Which one do you recommend? Does anyone have a chart or something I could find online where it would have a comparison between these three? Please help. Thanks for your time.

 

That depends upon what you expect from the car/engine. Each has advantages and disadvantages.

TPI is the more refined EFI system on ThirdGens, and generally produced the most torque and fuel efficiency of all the systems.

TBI can be efficient, doesn't necessarily suffer from some of the higher RPM flow limitations of a TPI system. It is also a more simplified (and some would argue, reliable) EFI system.

Carburetion is the least precise fuel metering system, but also enjoys the most familiarity among most enthusiasts, simply by virtue of having a 100-year history. Carburetion doesn't have any of the flow limitations, but also requires more maintenance and adjustment for peak efficiency.

So what do you expect from your engine, anyway?

 

I just expect my car to have good gas mileage thats all. I dont race or anything.

 

TPI is the system they use on the top fuel cars right? where there are injectors in the intake and in the cylinders?

 

Whaaaaaaa? Top fuel is carbed.

 

Pretty much any kind of engine that is being used to race in classe with over 2000 hp is gonna be carbed. TPI is used in thirdgens and thats pretty much it. Usually I don't recommend fuel injection, but since you are looking for fuel economy, I am going to have to recommend it. I don't know if TPI or TBI gets better gas mileage so hopefully someone else will.

 

Top fuel is definately carbed, with a big blower sitting on top. heh. I don't know if it's a reliability issue, or if they've just never made an EFI system that would handle that much hp, or what... but if *I* was making an incredibly powerful engine, I'd put a carb on there, since they're generally a hell of a lot cheaper than EFI.

Now, if you're looking to build an engine, I'd recommend TBI. It's a hell of a lot cheaper than TPI, and on my 305tbi I was getting an average of around 25mpg. TPI would get around the same mileage, but it's a lot more expensive and has more parts to break.

 

For fuel-efficiency, go with TPI, if you have the money. TBI is older tech, so cheaper. Carbs are for POWER.

 

If your going to buy a car and not mess with it TPI is fine. I don't like working with TBI at all. Carb is nice for power. But if your not going to mod it. TPI all the way.

TPI can be modded to produce resonably high performance numbers. It's just harder to do and alot more expensive than carb.

 

I'm pretty sure Top Fuel is a multiport fuel injection with 16 or 24 injectors total (2 stage fuel injection) and 2 spark plugs per cylinder. I doubt they're making 6000+ hp with a carb. I could be wrong though.

Anyways, if you want good fuel economy and don't plan on doing any performance mods to the car, then definately look for a nice TPI car. Great mid-range torque, great throttle response and good fuel economy.

I've found my TBI car to response better to mods, cheaper to mod and doesn't have that annoying 5000rpm wall, that TPI cars do. About the only thing I like about the TPI car over the TBI one, is the throttle response and the ability to fuel high HP numbers after getting rid of the TPI style intake manifold. I don't see many 500+ hp TBI cars anywhere.

The suspension is usually better on TPI cars as well since they are usually found in Trans ams and Z28/IROC, vs. base model firebirds and RSs that have TBIs usually.

I don't know of many carb cars that can start right up and drive away at below freezing temps or that get good fuel economy. I pretty much vow to never own a carb car for my daily driver b/c of those reasons. But I do agree they seem to be easy to tune and probably slightly cheaper than TBI to modify for a mild performance car (13-14 second 1/4 mile range).

 

I say the TPI is best for efficiency, Carb is best for power, and TBI is right in the middle...
I personally like the TBI... IT'S VERY UNDER-RATED... you can get the air-flow of a carb (for power), and the accuracy of injection (for efficiency)... you can use it with carb manifolds (with a carb-tbi adaptor) the carb manifolds are WAY cheaper, and make more power.. .you can also use open element filters, 360 intake... PLUS they are WAY easier to fix, or upgrade than carb OR TPI. they allow for more torque than a TPI, and better response than a carb...
I use a TBI with the throttle bores opened up slightly, an injector spacer (for more air-flow), upgraded injectors, an adjustable fuel pressure reg, and a custom chip to retain the SAME mileage with a higher power curve...I run OVER 320 HP (with other mods, OF COURSE... cam/heads/headers) and STILL GET 17-18 MPG city, and 23-27 MPG highway :rockon:

 

your all wrong...top fuel is neither EFI nor Carb, they are mechanical fuel injection systems.

 

I'm thinking technically my wording wasn't wrong, but I was thinking EFI utnil I looked it up last night.

 

Yeah, i read last night then they have injectors that shoot directly down the manifold like a carb to help cool the supercharger and they also have injectors that shoot directly into the heads like normal fuel injection. Those babies use 3.5 liters of nitro methane per second!

 

kinda funny how you're trying to compare our cars to top-fuel dragsters. I'd be looking at F1's and Nascar, myself. And F1's are fuel-injected, while Nascar still uses carbs. I know they only use carbs so the officials can restrict them on some tracks, but they still put out well over 800 horses, easily, on those carbs. That'd be enough for my street machine.

 

Using top fuel dragsters/nascar and F1 car examples is pretty retarded reasoning to choose one induction over another, in my opinion. If you are that concerned over what does what and which goes faster, go to the track and see what cars are running what and how fast they are going, and better yet, how hard it is for them to make those times with their chosen induction systems.

 

and btw I'm not just pro carb, my saab is MPFI

 

I dont own a TBI engine, but if Im not mistaken isnt there a large injector right in the middle of the throttle bore? The venturi in a carb is considered a restriction by some, but a big injector smack in the middle of the bore has to be worse. Id say MPFI.

 

NOT if you use an injector spacer... it raises the injectors 1/4 inch above the previous 3/8 above the TBI unit ... to increase the amount of air that can be pulled into the bores... by over 17%. then if you round off the top of the throttle bores (Ultimate TBI mods ), and then on top of that... I MADE a funnel cleaner contraption for the inside of my air cleaner... when the air hits the open element 360 air cleaner... it hits this funnel WHICH directs the air straight into the bores... ADDS MILEAGE, and I COULD FEEL THE DIFFERENCE instantly... I'm willing to bet that my modified TBI flows as well if not better than ANY 660 cfm carb, allows for almost the same amount of power (with upgraded injectors, regulated by a custom chip), AND get's WAY WAY WAY better mileage...