EFI musings

[John Faubion]

>  Sounds like some awfully expensive carbs and astoundingly cheap
> electronics.

Well Dave with some prudent shopping you could have done it cheaper too. I
picked up a GM #730 ECM, harness and most of the sensors from an '88
Beretta for free (the car was wrecked and I was able to snag any of the
part I wanted). The fuel rail, 35#/hr injectors, fuel regulator, and
throttle valve from a 1980 Cadilac V-8 was another $25. The big block Chevy
Torker 2-O intake was $50 at a swap meet. I still need to find a CalPak
from a '90-'92 F-Body which uses the speed density system. By using the
Caddy injectors and adjusting the fuel pressure I can compensate for the
increased displacement of the 427. Also I will have to build an injector
driver circuit since the Caddy injectors are the peak and hold type and the
ECM needs saturated type injectors. Though I should be able to do this for
less than $50.

I have made arrangements to do the machine work to adapt the fuel injectors
to the manifold myself. I need to weld some bosses to the manifold first
but I have the ability to do that as well. The throttle valve bolts
directly to the Torker intake but I think the bores may be a bit small for
my 427. I'm working on adapting a TPS to an old Holley 750 carb. I'm
thinking of using just the body and throttle plate assembly with the
venturi boosters removed. This makes connecting the linkages easy and with
the booster gone it should flow somewhere around 900 CFM. 

I think I can probably get mine running for around $200-$300 or so. Granted
I live in Mayberry RFD and the wrecking yards don't know what EFI parts are
worth yet. An un-rebuilt Rochester Q-Jet still brings $100-$150 here
though. I also picked up a fuel rail, injectors and pressure regulator from
a GM 3.0L V-6 for $10. Unfortunately I had my numbers wrong and they were
the wrong size for my application. I think if I had used a 350 Chevy I
probably could go to a TBI system for even less money. EFI can be cheap
especially if you can adapt factory parts. Ford and GM already spent the
money to make them reliable, why not use them?

John Faubion
jfaubion at beaches.net