fuel injection kit or other options
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 45
Likes: 3
From: Cedar Rapids Iowa
fuel injection kit or other options
Good afternoon all
I'm looking to upgrade my 1980 L48. Right now I have ceramic coated headers, stainless steal exhaust with magna flow mufflers, high rise edelbrock manifold with edelbrock 600 carb. looking at a couple of options so hoping to get some advise from some of our members.
option 1, new cam, different heads and then going to dual carb setup with slip linkage. Oh and a set of 353 gears.
option 2, Fuel injection kit with 353 gears. How much horsepower and torque does the fuel injection kit give me over carbureted setup.
Thanks for any help and or advise
Gary
I'm looking to upgrade my 1980 L48. Right now I have ceramic coated headers, stainless steal exhaust with magna flow mufflers, high rise edelbrock manifold with edelbrock 600 carb. looking at a couple of options so hoping to get some advise from some of our members.
option 1, new cam, different heads and then going to dual carb setup with slip linkage. Oh and a set of 353 gears.
option 2, Fuel injection kit with 353 gears. How much horsepower and torque does the fuel injection kit give me over carbureted setup.
Thanks for any help and or advise
Gary
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,037
Likes: 14
From: Mobile Alabama
If you don't add the heads, the fuel injection will not be able to add too much more. I like fuel injection, but you have to think of the engine as an air pump. If you add more air in you have to get more out. If you don't have a balanced system, it will only be as good as the weak link. The drive-abilty of fuel injection is usually better, but really you might just get a little better power from better atomization and mixture control, but limiting it with the stock heads will probably put it behind the carb with better heads. The dual carb thing - If that is what you want -cool, but a single may be easier and not really limiting.
Last edited by 74modified; Feb 20, 2015 at 03:23 PM.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 289
Likes: 62
From: Hanover Township PA
If you don't add the heads, the fuel injection will not be able to add too much more. I like fuel injection, but you have to think of the engine as an air pump. If you add more air in you have to get more out. If you don't have a balanced system, it will only be as good as the weak link. The drive-abilty of fuel injection is usually better, but really you might just get a little better power from better atomization and mixture control, but limiting it with the stock heads will probably put it behind the carb with better heads. The duel carb thing - If that is want you want -cool, but a single may be easier and not really limiting.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,037
Likes: 14
From: Mobile Alabama
It is like apples and oranges. If both are LS, you have much better tune-ability with the injection = power.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
If a carb is setup properly the fuel Injection will give no more power than a carb. But not many guys can setup a carb properly with the correct air fuel ratio. But that being said the drive ability of fuel Injection vs a carb the injection wins hands down every time. So expect no HP gains but better drive ability. I have done both many times and I would not go back to a carb on my cars. Currently I am running an LS3 motor. Before that was a 500+HP 383 that had a carb on it and I then put fuel injection on it. World of difference driving it.
Last edited by Gordonm; Feb 21, 2015 at 06:43 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
By all means, help the U.S. economy and throw lots of money at some non-existent problem.
Removing the 750 cfm, self-regulating secondary Q-Jet to install some puny Holley carb was your first problem. But, hey....it's a Holley--it's got to be better...
Removing the 750 cfm, self-regulating secondary Q-Jet to install some puny Holley carb was your first problem. But, hey....it's a Holley--it's got to be better...
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,655
Likes: 19
Both pretty terrible ideas.
Option 1, low compression 350, you'll probably over cam, too much overlap, kill the bottom end. Dual carb, on a 350? Is that for looks?
Option 2, Answer, virtually no increase at top end if your current setup is tuned well. Usually slightly better midrange.
You gotta quit watching the HP tv shows. They're just ads for companies trying to sell you stuff.
For not much more than the price of either option, you could get a crate motor that would put out 100 more hp with current parts (ignition, intake/carb, exhaust) transferred over.
Option 1, low compression 350, you'll probably over cam, too much overlap, kill the bottom end. Dual carb, on a 350? Is that for looks?
Option 2, Answer, virtually no increase at top end if your current setup is tuned well. Usually slightly better midrange.
You gotta quit watching the HP tv shows. They're just ads for companies trying to sell you stuff.
For not much more than the price of either option, you could get a crate motor that would put out 100 more hp with current parts (ignition, intake/carb, exhaust) transferred over.
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Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 45
Likes: 3
From: Cedar Rapids Iowa
Thanks everyone for all the advise and yes Dual carbs is more for show than anything. That's why I want to go with the slip linkage so under normal driving the 2nd carb won't be dumping a bunch of fuel down the engine. So maybe just the dual carb set up is all I need. When you see a dual carb setup it draws you in, looks awesome.
With the headers and exhaust it sounds great and for what it is goes pretty good. So unless I want to drop in a new crate motor going to keep it all the same, Still would like the Dual Carb set up and yes mostly for looks.
With the headers and exhaust it sounds great and for what it is goes pretty good. So unless I want to drop in a new crate motor going to keep it all the same, Still would like the Dual Carb set up and yes mostly for looks.
Racer
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 484
Likes: 43
From: NJ
