Newbie with a few questions

[Greg Pruett]

I've just subscribed to the list so I guess I'll introduce myself.  I'm an
engineering student at Virginia Tech hoping to get a degree in mechanical
engineering one `o these days.  I have done some reading on EFI systems, and
I know quite a bit on the basics of how they work, what the sensors are for,
and general theory.  But since most of what I've read has been in Hot Rod
articles and chilton manuals, I know very little about the controllers.  I'm
not very knowlegeable about computers in general, either.  I'm afraid I just
know how to run windows.  So I'm afraid I'll be asking more questons than
answering.  I do know some basic stuff about electricity though.  (ohm's
law, resistors, diodes, capacitors, etc.)  And I do have an osilloscope that
I pretty much know how to run.

Here are my projects:  I am hoping to retrofit port fuel injection to my two
Oldsmobiles.  A `72 Vista-Cruiser and a `67 Cutlass Supreme.  Both cars are
sportin' olds 350 engines with stock 2bbl carbs. :P  I intend to use the
oldsmobile port injection manifolds that were used in the late `70s on a few
gm cars.  I would like to improve the Vista-Cruiser's economy while at the
same time giving it snappy performance.  It allready has dual exhaust, a
mildly aggresive cam, and I hope to port the heads soon.  I have also
replaced the stock tranny with a later-model overdrive.  The next logical
improvement seems to be carbueration, and I've been holding off on a 4bbl
carb in the hope that I can cobble together a decent EFI system.  As for the
Cutlass, it's presently a project car that I hope to fuel inject and
turbocharge.

For the Vista-Cruiser, I'm pretty sure I could hook up a late-model camaro
EFI controller to the manifold and olds EFI distributor and install the
camaro sensors to make it work.  (I understand the original olds EFI
controllers didn't work well at all, and the fuel delivery schedules are
kinda lean I imagine.)  The problem is I don't know how well it would run.
I'm concerned with the difference in didsplacement (350 vs 305) and I'm
pretty sure the olds can breathe better than the 305s that came in stock
camaros.  I think my olds has a hotter cam than the 305's too.  The olds cam
specs are .456 lift and 218 duration @ .050 lift for both intake and
exhaust.  The lobe seperation is 110.  Can anyone tell me if my idea is
viable?  Will the ECU look at the various sensor inputs and decide that the
engine is too screwed up to run?  (stay in limp-home mode?)  And, if I
tinker with the inputs of the sensors by using resistors, etc. does anyone
know if ECU will be able to run the engine worth a darn?

I'll wait 'till later to bombard you folks with questions about the Turbo
Cutlass.  I think I've asked enough questions for one post.  :)  Thanks in
advance for any help anyone can offer, I appreciate it.  And BTW, great
website!  I've learned quite a bit allready by searching the archives. 


Thanks again, 

Greg Pruett