owner does not want to change these elements, preferring to immediately install a carburetor dosing system that is simpler and cheaper to maintain and repair.
What spare parts are needed to replace the injector with a carburetor?
Firstly, you will need the carburetor itself, which will normally perform all the necessary fuel supply functions. For domestic cars, they often take quite good Solex carburetors or buy original fuel supply elements from older cars. This allows you to achieve good results when remodeling, as far as possible. So, the list of materials and spare parts that you will need for alterations is as follows:
- the carburetor itself is the most significant cost in this case; it is better not to buy the element as a used unit;
- fuel filters for carburetor fuel hoses for rough cleaning of the fuel mixture from solid particles;
- a new fuel pump or a fuel return system to the tank at the outlet to reduce pressure in the system;
- alterations will often be required in the electrical system so that the on-board computer continues to work;
- gaskets and fastenings for all new parts, which will become the basis for the quality of the work done.
You may prefer cheaper spare parts from disassembly, but in this case you should choose with a professional. Otherwise, you can simply purchase not the best options for technical parts and not achieve any positive results in the process of converting the car from an injector to a carburetor. Of course, it is best to buy new parts that will perform their functions efficiently - then there is a chance of getting the new fuel system to work properly.
How to convert a car from an injector to a carburetor?
Modern gasoline cars operate using direct fuel supply to the combustion chambers, which significantly increases the efficiency of using the expensive gasoline resource. But not all technologies in this area have received sufficiently high-quality implementation. We all remember how terribly they spoke about Russian VAZs when they decided to convert the “Classics” to an injector. The car began to break down more, consume more fuel and require attention. And even today, domestic developments in this direction do not bring much joy. Therefore, many owners of not very productive and efficient cars dream or even plan to change the injector to a carburetor. Technically, this process can be implemented on almost any car with an injection system.
It is advisable that your car was once carburetor, and then the concern converted it to an injector. In this case, you will have everything left to implement a carburetor system. Of course, in any case, many complex tasks will have to be completed, including the technical support of the new system. But on budget cars such a modification will not be critical. The car will continue to function normally. True, before you take such a step, think carefully, because the carburetor is also not an automobile component without problems. Experts recommend bringing the injector to normal condition and constantly monitoring it. Then the fuel supply will work properly and without problems.
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Features of alterations with a fuel pump - a difficult stage of work
One of the most difficult and specific stages of working with automotive systems when converting from an injector to a carburetor is working with the fuel system. In particular, the fuel pump for the injector in some cars increases the pressure in the fuel supply system to 5 bar, and the carburetor requires a pressure ten times lower than this value. This is why problems arise with unskilled work - carburetor overflow occurs. The solutions to this problem are the following:
- installation at the outlet of the gas tank of a certain system or device that changes the pressure of the medium flow in the fuel paths to the value we need;
- implementing a reverse flow of gasoline immediately in the tank, which will reduce the gasoline pressure in the system, but by an unknown amount;
- performing a better return flow of gasoline in the carburetor, but in this case the possibility of fuel overflow cannot be ruled out;
- replacing the fuel pump with one more suitable for the carburetor system, but then you will have to put a plug in the fuel tank in place of the old fuel pump.
If you go to a car market or a big box store, you will be offered kits of parts and tools to do each type of job. A completely democratic solution is to install reverse fuel flow in the tank. Of course, it is not guaranteed that only the right amount of fuel will enter the carburetor, but it is much cheaper than any other solutions in this regard.
Converting an injection engine into a carburetor engine
Some car enthusiasts (usually owners of domestic VAZ models) often wonder whether an injection engine is suitable for a carburetor car. Let us answer right away that in practice there are a large number of such installations. In some cases, a finished unit can be delivered without significant modifications to the vehicle itself.
The main difficulties are usually associated with the implementation of fuel supply from the gas tank, since on the injector the electric fuel pump is located directly in the fuel tank and pumps gasoline into the fuel rail under a certain pressure. Also, certain difficulties arise in the process of placing and connecting the ECU and other elements, while laying wiring, etc.
Also, many convert an existing engine with a carburetor to an injector. In this case, there is more work, since it is necessary not only to install the necessary elements, but also to perform certain modifications and manipulations with the internal combustion engine itself. We also note that some car owners are also interested in whether an injection engine can be made carburetor.
The need to replace a more modern injector with a carburetor is relatively rare, but it also happens for one reason or another. Next, we will talk about what is needed in order to install an injection engine instead of a carburetor internal combustion engine, as well as how to make a carburetor engine from an injection engine.
Features of servicing a new carburetor car
If you have converted your car from an injector to a carburetor, you will have to pay attention to the features of servicing the equipment. For example, fuel filters should be changed as often as possible. Once every 2-3 thousand kilometers is the best option for a carburetor. The fuel pump pumps more fuel if your return line is located directly on the carburetor, so the filters become clogged faster. It is also worth remembering these important aspects:
- the carburetor needs regular cleaning and replacement of membranes, gaskets and other replacement parts;
- the carburetor system clogs faster because the flow of gasoline is little controlled;
- carburetor settings must be professional, otherwise the car will not work normally;
- the car will receive slightly new habits, you should not try to correct them with the help of settings;
- the car will never drive the way it did with an injector; the carburetor has its own specific operation.
Despite all the disadvantages, there are certain advantages to installing a carburetor. Especially if you are installing this fuel injection system out of desperation after several expensive injector repairs in a row. In this case, it really makes sense to perform all the assigned tasks efficiently and implement a carburetor system in your car. Here's how they converted an old Audi from an injector to a carburetor:
Let's sum it up
With a carburetor, the car becomes a little “dumber”, accelerates poorly and has poor response when pressing the gas pedal. This is why most motorists are not too keen on the idea of installing a carburetor on a fuel-injected car. Before you make such a decision, remember what problems and problems constantly arise with the carburetor. This will take some of the pressure off your desire to make the car simpler, and will also show how important it is to respect the factory design of the car.
However, there are different situations. If the injector on your car constantly breaks down, it is better to replace it and get pleasant emotions from it than to continue to constantly repair it and try to establish normal operation of a virtually non-working unit. It must be said that in most cases, after the normal implementation of replacing an injector with a carburetor, car owners are satisfied with the result.