Fuel injection conversion

[Bill M.]

Has anyone converted their original engine car from carburation to modern fuel injection? I am thinking about doing it to my 67 L-79. The car is a driver with AC. I have it 30 years. Any thoughts?
Thanks
Bill

[Duke W.]

Re: Fuel injection conversion

What do you think you have to gain? The carb is pretty simple, and you can buy several Holley replacement carbs for the cost of the conversion. You'll probably find more info on the Corvette Forum. Several over there have done this conversion, but getting the EFI system dialed in isn't always easy.

One of the nice things about sixties and earlier vintage cars is that they are very simple compared to modern cars... easy to troubleshoot and repair... no "black boxes" to deal with and you can troubleshoot just about any electrical problem with an inexpensive multimeter, including freebies from Harbor Freight.

Duke

[Frank D.]

Re: Fuel injection conversion

There are a lot of aftermarket F/I success stories over on the CF, but some nightmarish ones as well. Apparently some vendors are still figuring it out and have really bad tech support and others are decent. One of the main deterrents it the complication of the fuel return line which has been recently simplified so that does make it more appealing (Holley Sniper), then there is putting the O2 bung in an original exhaust somewhere...

Then if you want to go "whole hog" and include spark/timing control the dollar bills can fly out the window quickly...

I looked at the mod hard at one point and then sat down instead and rebuilt my original WCFB...

[Bill M.]

Re: Fuel injection conversion

Well for one thing an easier start on 25 * mornings. Been dealing with carburators for 50 years just was hoping to hear from someone who has done the swap. I did not like it when it came to NASCAR but i guess even i can change.

[Tim G.]

Re: Fuel injection conversion

I have this modern Hilborn FI system on my 1958 Scarab and it's wonderful. The car starts with one turn of the key and idles at 600 RPM but has nearly 500 HP out of a small block Chevy. I've never had a car so responsive to the throttle. Go to Scarabmotorsports to see the system on their site. The system works wonderful and would fit under a stock small block hood.

[Frank D.]

Re: Fuel injection conversion

Well for one thing an easier start on 25 * mornings. Been dealing with carburators for 50 years just was hoping to hear from someone who has done the swap. I did not like it when it came to NASCAR but i guess even i can change.

This site leans more towards original cars in "as built" configurations - there are a ton of posts on the CF forum concerning the conversion, including every vendor offering imaginable. You could do a search over there on the topic and have hours of reading.. You'll get some opinionated, unvarnished experiences from owners that have done this.

[Bill M.]

Re: Fuel injection conversion

Thanks everyone! i spoke with the local speed shop and they recomend a properly tuned carburator over converting a 67 engine to fuel injection. They say the best route to go is an engine that was built for fuel injection or leave it alone. I guess working 2 to 3 days a week now is causing my mind to wander

[Frank D.]

Re: Fuel injection conversion

Probably best -- apparently some folks have good luck with the Holley Sniper system and others have had abysmal experiences with the FiTech offering, including sucky tech support...

[Joseph S.]

Re: Fuel injection conversion

Bill, We've installed about 10 Holley Sniper & Terminator FI kits in the last year alone. Every one of our customers loves the way the car runs. It will do away with any modern gas issues and help maintain a consistent idle with the A/C on or off. It takes a few days to fully install the kit neatly. If you use your car frequently you will notice the difference. We've installed them on 250 hp engines right up to 600 hp big blocks. The same kit is smart enough to adapt to any engine. If you want it to control timing also you can use their distributor but you will have to convert your tach to electronic.

[Bill M.]

Re: Fuel injection conversion

Joe

sent P M to you

bill

[John D.]

Re: Fuel injection conversion

I had a customer with a '67 SB that put a '65 fuel injection unit on it. Ran perfect.

[Dick W.]

Re: Fuel injection conversion

If you have a driver or showing at local shows it is the way to go. I have a Chevy Suburban sitting in the shop right now that is waiting on my friend to install his 496" blown big block in. Holley FI works great on naturally aspirated engines from what everyone has told me, but the engine builder could never get a consistent A/F ratio across the power band. It now has a Fitech FI system on it. Puts out over 800 ft. lb. of torque and over 775 hp on pump gas. I saw the numbers with my own eyes.

[Mark E.]

Re: Fuel injection conversion

What do you think you have to gain? The carb is pretty simple, and you can buy several Holley replacement carbs for the cost of the conversion. You'll probably find more info on the Corvette Forum. Several over there have done this conversion, but getting the EFI system dialed in isn't always easy.

One of the nice things about sixties and earlier vintage cars is that they are very simple compared to modern cars... easy to troubleshoot and repair... no "black boxes" to deal with and you can troubleshoot just about any electrical problem with an inexpensive multimeter, including freebies from Harbor Freight.

Duke

I agree. There's a charm and simplicity to an all analog car- simple and easy to repair. Yes, you have to set the choke for cold starts and it may need to crank a bit if the bowl is empty, but is that really a big deal? I consider it part of the old car experience.

Driveability may be a bit better with FI, especially in cold weather, but is that a concern with a hobby car?

But reliability is arguably better with a carb. Sudden failure is less likely without electronics (ditto for points vs. electronic ignition).

And according to a couple of YouTube dyno tests I've seen, peak hp from stock engines is actually better with a carb.

[Bill M.]

Re: Fuel injection conversion

Thanks for input all 3 of my mid years regardless of condition are drivers. I think i will give the F I a shot on my 67. I just rebuilt the motor a couple of years ago and it dynoed at 349 hp with out AC belted up.