I have decided that I am going to replace my quad carb with a fuel injector. I will keep the carb in case I ever sell it, but I am tired of trying to keep the thing tuned.

Anyone have any thoughts on the best injector for a 1979 corvette small block coupe (L53)?

 

Sounds like a great upgrade, if it can be done without major engine surgery or excessive expense...
Tell me more when you know more
mk's78

 

DUB

 

How do you want to go about it? Easy / Cheep / or Good?

 

Port fuel injection is the way to go. TBI is easy but fuel distribution is about the same as the carb. It can handle adverse vacuum signal conditions much better than a carb can. Port fuel injection makes fuel atomization much better - it doesn't have to snake through the entire intake tract to get to the back of the valve.

 

Knowing how much time and effort you want to put into this will 'say' volumes.

DUB

 

I want to do it correctly, cheap is not a good idea in anything you do.

Was looking at this unit:
http://www.fuelairspark.com/fas/ez-e...l-pump-kithtml

 

I KNOW I would install a IN TANK fuel pump. AND with your Corvette being a 1979....getting a 1982 Corvette sending unit will allow the pump to be installed and in the tank rather easily. I still wound fabricate some sort of reservoir that would attach to the sending unit so the fuel pump would never be starved for fuel when it gets low and you are making turns.

When you do this ( if you do an in-tank pump)....keep in mind...that making sure that you are NOT one of those type of people who run their fuel from 1/4 of a tank to empty all the time is NOT WISE.....it is better that you fill it up and when you get to at least 1/2 a tank....top it back off again SO....the benefit of the fuel keeping the fuel pump cool is in effect.

Even though you can service the sending unit WITHOUT dropping the fuel tank. I would HIGHLY advise you removing the rear bumper cover. The sending unit can be service WITHOUT doing this....but keep in mind the fuel pressure that this pump is now producing onto OLD fuel hoses. AND...if you take the rear bumper cover off...you can easily access the supply and return hoses....and replace them. I would use the 220psi hose for the supply and the return can be regular fuel hose due to not being under high pressure. Regular fuel hose as I was told by tech advisers is rated to 50psi. I feel more comfortable by stepping up the hose rating ..especially in this area where it is hard to service easily.

I would also use 2 hose clamps on the supply hose...because GM does this on the 1985-1996 Corvettes where the hose attaches to the sending unit. And then I would also use two clamps on the supply hose where it goes onto your main steel fuel supply line.

DUB

 

Great info, thx!!!

I never let my current vehicle (A Chevy Volt) or my Vette get below half a tank. I had heard this was always a good thing due to the possibility of water in the tank fouling things up.

 

Switching to fuel injection is a one way trip... after adding the electric fuel pump in the tank, high pressure fuel lines, and the various electrical circuits to run the computer, it would be fair amount of work to go back to the carb.

I went with MSD Atomic TBI cause the have a CARB approval for cali but there are a few other brands available... you can also home-brew a solution by harvesting a tbi from some other GM model.

When you do this you have to go through a tuning period - there are many parameters you have to consider - especially if your system also controls ignition timing.

good project though...

Carl

 

Fabricating the reservoir is a good idea and i believe that is common for some models of stock pumps.

But i did not do so on my install. Not having the reservoir has not hurt me yet. The lowest on fuel i've been is about an 1/8 on the gage. That is probably just below a quarter tank as the float on my '76 never actually went to the bottom of the tank. I did intentionally place the pump inlet and its filter tip at the very bottom of the tank which is most forward.

somebody in high school should do a senior project building a clear plastic mock-up tank and then do fill depth verses centripetal acceleration to expose when the inlet is exposed. I mean really... spinning a plastic mock-up tank with 18 gallons in it at 40-rpm... what could go wrong?

 

I am using this unit on my 80. I am happy with the outcome.

 

$2250 and all that work is alot to pay for not being able to keep your carb "in tune". Maybe you could take $500 and get a good quadrajet for your car that will stay in tune. Or spend a couple of hundred and take it to someone who really knows how to work on it. Thats a lot of money and work because you are pissed at your carb.

 

100%

But I also know when something can **** off a person so badly that venturing into uncharted territory seems like the way to go.

DUB

 

I've been using that particular EFI system for over 5yrs now with no issues. I went with an in-tank fuel pump and sump. I have previously posted a lot of information about it in this thread:

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-this-yet.html

Hope this helps.