Costs/Benefits: EVI vs Carb

[squirrel]

In the interest of unhijacking another thread, I'm starting this one.

I'd like to know what the real costs would be to put EFI on a couple of my rides. I'd also like to be able to estimate what the benefits would be.

1. 55 chevy, sorta mild 454, 6-71 blower running around 6 psi boost. Car has a stock gas tank that's been modified with a 1/2" pickup tube, and it has another plugged fitting at the front. It was originally in an EFI blown 57 chevy many years ago. The engine has an MSD electronic distributor, and an MSD 6A box. Currently two Holley carbs that are 21 years old, on a normal BDS dual quad adapter on top of the blower. One reason that EFI would be nice on this one is to get everything under the hood, and there is an inch or two above the blower.

2. 57 chevy truck, very mild 1973 oval port 454, currently with an iron intake and Qjet carb. Has an 86 suburban (carbureted type) gas tank in the back under the bed, there is an EFI tank available that I could probably get for a reasonable price. I have a 96-99 type factory port injection intake, injectors, and throttle body. I've modified the intake to fit the earlier heads, by welding the heat riser area and milling the intake flat. The ignition on this one is an old point distributor, there's not much room back there for a large cap HEI to fit.

What would it take to get these things modernized?

[dieselgeek]

Set some ground rules for us:

Sounds like it's OK to use parts you have on hand?
Low buck/DIY allowed?

[TC]

your going to need to use the short crab style cap with that 96-99 intake.......Probably the distributor too.....

Here's what it looks like....



and for a new distributor from Napa were you have to buy the distributor, cap, and rotor separately.....along with the wiring connector for the Pickup in the distributor you'll be looking at about $200...........That's for new.......

[dieselgeek]

Hold on TC, he doesn't HAVE to use anything. A Megasquirt by default works with points ignitions, you can use the points as a pickup and trigger an MSD box, or coil directly.

Depending on how much fab work he allows, he could go for a junkyard distributorless ignition for cheap/free as well. let's wait to see what Jim sets as "fair" - he's an above-average fabricator, can we lean on those skills? EFI can be almost free if you approach it properly.

[Stich496]

cheap is gonna be 700.oo+ easy
the msII is 3 bills
fuel pump and redoing lines, adding return a few c notes. if you do an intank pump.. more..
wire and crap..
sensors.. 50+ if the junkyard guy likes you.
don't for get the aircleaner.. 25+

[milner351]

Jim
you have machine tools and plenty of wiring / robotics / electronics experience - so you will make this look easy for the rest of us.

As for getting the 55 dual quad blown big block under the hood - I'm not sure I can envision that - the car looks very good the way it is. Would you use a port injected blower base manifold so the blower would not have any fuel running through it? Even short throttle bodies won't be much shorter that your carbs - and - correct me if I'm wrong Scott - can't carbs be used as dry throttle bodies with a TPS hooked up? That could save you from having to buy throttle bodies.

To me - on an iconic car like a 55 chevy - I'm not sure an "air manifold" over the top of the blower - leading to one side of the engine to a single throttle body would look right - but you could surely build such a thing and get it under the hood if that is your goal.

[dieselgeek]

cheap is gonna be 700.oo+ easy
the msII is 3 bills
fuel pump and redoing lines, adding return a few c notes. if you do an intank pump.. more..
wire and crap..
sensors.. 50+ if the junkyard guy likes you.
don't for get the aircleaner.. 25+

do us a favor and let the EFI guys help him out first, OK? this isn't the "random guess" thread, this is squirrel asking guys already doing DIY-EFI two things: how much, and what do we get for the price? you haven't done DIY EFI yet, neither has TC, this would be a nice thread if you both hold your comments until at least the experienced EFIers get a chance to post. Can you do us that favor please?

[TC]

I think for the '55 one of those FAST or Holley TBI kits with a Dual TBI setup and self learn would be the way to go...........But then I guess you could do that with a pair of TB's off a TBI 454 and a MSII............You just won't have the self learn portion, though I guess you will have to learn it yourself, so I guess it is a type of self learn.....

[squirrel]

Set some ground rules for us:

Sounds like it's OK to use parts you have on hand?
Low buck/DIY allowed?

Definitely. And I have a mill and a lathe, and don't mind making stuff myself. It won't cost anything (besides materials and possibly tooling), but we'll add up the hours.

[TC]

do us a favor and let the EFI guys help him out first, OK? this isn't the "random guess" thread, this is squirrel asking guys already doing DIY-EFI two things: how much, and what do we get for the price? you haven't done DIY EFI yet, neither has TC, this would be a nice thread if you both hold your comments until at least the experienced EFIers get a chance to post. Can you do us that favor please?

Get off your high horse, every opinion counts, not just yours..........

Like you would have even know that a regular Distributor won't work with that intake........

[squirrel]

I do have the low profile plastic distributor, but the cap is broken, so I'd need a new cap.

And yeah, please let the guys who know about it answer first...

[Stich496]

my tpi..
if all the junkyard parts work thats a big IF
tpi set up wire harness and sensors.. 100.00
have injectors tested ? no idea what a flow test cost..
intake gaskets, 24.oo rock auto
ford multi port truck efi pump framerail type 60-80 rock auto..
fittings and filter 40
air filter hose and air box. 25. at same junkyard
msII 268.00 plus assemble
relay board if needed
cable to hook to laptop forget what that was 30-40
ubs adapter...?
laptop ?
o2 sensor.. wide band 50.00-80
return line 26.00 3/8 steel 25' roll
mis wire connectors 30.00
extra ground straps.. free j/y
tpi dissy 40.00 j/y or use one of my points ones that I payed 25 for

[dieselgeek]

Get off your high horse, every opinion counts, not just yours..........

He didn't ask for opinions, he asked for fact. you haven't touched a carb in a decade, and EFI ever - so, go start your own thread.

[squirrel]

Get off your high horse, every opinion counts, not just yours....

Yes, but please only post your opinion about how to put EFI on the car and truck, and how much it would cost to do it, and how much effort it would take. And please be realistic, I'm a cheapskate, and would not be buying a high buck system.

[TC]

Hold on TC, he doesn't HAVE to use anything.

No it won't when a points style distributor won't fit with that intake..........That is why the cap is so short in that pic the intake actually hangs over the cap.......To replace the cap you have to take the upper portion of the plenum off.....I know this as a fact because I used to own one.........