Wild new computer controlled AFR system for carburetors.

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71' Grande project.
Check this out. Jet/ set your carb a little fat and let this system tune it for you / compensate for elevation.

The “carb cheater” it is basically a computer controlled vacuum leak that alters the AFR. This guy is pretty brilliant and has done some wild stuff in the past. If nothing else it is a neat way to have an O2 sensor on your ride you can “hide” and view from your smart phone.


 
I ordered one of these back when this thread was started. They say they're getting close to catching up to that point on the backorder queue.
 
Biggest thing I need to figure out is where I want to mount it.
I've seen some folks hiding it inside the air cleaner.
The original one for the lawnmower carb was mounted on a bracket behind the carb on top of the intake.
 
Just got this from them today...

Howdy,

Just wanted to reach out to say thank you for purchasing a Carb Cheater and thank you for being so patient with us building them as well! Yours was dropped off at the post office this morning.

Here is a quick email with some info that could help your install.

MSD/CDI Box people please don't attach your leads to the coil. You will need to use the boxes switched power wire and tach output wire.

We apparently are having issues with our bluetooth chip not taking a new name. If you are trying to connect to the device over bluetooth and see HC-05, that is the bluetooth device you want to connect to. 1234 is still the password to connect to that device, then you'll use the pin in the app.

We have a facebook group specifically for Carb Cheater stuff.

Our website's Install Tab has some very useful information.
- The latest and greatest App to download (Takes about a week for us to push the app updates through the app store)
- Video Instructions on the overall install process.
- Video Instructions on the Initial connections and setup of the App (Sorry about the quality on this one, I plan on remaking it at some point. The info is all there though.)
- Written Instructions (Working on updating those now)
We created a youtube channel specifically for Carb Cheater tech videos.

Hopefully this helps. Feel free to email me for questions, but I respond quicker on facebook. I'm hoping the community can start helping with install questions as well to help take some of the load of Luke and I responding to emails and direct messages.

Cheers,

Joe
 
Saw the videos and I just wrote them to ask a few questions. Really interesting technology, and the cool part is it only an add-on. It can 100% die and you arent stranded. It simply regulates an air bleed into the mixture to keep the fuel ratio in check.
The only question I had is that it cant really add fuel, so if it cant fix a lean condition, would we need to over-jet the carbs a bit so that his computer could then lean it back out.
I've wasted $300 on stuff that I'll never use ... this thing looks awesome. Hell, I'd love it just for the real time data!
 
Saw the videos and I just wrote them to ask a few questions. Really interesting technology, and the cool part is it only an add-on. It can 100% die and you arent stranded. It simply regulates an air bleed into the mixture to keep the fuel ratio in check.
The only question I had is that it cant really add fuel, so if it cant fix a lean condition, would we need to over-jet the carbs a bit so that his computer could then lean it back out.
I've wasted $300 on stuff that I'll never use ... this thing looks awesome. Hell, I'd love it just for the real time data!
I read a similar question on their Facebook page. They suggested running on your normal setup before doing anything, then looking at the data and choosing a direction to go in if needed. Let us know if they answer you differently.
 
If you guys don't mind sharing your feedback once you have everything up and running, that would be great!
I am cautiously curious. Cautious? Because the vehicle I would be tempted to introduce this technology to is a 1973 Mach 1 with a transplanted 351W (replacing the original 302 2v) that was moderately built for Street/Strip performance. With 360HP on a dyno it has plenty of power for spirited driving. The prior owner also replaced the 2.79:1 rear axle gears with a 3.50:1 TractionLok gear set. And the other year we replaced the original C4, which began to show signs of slipping after barking rubber a few times more than it liked on its WOT 1-2 upshifts. The replacement tranny is a transplanted AOD that turned a snappy performer into a wonderful cruising machine at highway speeds(+), while retaining is low end performance - best of both worlds. The Mach 1 is well balanced in its handling and performance, and I hate to monkey with it now that it is running like I feel it ought to.

Anyway, I hope to see some posts in the future from folks who have installed this solution into their vehicles.
 
