Electronic Fuel Injection Corvette Conversions

Converting an engine originally equipped with a carburetor to electronic fuel injection (EFI) is nothing new; though every year it seems as if interest in taking the EFI plunge gains momentum. OEM vehicles of the past two decades have firmly engrained the advantages of fuel injection to all but the most diehard enthusiasts. Far be it from us to suggest taking a show-bred Corvette and altering it in such a way. however, if serious road time is more important than originality in your Vette escapades, retrofitting to EFI is a modification worth considering. Late-model performance cars, such as the C5 and C6, provide all the evidence necessary to show the attributes of injection, including flawless drivability and remarkable reliability. Wouldn't it be nice to take some of that technology and apply it to an earlier carbureted Corvette?

For the vast majority of enthusiasts, the thought of running a custom aftermarket EFI system is filled with trepidation. Sure, it seems to work great on modern cars, but just what is involved in setting up an older engine to work with this modern technology? At first glance it might seem pretty complex, with items such as the wiring, sensors, the control box, and so on. In comparison to that old Quadrajet, it certainly involves more hardware and at a more sophisticated level, but breaking it down is nothing a seasoned wrench-turner couldn't handle. We sought just such a conversion to a small-block Chevrolet engine and found the changeover less daunting than anticipated, using components from FAST.

Back in the early days of EFI conversions, most efforts centered upon adapting the primitive OEM components of the time to vintage iron. Installing the hardware was simple enough, but the difficulty stemmed from gaining control of the tuning parameters. Such installations nearly always involved modifications to the factory specifications, and the control units that provided the logic to run the systems were notoriously inflexible. Times have changed, and these days companies like FAST do the work to produce components that have been designed to work together, in a wide range of potential applications. the technology is built into the system, so the end user does not need to be a fuel-system engineer. The software facilitates tuning the system to an unbelievable degree, making such installations flexible in controlling a wide range of likely combinations.

Whether you are looking to inject an older Corvette cruiser, or are looking to plant a modern, fuel-injected monster in your radically modified C3, the systems to make it happen have already been ironed-out to the nth degree.

Is there EFI in the future of your seasoned Vette? It's pretty hard to ignore the drivability of modern systems that continually adjust the fuel and spark to their optimal settings as you drive. Equipped with modern controls, you're practically rolling down the road with an ace tune-up man wrenching away under the hood at all times. An expertly calibrated fuel-injection system can eliminate the temperamental nature that some carbureted installations can exhibit, and make driving the pleasure it was intended to be. Everything you need is readily available from EFI specialty companies such as FAST, so what are you waiting for?

Dyno ResultsCarb vs. EFISuperflow 901 Engine Dyno Tested at Westech Performance Group STP Correction Factor