23 replies to this topic

[Sam14]

What do you believe is the better?

Mini SPI

Or

Mini Carb'd

For

1. Reliabilty

2.Maintenence

3.Power/Modifcations

(I want true opinions and arguements.)

[minimissionary]

I've no real knowledge of carbed Minis, but I've never had a single problem with starting mine on cold mornings. With regards to maintenance, I don't think they differ hugely, but I'd hate to have to pay for a replacement sensor on the fuelling system. Mods for injection models seem to be more expensive too, which is annoying. I don't have to pay for rolling road sessions though, since the ECU 'learns' new fuel maps

[Bungle]

i prefer my carbed mini

yes i could squeze a bit more BHP and MPG out of a fully mapped injection system but i don't have that sort of money and when it goes wrong don't have the knowledge to fix it my self

in the cornish mini club we have both carb , SPI and MPI coopers

my car has beeten them all for power on a rolling road with similar mods at a club rolling road day, i can beet the SPI for MPG and match the MPI when we convoy to shows

for a simple, cheap, fix able system i'm sticking to my carb

[Pigeonto]

Thats an easy one. No contest. How can you possibly have Twin SPI ??!!. Dont you agree SPITZ. When I was looking for a Mini I specifically avoided injection but thats just me. Injections run nice,the MOT man likes them for emissions etc but when my carb(s) block I just clean them out and nothing permanent can go wrong unlike the ecu. Just my input,there'll be more.

[Pigeonto]

They wont allow an edit. Was going to add that being as you mention future alterations and maintenance you answered your own question, has to be carb(s) I'd have thought

[Jamie_hail]

Definately carbs - The injection models actually have a limit of around 90bhp, no matter what modifications, without going for a standalone ecu - which your talking megabucks!

[mini_man_dan]

Before i answer this i would like to say that i have only driven an spi mini and am basing my opinions of the carbs, upon my friends and people i know who own carbed minis. He is asking for our opinions not facts, so dont come shouting

1. Over the three years i have a had my spi it has been a daily driver, ive never had any major problems and have just done the routine maintenence to keep it running, its never missed a beat! My friend with a carb has had his a year and has several problems, once or twice it has been down to the carbs, most of the time it is the normal problems you could have on any mini.

2. I have only had to do the usual maintenence, spark plugs, oil filter etc. So from that im saying spi is better.... just more expensive (sometimes) when certain things go....

3. Power/ modifications has to go to carb in my opinion, the world is your oyster in that respect. Spi is definatly more limited but im giving it a shot anyway.

Over all, i love my spi, i love how it runs, how it looks after itself. ECU anyday!

[AVV IT]

I prefer a carb mini as for me they are easier to maintain. I can fix a carb model myself where as I wouldn't have the skill, knowledge or tools to do the same with an injection model. That said injection models do require less maintenance, so arguably I would be much less likely to need to fix it in the first place.

Fuel injection is without doubt more reliable as it doesn't have the same issues with cold and damp that a carb model does, but then a well maintained carb model with electronic ignition can be virtually as reliable. It's also worth remembering that aside from the fuel injection system, an SPi is still a classic mini in every other way and therefore is still as prone to all the non fuelling related breakdowns as a carb mini is. My carb mini has broken down a number of times, none of which were related to the carb or fuelling, exactly the same breakdowns could still have occurred with an injection model. A fuel injection model also has more wiring & electrical components than a carb model does and we all know how problematic mini electrics can be!!

As others have said, tuning options are restricted on injection models as the standard ECU can only handle a limited level of modification. There are certainly a lot more tuning options with a carb model, but realistically the majority of mini owners hardly ever progress beyond a stage 1 kit anyway, let alone the uprated cam, modified head and 90 BHP possible from an injection model. So in reality, this is unlikely to actually be an issue for the average mini owner.

So all in all it depends what you want out of a mini and what you are going to use it for. If it's a daily drive that needs to be as reliable as possible with the minimum of maintainance and you don't intend to modify it greatly, then an SPi is probably the most suitable, for hobby cars and petrol heads, where time and reliability is less of an issue, then a carb model is probably the better option.

Edited by AVV IT, 23 December 2011 - 12:25 PM.

[mini-luke]

One other thing to remember is the car you get with the fuel delivery system, for example the 94 onwards injection mini's come with much comfier seats.

[minimaxie]

this topic is one me n my dad are having atm, keep telling him that im planning on buying a carbed mini but he says as AVV IT has rightly put, that as a daily driver that wont be modded that much (my intentions) the SPi/MPi would be the better bet. however also as AVV IT has put, I guess as long as I maintain it well, cant see why carbed mini wouldnt be a good bet also am I right in thinking that the later SPi/MPi models were more prone to tin worm???? or is that just a rumour?? hmmmm decisions decisions......

will be watching this closely, I am a complete noob on mechanicals and body work having never even touched a spanner for fixing a car as when I come to buy one I need to know the pros n cons....
many thanks
max

[mini-luke]

My theory on the tin worm in later models is that they haven't yet reached the stage when they need to be stripped down and built up from scratch, so are looking rather scabby. Whereas any half decent 80's mini will have to have been properly de-rusted to have survived so far.

[minimaxie]

ahhh thats a rather different way of looking at it I suppose yeah thats true. also as people have put, i know nothing on electronics let alone an ECU if it goes wrong, I guess least if its a carb I can just go out and buy a Haynes manual on how to fix it lol

[R1minimagic]

For

1. Reliabilty - injection

2.Maintenence - not much difference

3.Power/Modifcations - carbs

[minimaxie]

ahhh this gonna be a toughy when it comes to buying mine, grrr lol

[govig]

Pondered this one long and hard ever since buying a very low mileage Spi this year (less than 7000 miles from new with proven history supplied new by the local was-BL dealership who still exist selling Land Rover). It starts first time every time and really goes well with good economy but I want 100 ft-lb/100 bhp. For that reason only, a MG Metro engine built to Bill Sollis' famous spec is going in next summer at considerable cost.

If standard Spi power is good enough then don't be put of by those who worry their ecu is going to pack up with all those wiggly amps and leave you stranded. Most problems with injection are connections from sensors getting corroded and that's not the system's fault. I have another 'electronic' car (as most are now) and the only fault in 15 years that stopped the injection system from working properly was a faulty brake light switch but it still got home if rather slower than normal.

For sale next summer/autumn, a 7000 miles from new 1275 A+ motor will all the ancillaries including fuel tank........ It will be advertised with a video showing how quick it is, how mechanically quiet it is with oil pressure/temp gauge and compression readings etc etc to distance it from those completely unknown second hand engines from breakers.

Edited by govig, 23 December 2011 - 01:12 PM.