Super chuffed with my new hi-spec 240 GLT!

[john h]

Originally Posted by foggyjames

I was just poking a little fun at Volvo's use of K-Jet well into the EFI era...

Yeah, and yet my 1973 164E has OE electronic injection. Volvo were amongst the first batch of manufacturers to use this on road cars (along with VW, Porsche and a few others I think). Maybe they conlcuded that K-jet was better and/or cheaper than the early EFI systems?

From discussion on turbobricks, many non-UK members were very surpised to see K-jet on a car as late as 1990, so it seems that the UK market was late to get the upgrade to EFI on 240s.

John

[nick_ovlov]

Originally Posted by john h

From discussion on turbobricks, many non-UK members were very surpised to see K-jet on a car as late as 1990, so it seems that the UK market was late to get the upgrade to EFI on 240s.

John

I would reckon that has a lot to do with uk emission regulation- america was tighter on it so required cat's etc.

from memory in the uk 1990 a cat was a nco which changed the 230e to a 230K i think. either way it meant the car had efi... there are glts out there with a lambda sond grille badge.

Nick

[john h]

Originally Posted by nick_ovlov

I would reckon that has a lot to do with uk emission regulation- america was tighter on it so required cat's etc.

from memory in the uk 1990 a cat was a nco which changed the 230e to a 230K i think. either way it meant the car had efi... there are glts out there with a lambda sond grille badge.

Nick

Yes, I remember that time.

IIRC, a Toyota Celica was the very first car available in the UK with a cat. A brave move to specify one, back then, because hardly any garages sold unleaded fuel and a new cat was £2000...

John

PS, Nick you have a PM

[foggyjames]

Oh yeah, it's undoubtedly emissions related. K-Jet was presumably cheaper to install, and the non-emissions-spec cars made more power, etc.

My understanding is that D-Jet was considered to be unreliable and expensive, so they went back to mechanical FI while EFI "matured". My old man bought a carbed 360 back in the early 90s (instead of an injected GLT) because he was still concerned about the bad reputation which early EFI systems had...

cheers

James

[john h]

I think cost would have been a big factor, plus fear/ignorance of fuel injection in the trade. Plus Triumph's infamous PI engine breakdowns put off the already cautious UK buyers.

Even today, when an EFI car has a mysterious running fault, many people (both amatuers and some professionals) are too quick to put the blame on the ECU when in fact that's normally one of the most reliable parts of a car.

In reality, I've done lots of miles in two EFI 164Es (both old cars at the time I owned them) and I never had a moment's bother with the injection on either car. Whereas the carb 164 I had gave considerable grief, with split diaphrams, worn bits, going out of tune, etc. Give me injection any day!

I have 2 old cars with the clockwork injection now, the 240 and my daily '86 Merccedes 500SEL... and [gripping onto my wooden desk here] both seem to run perfectly fine!

John

[morsing]

Originally Posted by john h

Even today, when an EFI car has a mysterious running fault, many people (both amatuers and some professionals) are too quick to put the blame on the ECU when in fact that's normally one of the most reliable parts of a car.

I've only ever owned two cars with ECUs; an '87 El Camino and an '89 BMW 635. Both ending up with severe and mysterious ECU problems. The BMW so bad it became un-driveable and only a chance swap of the ECU solved the mystery. I gave up on the El Camino and sold it with the failed ECU - again, just lost of mysterious running problems.

Have had two cars with K-jet and they're solid. Have one carburetted car at the moment and they don't *break*. Some will occasionally require adjustment, but they'll still keep running. Mind you, both the carburetted cars I have had had proper carburettors, not those silly ones Volvos and other European cars use...

I will never, ever again buy a car with an ECU and/or EFI - just not worth the problems.

[john h]

Originally Posted by morsing

I've only ever owned two cars with ECUs; an '87 El Camino and an '89 BMW 635. Both ending up with severe and mysterious ECU problems. The BMW so bad it became un-driveable and only a chance swap of the ECU solved the mystery. I gave up on the El Camino and sold it with the failed ECU - again, just lost of mysterious running problems.

Have had two cars with K-jet and they're solid. Have one carburetted car at the moment and they don't *break*. Some will occasionally require adjustment, but they'll still keep running. Mind you, both the carburetted cars I have had had proper carburettors, not those silly ones Volvos and other European cars use...

I will never, ever again buy a car with an ECU and/or EFI - just not worth the problems.

It's best to go with what you're happy with of course, but I do think you've been unlucky with your experiences.

At a rough estimate, I've driven about 650,000 miles on ECU cars, some newish but most of them between 10 and 30 years old, from Sweden, Germany, France, Belgium and the UK. Never had the slightest problem with any ECU. That's good enough for me!

Have fun with your carbs - but I won't be joning you!

John


PS, to go with the supercharger, my 164 will be having a mapable Emerald ECU that allows all sorts of fun!!

[ALLOA]

I cannot speak highly enough about KJET. I've had no real bother with it on any of the cars that I have had. My Dad's 940 was an on going battle for long enough before we managed to keep the lambda light out.!
When I had my Torslanda I acquired a GLT estate donor car. It was after I had transplanted the new KJET engine into the Tors that I realised that I would also have to swap over the complete loom and axle!!!!! I probably should have researched the project better but I reckoned it was a good price for getting KJET into the car. The EFI is of course OK but if you plan to keep the car a long time there will always be niggles with chaffing crancase sensors, sooty lambda probes and dodgy air flow meters.

A mug of tea also sits well on a KJET during servicing. Cant say the same for EFI. lol

Cheers

Scott

[morsing]

Originally Posted by ALLOA

A mug of tea also sits well on a KJET during servicing. Cant say the same for EFI. lol

Coffee - but I know what you're saying

[Mike_Brace]

Originally Posted by ALLOA

A mug of tea also sits well on a KJET during servicing. Cant say the same for EFI. lol

Cheers

Scott

Probably a glass of red wine in Paul240480's case