At the risk of arriving late in this topic (I'm only in digest mode) some
thoughts of PI cars based on personal experience and ownership of them for
thirty odd years. The power difference between injected and Stromberged cars
was, as someone has already pointed out, not just the addition of a Lucas
system. I'm not at ease with some of the highlighted differences but it would
be entirely possible to extract the same or closely similar power output to
the injected car by using injection components and no Lucas system - i.e. two
1 3/4" SU's, properly jetted and needled would suffice and without recourse to
Weber or Dellorto carbs - as the factory proved on engineering development
cars. This is what many European enthusiasts have been doing for many years
when buying carbed TR250/TR6's from the US and 'upgrading' them to extract
closely similar injected engine power. Also, it should be remembered the
injection system itself was hardly rocket science. The exactitude of precisely
metered fuel delivery for optimum performance, economy and what-have-you
really existed in the minds of the sales brochure authors. In reality, the
picture was very different. There was no engine management system of any sort
that we accept as the norm today and the injection engine was so 'dirty' in
terms of emissions, that it would be banned from use today - almost anywhere.
The set-up of the metering unit in terms of tracking the fuel delivery curve
across a variable range of engine speed and loads requires a fuel injection
flow bench - and even then, it's a hit and miss affair in contrast to modern
systems using mono or multipoint injectors. Perhaps the worst aspect of the
Lucas system is it had no altitude compensation and only operated at its most
"efficient" at sea-level conditions or close to them. That's one of the
reasons why former US cars are so popular in Europe. The steering is already
in the right place and only the engine needs attention to uplift its power. If
you put all these variables into one pot, all you have is a TR5 or 6 or a
2.5PI saloon that is faster than its contemporaries, is fun and quirky - and
by no means devoid of its own unique problems in the diagnostics department.
It also has a rather unique noise from the exhaust and air intakes and can be
most encouragingly fast when pressure is applied with the right foot. In
short, it's a Triumph - warts and all.
Jonmac
"In the Shadow of my Father" aka "Life at Triumph"
Still a few copies left. Still time to catch the Christmas mail
http://www.toolbox.ndirect.co.uk/triumphbook
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