Am I correct in that this was the first year that they started to lean towards computers, or was that 81?

How reliable are these systems, or are they something that I should avoid since there are plenty of other years to choose from....

thx

 

'81 uses computer. I believe this was the first year for the computer.

 

Yes...81 the first year. I've seen this issue come up before and it is usually in regard to the computer controlled fuel injection. Some struggle keeping the 82 tuned...those that know how to make it work state it's a breeze. There was a thread on this back in the summer you may wish to search and review.

The fact of the matter is electronic fuel injection is more efficient, easier to maintain and dramatically reduces emissions. The downside is that is requires computer aptitutde, additional diagnostic equipment and for the average backyard mechanic...more patience.

While I've got a 78...I also had a 90. Once I picked up the diagnostic tool...it was a breeze to maintain and diagnose problems. Can't say I've done an 82 which was the first for Corvette.

Bottom line...if those are the years you like...don't let the electronics shy you away

 

The Twin TBI system is rediculously simple, there's no problems as far as reliability. With poor or no maintainance any car will run crappy after some time, fuel injection or not. Most problems with the 82 are related to poor maintainance and people working on them that don't know what they are doing. Once you have it running properly it's about as trouble free as they come.

 

The first Corvettes with computerized engine controls were the 305 c.i. California-only version of the 1980 model year. This engine was identified as RPO LG4, and 3,221 cars were built with it. It used the Rochester E4ME computer-controlled 4-bbl carburetor, and was rated at 180 HP. The electronic control system was called "Computer Command Control", or "CCC". The heart of this system was a "closed loop" circuit, connecting an oxygen sensor in the exhaust system to a computer, which then adjusted the fuel mixture on the primary side of the E4ME carburetor, at idle and part throttle. It also controlled spark advance at all speeds, eliminating the need for vacuum advance on the distributor. These adjustments occur 10 times per second. At throttle positions past about 2/3 WOT, engine vacuum allowed the carb's secondaries to open, and the computer was bypassed ("open loop" mode).

The other 49 states, and exports, got the RPO L48 or L82 engines, 350 c.i., carried over virtually unchanged from 1979, with the regular mechanical 4-bbl Q-jet. The L48 was rated at 190 HP, while the L82 claimed 230 HP.

If you bought the LG4 in 1980, you were given a $50 credit on the base price, as compared to the 49-state L48 car. :)

For the 1981 model year, the "CCC" system was applied to what was essentially the L48 engine, now called the L81. With minimal changes, the CCC allowed the larger 350 to meet California's more stringent emissions requirements that could only be met a year earlier by the smaller 305 engine. There were 40,606 of these cars built, all rated at 190 HP. It should be noted, however, that there were still minor differences in the cars built for sale in California, and those cars required separate certification for California emissions.

In performance terms, however, the L81 suffers from one serious problem that the engineers either overlooked or chose to ignore when they adapted the LG4's CCC to the larger 350 c.i. engine: the exhaust manifolds. These are welded tubular pieces, made from stainless steel; two characteristics which have the nice properties of being lighter than cast iron and very durable. Problem is, they're way too damned small. With the rather sharp corner bends, their internal diameter is only about 1 3/8", while most performance gurus agree that the 350 needs 1 5/8" primary tube headers to make power at 5,000 rpm and above.

For 1982, the E4ME carb gave way to a pair of throttle bodies mounted on a cross-ram style manifold. GM called this the "CrossFire" engine. The CCC system was still in place, now controlling the throttle bodies at all speeds, unlike the '81 version which only controlled mixture on the primary half of the carburetor, and only at part throttle. The computer chip for the '82 was upgraded, and now made adjustments to fuel mixture 80 times per second. There were 25,407 of these cars built, claiming 200 HP.

The 1983-***-1984 model used the "CrossFire" engine and CCC system carried over from '82, with only minor changes allowing the claimed horsepower increase from 200 to 205. The well-known performance problem with the CrossFire is the very poor port matching between the intake manifold and the cylinder heads, compounded by the somewhat small cross section and tight corners in the runners.

Aren't you glad you asked? :D

 

My 82 Collector has had a few problems with the computer, chip etc.
Now that it is straightened out, it runs great!!!
If you do get a computerized car, do make sure that anyone you have
work on, knows and understands the Crossfire system.
It could be a little tricky at times. :yesnod: