Fuel Injection ran from '57-'65, then didn't come back until '82, so I was wondering why?

The only information I have found just says:
I guess i'm still confused as to how exactly the big-blocks made it superfluous? Also, why they didn't continue to at least 'offer' the fuel-injection option from '66-'81?


From what I understand in '81 they introduced a 'Computer Command Control' system, to comply with federal emission control regulations, yet still utilized a carb. Then in '82 they do away with carbs all together and went to fuel-injection from then on.

So I'm assuming the government tightened emission regulations between '81-'82 which in turn stopped the use of carbs?

 

Hi 1AR,
I have always believed it was a matter of $$ for the buyer.
In 65 an optional 375 HP F.I. 327 engine cost $538.
While an optional 365 HP carburated 327 engine cost $129.
And an optional 425 hp 396 BB cost $292.
I think MANY Corvette buyers bought horsepower.
That couple of hundred $$ bought a great set of mags.
Regards,
Alan

 

That and the fact that so few could keep the F.I. tuned including the dealers.

 

It came down to economics. The Rochester fuel injection was expensive, somewhat troublesome if not kept in top repair and few techs back then knew how to service it. The big block was cheaper, made more power and far easier to service, and probably much more profitable for GM.

While there are probably far more Corvettes out there with big block engines today than Chevrolet ever installed, I doubt if you can say the same about the Rochester fuel injection. Many, many original fuelie cars today were changed to carburetors due to the troubles it caused and expense of maintaining it.

 

more time tuning and screwing than driving

 

Plus, have you felt the torque of a big block? The early high compression ones were neck snapping. Add a supercharger and OMG.

cc

 

The mechinical Rochester fuel injection was hard to work with and maintain, plus costly. So FI went away until the arrival of computers for cars which made FI easy to work with and low cost. Also fit in well with emissions.

tom...

 

You were around back then weren't you Alan?
I would have been old enough to ride shotgun though!

 

The Rochester F.I. system was designed for adding horsepower to the engine...not for regulating the fuel supply for economy. And it was expensive. When big blocks were added to the engine choices (1965 w/ the 396), it spelled the end of the Rochester system; F.I. was more expensive than what it cost for a BB option package. Later F.I. systems were only viable when computers could be integrated into the vehicle system. And their primary purpose was fuel economy which was provided by the real-time regulation of the air/fuel mixture for optimum combustion conditions. It was just a "plus" when the new F.I. systems proved to yield higher horsepower for the same engine build.

 

Possibly not so much emissions as fuel mileage requirements. Almost nothing can meet requirements without fuel injection and a computer to run and monitor the system.

 

The original Ramjet fuel injection system wasn't all the charm at service time, and I believe with the advent of the Big Block, the gains of horsepower were mimimal verse cost to the customer.

 

the old Rochester Fuel units had one thing over any carbed cars in the day. when you were road racing and you went up a hill and made a turn the engine always had fuel. unlike carbed cars were the bowls would empty out for a little bit. so I have been told by somewhere

 

I remember the Sunoco station I bought gas from in the mid-sixties had a FI unit and intake sitting under the workbench in one of the service bays. I'll bet it could have been bought for $20 or $30. I never even considered wasting my money on it.
Regards,
Alan

PS: Google spell-check does't even recognize the name 'Sunoco'!!!!

 

my dad knew and watched a lot people who threw them away around your way

 

It was a matter of the BB making more power for less money. Duntov who was sorry to see the FI option go, has commented on it.

 

I read all the above and have to disagree on some points...It was one of the best fuel efficient systems of its time and was basically trouble free... True some were removed but once a FI Vette owner you were most always a repeat FI owner...they were also the fastest, as a dual quad setup didn`t have a chance at the drags or road courses.. About mileage, hows 20 mpg with a 4.11 gear....I wouldn`t jump on the bandwagon criticizing FI units...The 396 in my opinion killed the FI cars and they were not called "Ram Jets" just plain ol fuel injection..The respect given to the cars today is only because of the unique features and low original production and they cost more for bragging rights by new owners...most of which dont know anything about them

So what do we have? Quickest of the bunch, great mileage, and were virtuously trouble free when used every day just as they were built to do.. A Holley carb was a lot cheaper and pointed out above, the 396 produced 50 HP more for half the price and yes, it was horsepower that sold the Vettes and certainly not the comfort as the cars are really crude compared to todays Vettes...

Look to the L88 to see what I mean, available to most anyone, the 435 cars with three Holley's way outsold the 430 cars with only one...

No gentlemen, dont sell a FI piece short as not being dependable or any other of the above so called deficiencies, its the 396 L78 that killed them by both price and horsepower...

whatever

 

$35. I got it.

 

Another thought on this matter. The fuel injected 327 really wouldn't do anything an L79 327 could do for less cost and less maintainance

 

It is also consistent with what seemed to be a change in engineering philosophy at GM at the time, from high-tech and exotic, but expensive, to simpler but more reliable drivetrain systems. So you went from switch-pitch converters paired to short-stroke engines and steepr rear gears to longer-stroke, higher-displacement engines paired to single-speed converters and highway rear gears, you went from rear-engined air-cooled economy-cars to front-engined I-6 powered RWD economy cars, you went from turbocharged small-displacement aluminum V-8's to larger naturally-aspirated iron V-8's, you went from multiple-carburetors to single-4bbl induction systems on larger V-8's, you lost the OHC I-6 (and ceased development work on prototype OHC V-8's) for simpler larger-displacement OHV I-6's, and you lost the FI small-block in the Corvette for nearly-as-powerful small-blocks with single-4bbls as well as much-more-powerful but less-expensive big-blocks.

Once emissions regulations mandated certain results, and more sophisticated computer-controls permitted more precise and economical-to-produce fuel-injection systems (along with aluminum engine-components, overdrive transmissions, exotic body materials, etc), then GM produced such beasts.

 

Ironcross, you have to admit back in the day there were very few people who understood the Rochester Fuel Injection units enough to work on them. The dealers' service managers hated them because of the lack of expertise available. The sentiment is not a lot different than their carburetors. They work really well when tuned correctly but many just chucked them for Holleys.

On the other hand, I'm not sure I would go as far as to say that a Tri-Power setup is any easier to synchronize since I know many owners who have spent hundreds on that alone and they still do.

cc