Fuel Injection switch

[stunna]

Is it possible to take a chevy 350 and swap carb for a fuel injection system off another vehicle? Maybe some kind of throttle body or something. anybody done this?

[Jacfourteen]

there are tons of possibilities for doing this, the most common are to swap for a late 80's-early 90's TBI (throttle body injection) out of a truck or suburban, or you could swap in TPI (tuned port injection) out of same era camaro or corvette. You can also find used aftermarket kits for pretty cheap, they are made by holley, edelbrock, and some others. If you search you will find lots of help, especially in the build section where you can see step-by-step how they did it. Good luck!

[woodwright]

check out msefi.com

[mclairmo]

I remember TurboCity was big on swapping late model GM throttle body injection. Not sure if they are still even around anymore.

[chevy_mike]

This is the system I have been thinking about. Replaces a standard carb and the computer is housed in the carb (in one of the "float bowls"). This is about as simple and clean I think a retrofit system can be.

http://www.retrotekspeed.com/products/powerjection-iii/

[Sinister]

chevy_mike I've been looking at that one as well. I think Chevy High Performance had a review of it and gave it a thumbs up. I believe you need a return line to the tank. One place online I saw had a "returnless"
add on for it for around $500.

[chevy_mike]

Originally Posted by Sinister

chevy_mike I've been looking at that one as well. I think Chevy High Performance had a review of it and gave it a thumbs up. I believe you need a return line to the tank. One place online I saw had a "returnless"
add on for it for around $500.

At one point they did have a "returnless" setup, which I really liked the idea of but they have since removed that option. I believe I read somewhere they were having some issues with it where the standard return system worked great. Ideally it would be a better system since you are not "dead heading" the fuel pump but allowing it to flow fuild all the time, which is better for the pump.

Price wise, it's not anymore expensive then other systems out there. I really like the fact it has minimal wires to route, so it keeps things cleaned up better. Nothing is worse than seeing a nice engine with wires all over it.

[Shon]

Buddy of mine is looking into the FAST EFI kit they have out now.
they kit looks really good.
if interested I can quote you a price.

http://www.fuelairspark.com/Products...s/XFI/over.asp

[Jim_PA]

I've decided any EFI conversion just costs to much money compared to bolting on a qjet and spending time tuning it.

[mclairmo]

EFI is for those who drive their truck everyday and want it to run like a newer car. Otherwise, a good carb is all you need.

[mr48chev]

A new Q jet isn't exactly cheap. That said I have a friend who has done a number of tpi swaps on different cars with great success.
He is also one of the go to guys for fi work in the region and can make them work right.

My wife and I both have mid 80's Cad Devilles with throttle body injecton as daily drivers 22+ mpg on the road and zero problems as far as reliability. on a smaller engine I'd consider adapting that whole throttle body, computer and sensors.

If you had a manifold that had the bosses cast in it for direct injection to be installed you could probably adapt the whole system off a 76 Cad Seville. It would look like a plumbing nightmare but the throttle body has a Qjet bolt pattern. I'm not sure how it is triggered though and it may signal off the distributor.

I'm going to have to look into that Powerjection III system as it looks interesting.

[Jim_PA]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

A new Q jet isn't exactly cheap. That said I have a friend who has done a number of tpi swaps on different cars with great success.
He is also one of the go to guys for fi work in the region and can make them work right.

My wife and I both have mid 80's Cad Devilles with throttle body injecton as daily drivers 22+ mpg on the road and zero problems as far as reliability. on a smaller engine I'd consider adapting that whole throttle body, computer and sensors.

If you had a manifold that had the bosses cast in it for direct injection to be installed you could probably adapt the whole system off a 76 Cad Seville. It would look like a plumbing nightmare but the throttle body has a Qjet bolt pattern. I'm not sure how it is triggered though and it may signal off the distributor.

I'm going to have to look into that Powerjection III system as it looks interesting.

I'm sure it's great, I just cant imagine it can be done on any modified engine for less than $800-$1000. A qjet, a rebuild kit, and a few various books on how to tune it costs $200 max.

[chevy_mike]

Only problem with Q-jet rebuild kits, they typically don't include what the real problem tends to be, worn out butterfly shafts. No matter how many new parts you put in, if you have an air leak at the shafts, you are wasting your time. You can get bushing kits, which requires you to drill out the shaft holes and put bronze bushing in but they are not included in any normal rebuild kit. You get those from a specialty company.

Good luck.

[Jim_PA]

Go through a few good cores, you'll find some good pieces.

I've tried several times to convince myself that I could piece together a $400-$500 EFI system, and no matter what I come up with I end up with a minimum of a $700-$800 price tag.

I think if you gotta have efi, a complete LQ4 in the $1300 range is a no-brainer.

[Shon]

Originally Posted by Jim_PA

I think if you gotta have efi, a complete LQ4 in the $1300 range is a no-brainer.

x2

[Lugnut64052]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

. . . a 76 Cad Seville . . . the throttle body has a Qjet bolt pattern.

Hmmm, as Johnny Carson used to say, "I did not know that."
Hafta check that out next time I go to the you-pullit junk yard.