I am fairly new to EFI, but I have been reading up on it lately and I am starting to like it now that I understand more about how it works. I am just curious what are some ways to convert a 1981 350ci sbc to fuel injection. I would want to go with some type of MPFI or TPI if I did a swap, because I have seen TBI in action and have never liked it. My car came factory with a CCC, so I definitely don't want to go back that way either. I know holley and some other companies have full blown systems that include ECM and all, but they are extremely expensive and way out of my price range. I have access to a local junk yard that I can get very reasonable prices at, so is there some sort of EFI system I could pull out of a junk car and use as a starting point and then buy another manifold instead. If this is a common or stupid question to be asking then I am sorry, but I just don't know where to begin if I do decide to swap.

 

You need an ECM, harness, fuel pump, array of sensors, a manifold complete with injectors and throttlebody, as well as some fuel line modifications.

The harness can come out of any fuel injected fbody, even a 3.1 car. You just need to repin a few wires, but since your application is custom that shouldn't be a problem.

So lets look at the list:

1) ECM + harness, about $150 total
2) Stock TPI setup, about $250 complete OR HSR/lt1/miniram $600-1200
3) MAP, knock, iat, cts, and so on about $75
4) Fuel pump + fbody sender $50 at junkyard, or about $120 for a good walbro

You'll need to modify the fuel lines a little. Not a big deal.

-- Joe

 

If you would enlighten me, is the TPI in the stock fbodys sequential fuel injection or MPFI?

 

You mean sequential or batch fire.

MPFI is just what it is, multi-port = 1 injector per cyl.

Sequential means the injector firing is timed with valve movement.

All thirdgens are batch fire.

-- Joe

 

Yeah, that is what I meant.. batch fire or sequential. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

How about the forthgens.. are they batch fire or sequential?

 

Earlier are batch, later are sequential but. You can't use a harness and ecm out of one of those. Unless you can figure out how to get the HEI dizzy to talk to the computer, than i'll swap to one too.

-- Joe

 

what HEI thing are you talking about? I don't know much about SBCs from after about 85, so I have no idea what ignition setup they have. Could I use the entire EFI and HEI setup off of a fourthgen?