Fuel Injection

[bobfil]

Has anyone heard of First fuel injection? Looked at their site and they have fuel injection manifolds for Sb Chevy 350. If you know anything about this setup I would be interested to know , I have a 72 350 4sp 3.70 rear end stock engine would like to build it up some and fi would be a lot better than carb, thanks for any info, Bob.

 

[Hib Halverson]

Aftermarket EFI can be a mixed bag....

Generally, the wide-open throttle performance will be no better or no worse than a properly-selected and calibrated four-barrel carb.

Drivability will be marginally better.

Depending on what kind of EFI system is being installed and how well it's calibrated for part throttle, fuel economy will vary from worse to somewhat better.

The most difficult part of aftermarket EFI is calibration. The units which have an adequate range of calibration are sometimes not easy to calibrate. Some systems lack adequate range and cannot be adequately calibrated.

Good luck!

 

[hotmtrsports]

Just a hunch Hib, but...

I'm guessing you don't like EFI.

Chuck M

 

[bobfil]

Just a hunch Hib, but...

I'm guessing you don't like EFI.

Chuck M

Hi Chuck, how did you get to 400hp in your vette. I need to get more info on FI, THANKS Bob.

 

[Hib Halverson]

Just a hunch Hib, but...

I'm guessing you don't like EFI.

Chuck M

You guessed wrong.

Electronic fuel injection can be an outstanding modification to a non-EFI engine provided that 1) the system can be calibrated such that drivability can be better than a carbureted engine and 2) that calibration is done properly.

I have one car suitable for conversion to EFI. If I could find a system that met the above and that I could afford, I'd go EFI in a heartbeat.

 

[Crimson Thunder]

I've looked into fuel injection many times. Its just seems too expensive for what you get out of it. Although a Mini-Ram on top of a big inch small block under a stock hood would be cool.

 

[hotmtrsports]

Sorry Hib,

I agree with you.

The Holley carbs I've been using thoughout my "performance lifetime" have been easy to adjust and rebuild.

I would like an EFI unit that delivers consistent USABLE air/fuel mixtures throughout the RPM range giving me instant analysis and adjustability while I'm driving...AND at a reasonable price.

I think it would be cool to adjust the fuel mixture a little on the lean side when wanting conservative fuel economy while travelling, then richen it up when around town fooling around. Heck, I guess I'd always have it fueled up!

I've just begun to look at the options out there.

Now is the time for aftermarket EFI sellers to chime in. Looks like you'd have 3 possible customers!


Thanks,

Chuck M

 

[Curby]

I put the FAST Easy EFI system on my 72 and I am very happy with it. The 72 has a GM ZZ454 crate engine, TREMEC TKO600 5-speed, Hooker header/side pipes, MSD ignition, and a 12-bolt 3.73 rear end.

The system self-learns while you are driving and it adjusts to changes in the air density and temperature. It builds the fuel mapping tables when you do the initial start-up and then changes them as needed to perform.

I set basic idle, cruise, and WOT air fuel ratios and the idle RPM. It has a couple more settings, too.

I was able to improve my fuel efficiency about 25% over my Holley carburetor. I am sure a "super tuner" could have gotten better fuel mileage out of the Holley, but I sure couldn't. The mileage I got on the 2010 Hot Rod Power Tour was 18.6 miles per gallon and that included my drag strip passes, and a LOT of idling and cruising around.

I starts instantly, idles great, and runs down the drag strip just as well as the Holley did, if not better (see the previous comment on my tuning skills).

The cost was right at $2,000 with the new pump and line kit.

I am pleased with it.

 

[Evolution1980]

I have a 72 350 4sp 3.70 rear end stock engine would like to build it up some and fi would be a lot better than carb

Bob, I'm not calling you out. Please don't take it as such. I'm just curious what your criteria are that make an FI setup "a lot better than carb"? You might end up spending a lot of time & money that you didn't need to.

 

[Art Jett]

I have the First system on my 77. The only thing I would reccommend is buying their manifolds and plenum and going with the Accel DFI controller from either Jegs or Summit. That's what I ended up doing. They sell the system with an OBD-1 computer from 1990 and it's not self learning. As far as the parts on the engine, I love it. Art

 

[KANE]

Aftermarket EFI can be a mixed bag....

Generally, the wide-open throttle performance will be no better or no worse than a properly-selected and calibrated four-barrel carb.

Drivability will be marginally better.

Depending on what kind of EFI system is being installed and how well it's calibrated for part throttle, fuel economy will vary from worse to somewhat better.

The most difficult part of aftermarket EFI is calibration. The units which have an adequate range of calibration are sometimes not easy to calibrate. Some systems lack adequate range and cannot be adequately calibrated.

Good luck!

I've done the TPI swap twice with GM 7730 ECMs.

I've thought about aftermarket ECMs... but I've always worried about having a breakdown or failure and then being without an ECM. :W

 

[Koop]

I've done the TPI swap twice with GM 7730 ECMs.

I've thought about aftermarket ECMs... but I've always worried about having a breakdown or failure and then being without an ECM. :W

I didn't put an aftermarket Fuel Injection system on my 383 because I don't want to be broken down 9 years from now and find out parts are no longer available.

 

[macx]

Yes, there's pro's and con's.

I've been curious about the FAST EZ EFI system and am glad to hear it performs pretty much as advertised.

I have also read a lot about the Mass Flo system and like it because it's essentially a mass air system which is, like he says, adaptable within a fair range of engine mods without complex tuning. And note that it uses off-the-shelf oem sensors and other hardware, even
the mass air sensor and tps are pretty much stock oem items, so parts availability worries are minimal.

I've got experience with mass air systems on my Lincoln daily driver, and there's little doubt they're the least complicated for the user and most adaptable. I'm using what started life as a stock 5.0 Mustang setup and ecu and just by going to a larger mass air meter and matching larger injectors it runs absolutely great on a 5.8 with decent sized cam, Edelbrock heads, much freer flowing intake and exhaust. In fact it's the same system other than the meter and injectors that ran just as good on the stock 5.0 motor.

Another one that doesn't get any ink any more is the Holley Pro Jection units. I bought one years ago when they first came out
and was absolutely amazed at the increase in throttle response and gas mileage over a 4bbl. In fact, I've still got the setup and am likely to put it on my 81 when I do the HCI thing to it. Now Holley has a closed loop kit that keeps the steady throttle cruising air fuel correct, and I'm going to use my Innovate wide band & meter to help tune the open loop. As far as tuning, they have a little control box with 4 adjustment knobs that you can adjust on the fly, it mounts inside the vehicle. With a wide band meter, that would be easily done for idle, accelerator pump, and WOT. And the new ones are around $1,000, kind of 1/2 way up to the cost of the FAST or Mass Flo systems, altho there's no doubt they'd be less fiddling with and pretty much a "plus n play" setup.

 

[baxsom]

I didn't put an aftermarket Fuel Injection system on my 383 because I don't want to be broken down 9 years from now and find out parts are no longer available.

I try not to worry too much about what is going to happen a decade from now. I may not even be alive so if something is going to make today easier, then I am going to do it. 9 years from now if my ecm breaks down and there is no way to repair it I will go to something else that works.