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An aside, using vacuum (negative) pressure to control fuel delivery through a carburetor is not a new concept. The original Ford/Lincoln Electronic Engine Control (EEC) I system on the 1979 Lincoln Versailles. That system used a 7200 Variable Venturi carburetor, which was the same as the 2700 VV carb, except the 7200 VV used EEC I vacuum to control how lean or rich the A/F ratio was, with an Oxygen Sensor with a MAP sensor to control how much vacuum was applied to accomplish the proper ratio for emission control purposes. It was a kluzty setup compared to later Electronic Fuel Injection (initially via Throttle Body injection, and later Ported Fuel Injection). But, it actually worked fairly well, although diagnosing intermittent problems was difficult as the EEC I system had no onboard memory containing error codes. The Rotunda tester was useless for diagnosing intermittent problems as all it did was let us put a dummy load into the system fo various sensors. Gee, what else could possibly go wrong with all that elaborate equipment? heh heh...

I actually liked the 2700, and even the 7200 VV carburetors. I like the simplicity and reliability of the 2100 and 2150 2v Carbs more. But, when set up correctly the Variable Venturi carbs were really decent carbs, even if a little temperamental at times. They were the interim step before Throttle Body fuel injection was finally introduced. That said, they were not better enough for me to want to convert 2100/2150 carbs toa VV 2v carb. But, if I had a car with a VV carb givig grief I would be tempted to replace the VV with a 2100/2150 carb as opposed to rebuilding or replacing the VV, especially if it was using an old EEC I system. The 2100/2150 carbs are more simple to rebuild and adjust, and are more reliable in the long haul. That said, I have not seen a car with a VV carb, much less an EEC I system for decades.

Anyway, the vacuum controlled A/F adjustment approach can definitely work well, and I am glad to see someone is actually doing it as a retrofit solution. I just hate to change what works so well for our Mach 1 and install the Carb Cheater until I see how it has worked out for others who jump in early on. It is so nice to already have a nice running engine with its Holley 750 Vacuum secondary throttle setup that is working so well as it is. That said, I have the Holley running just a tad on the rich side, nothing excessive - just enough to ensure I am not running too lean under any conditions. Hell, it even cold starts nicely and runs well while warming up.
 
I watched the video like many of you and I found it fascinating that such old tech could possibly solve a life long problem hot rodders have had forever. A rich fuel condition until reaching WOT. Injecting air into the mix to balance the fuel ratio is Genius and so simple.
Smoother idle, better midrange and probably improved overall gas milage.
I am excited to read the comments of everyone who has bought one. I am still in the building stage for my car and motor and I have exceeded my budget at this point otherwise I would be on the purchasers list as well.
Hope everyone has a good experience with this device.
 
Heard from Joe @ Carb Cheater
Got in touch with Joe, and here's the email I sent asking if we should over-richen the mix, and his reply. What's funny is that my post here last week, I wrote "Hell, I'd love it just for the real time data!" ... and that's pretty much what he said too. I'm going to ask if we could do a group-buy for a discount. Stand by for that.

Me:
One question I had was in the set up of the car itself so that the cheater can do its job. From what I can tell, it's a mechanism that adds air to lean things out, but it can't add fuel to make things richer. If that is true, and cheater can only lean out the carb to dial it to 14, then don't we need to use overly rich jets and so that cheater has all the elbow room to add the air as needed?

Joe:
You are right in the fact that we can't make things run more rich, but your carb is typically running a bit rich already. Setting it up for 14-14.5 cruising is typically what most people shoot for as that is a nice safe and fairly efficient cruising AFR. The real benefit from the device is to use the datalogs and live telemetry to get the vehicle setup properly before you turn on the "auto-tune". You really only should use this functionality for altitude/weather/engine temp anomalies. Our goal is to help you set up your car to run really well without the carb cheater so if our system ever fails it won't leave you stranded. Also, as a side note we don't help much on WOT air fuel ratios as we are using a tiny valve in comparison to a wide open carburetor.
 
Mine arrived today. Will take a few weeks for me to get it installed as my work schedule is trampling my free time.

Looks good- quality stuff.

Installed the sticker.
 

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Mine is scheduled to be delivered maybe mondayish.

I think I will have a bit of a delay installing it. I want to play with it on the bench a little bit. I have already reverse engineered their mobile app and figured out the various commands it sends in to the carb cheater over USB. I would like to make some more progress on that. Finish figuring out whats gets transmitted each direction and then write my own client. That is a little easier with the unit not installed in a car.

They sent an email that includes a link to a new youtube channel they setup just for carb cheater documentation. Here's a video that explains a little bit more of the logic around the auto-tuning functionality.
 
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