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Re: MG gas mileage

To: boballen@sky.net
Subject: Re: MG gas mileage
From: Trevor Boicey <tboicey@brit.ca>
Date: Mon, 23 Jun 1997 17:17:32 -0400
Robert Allen wrote:
> Without compromise? Give it a rest!

  I beleive I did give it a rest. It seems to be you
bringing all these points back into the open. I only
obliquely made reference that a point about fuel
injection was absurd.

  But now that you've brought it back...

> Fuel injection is not magic. It is merely a computer relying on
> imperfect sensors that

  Imperfect sensors are still a far cry better then what
carbs rely upon. Carbs can only sense things that are strong
enough to move a mechanical element, such as manifold vacuum,
throttle pedal position, water temperature, and so on.

  Fuel injection sensors can at least sense 'weak' phemonena
and perform strong results, such as changing fuel content
based on air temperature, and so on.

  The sensors are imperfect, as you say. But not in the same
league of imperfect as the carb equivalents.

> Fuel injection is no exception -- and this is
> especially so at the peak of performance.

  So why do US muscle heads install fuel injection? Why are
there categories of drag racing that forbid fuel injection
in the same vein as nitromethane and nitrous oxide to keep
the racing "fair".
 
> Prior to the computer geeks taking over, there where mechanical and
> automotive engineers making the same types of design decisions.

  I think you are losing touch here. Carburation is an imperfect
science of tiny moving parts that regulate fuel/air flow. Fuel injection
is an imperfect science of sensors and computer programs to regulate
fuel/air flow.

  The point is, with carburation, your hands are tied extremely
tightly, there are only so many things you can do and still
produce a design that will run in different weather, with
different grades of fuel, and stay together for an acceptable
time.

  With fuel injection, designers aren't nearly as constrained,
allowing them greater control and freedom.

  Would you rather try to type with winter gloves on or
with boxing gloves on? That's what it comes down to. It's
a tricky science to control air and fuel, computers and
electronics are simply better tools to handle all the
variables than rubber diaphragms and tiny holes drilled
into steel.

> Thankfully, this list talks about ancient
> stuff that we old farts can tinker with, learn, and appreciate.

  ...this echos my summation point the last time this
thread came up.

-- 
Trevor Boicey
Ottawa, Canada
tboicey@brit.ca
http://www.brit.ca/~tboicey/

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