phoenix

I am trying to determine a plan for my vette over the next couple of years.

First step is to get everything working and safe. (Suspension, steering and brakes are in the process right now.) I plan to have this finished by April.

Then, I will move onto the engine and or transmission.

I want more power, but also drivability.

My question is, should I rebuild the original motor (may only need a new cam, heads and exhaust, but needs a fairly major overhaul) or buy a Crate motor with carb.

Then I was thinking, what about getting the ramjet 350? Or buying an aftermarket fuel injection system for the engine as is and then upgrade the engine as I need it?

Basically, cost is the issue, but I would like drivability and am not really too worried about originality.

Anyone have comments on the ramjet or aftermarket injection systems? Particularly the lower cost ones :D

Thanks

mrvette

Cheapest waqy to go DPFI, which will double your fuel economy is get a junkyard L98 system, 1227730 computer which runs MAP speed density programme....and if need to get a wiring harness for it....
it will nearly double your fuel economy, and make driving fun with instant smooth power....on your stock engine....
which if needs rebuild...find a good machine shop and let them do it to stock basic specs.....you will wind up with about 280 some odd HP....
for extensive highway driving, you might want an overdrive tranny...easiest thing there is an automatic...700 or 200 turbo....
o/drive stickshifts are at LEAST 2-3 times the price....

GENE

phoenix

Thanks mrvette :D:D

Do you have any idea where to get an L98 system and the price on used setups?

Smokehouse69

TPI setups from Corvettes, Camaros and F-Birds of dubious quality are found daily out on E-Bay for $300-$500. Usually they are incomplete and you'll have to get the ECM (electronic control module) and a wiring harness to use them. Budman has one on his car and seems pretty happy with it. You probably won't ever make the power you will with a carb, they dont flow enough air, but fuel economy, smoothness of operation and instant starts in all weather make up for that for a lot of people.
With a TPI and a TH700-r4 or TH200-4r overdrive transmission you can get 22 mpg at freeway speeds.

phoenix

Are any of the other systems better as far as airflow? Edebrock, Holley etc...

I would like to get up around 350HP so that I don't feel the need for immediate HP upgrades.

fwayne

I want to put EFI on mine, too, but this year I'm replacing the engine with a crate motor and can't afford to also buy FI just yet. I considered the Ramjet 350, but it doesn't make as much power as I'd like and the ECU is not programmable. I don't know what the flow specs are like on the Ramjet, but the Holley Commander 950 claims 1000 cfm and injector sizing up to 850hp with a Vortec manifold. The Commander doesn't use EEPROMs - you just plug it into a PC. The Edelbrock system is supposed to be decent, but it does require a custom chip, though you can make some adjustments on the fly.

Smokehouse69

You'll get about 280-300 hp with a well tuned stock GM TPI unit they just can't flow enough air to get big horsepower, there are some aftermarket units with bigger runners that will crank out the HP, but they are expensive. I think Zwede has the Edelbrock EFI on his BB car and seems happy with it, these units don't suffer from the same limitations as the stock units. Holley sells a couple of TBI (Throttle Body Injections) one is a 2 barrel 670 cfm (max 320 hp) the other is a 4 barrel 950 cfm, up to (500hp? I think) There are several others that sell fuel injection setups, Accell and a couple others. I don't have any real knowledge of those units. In fact most of my knowledge comes from my reasearch on the same subject, and not any real experience with any of these units. I've thought about doing it myself and have been investigating my options.
There is a formula that is pretty general when sizing hp on TBI units, it has to do with the capacity of the injectors to flow fuel taken to some factor.

zwede

I actually have the holley cmdr 950 on my BB. You're right about me being happy with it, though. :)

mrvette

Phoenix, the old L98 systems will fit any pre '87 SBC, but the thing is they have those tubes that are easily dented, and so look poor as well as mess up the flow....thin aluminum....now the prices are cheap these days...at less than 300 for a complete mechanical setup....injectors should be there, but no wiring or computer....
but no controlling the dents....or grease stains...I just washed and painted mine some years ago...but then again I had no dents...;-)))
so it's at 300 for mechanical...
ten bucks for junkyard computer...1227730
200 some bucks for eprom with your engine's spec's dialed in...unless you want to burn your own chip....or go to GM for a stock chip/cal pak carrier...
200 some odd for a wiring harness....maybe a bit more....
65 or so for a K/N oval air filter to clamp on the t-body intake....
plus gaskets....about 100 bucks....

GENE

Noel Carboni

I've heard good things about the Accel SuperRam and DFI controller. Anyone on this forum running one of those?

-Noel

Monty

I used the Accel/LPE SuperRam and Accel/DFI engine management system (6.32) when I first converted my 82 over to a 'TPI' style intake from the original Crossfire setup. On a 383, I ended up with 450hp/480 ft lbs on the dyno, tuning the DFI myself. It was a good system, and anyone looking for an economical EFI system could probably pick up one of the old 6.xx DFI systems for less than $500.00. The SuperRam intake provides plenty of torque, but runs out of steam by 6000 rpm or so.