BUILD THREAD 87 Cutlass EFI build: 9/13/23..NEW STUFF!

[64nailhead]

We, my son and I, are running an MS2 and what it allows for tuning is extremely easy, IMO. I did alot of research into the using the stock ECM but decided against it after seeing the limitations. Over the winter we are going to reroute most all of the cabin wiring similar to what you have done. But we went the opposite approach in the engine bay. Basically, we wanted make everyhting as assessible as possible, but at the cost of appearance. Your engine bay looks as if the car was built with that engine in it and I truly understand what it took to accomplish that. Again - nice job and well done.

I need my son to get a build thread going on here documenting what we've done. He bought the car stripped and it was ready to be turned into a dirt street stock with only a rear end installed and with the interior gutted. But he drives it daily, at least until the salt hits the road. So driveability is his first concern. Second was making it go and get fuel economy. Presently it will get 20 mpg, but the fuel system is lacking. It runs out of fuel at 350/410 at the wheels. He looking for 500/600 at the wheels. Obviously from the pictures, making it fully stock appearing isn't his concern.

I won't hijack your thread, but I'll tell you that with where you're at, putting an MS2 in would be a snap and will be way under a $1000 upgrade.

 

[Injectedcutty]

We, my son and I, are running an MS2 and what it allows for tuning is extremely easy, IMO. I did alot of research into the using the stock ECM but decided against it after seeing the limitations. Over the winter we are going to reroute most all of the cabin wiring similar to what you have done. But we went the opposite approach in the engine bay. Basically, we wanted make everyhting as assessible as possible, but at the cost of appearance. Your engine bay looks as if the car was built with that engine in it and I truly understand what it took to accomplish that. Again - nice job and well done.

I need my son to get a build thread going on here documenting what we've done. He bought the car stripped and it was ready to be turned into a dirt street stock with only a rear end installed and with the interior gutted. But he drives it daily, at least until the salt hits the road. So driveability is his first concern. Second was making it go and get fuel economy. Presently it will get 20 mpg, but the fuel system is lacking. It runs out of fuel at 350/410 at the wheels. He looking for 500/600 at the wheels. Obviously from the pictures, making it fully stock appearing isn't his concern.

I won't hijack your thread, but I'll tell you that with where you're at, putting an MS2 in would be a snap and will be way under a $1000 upgrade.

Thats a pretty sweet cutlass....when i upgraded to efi my intention was to boost it then i ran out of $$$$ which is normal in hotrodding lol!!! I built the fuel system for boost (A1000 pump, filters, regulator, braided lines and fittings). I have seriously looked at the ms2 setup and its at the top of my list for tuning upgrades down the road. No worries about hijacking....im a true gearhead and love seeing what everybody has built or building.

 

[64nailhead]

We just bought the 2nd Walbro 255. We found out on the dyno that a single gives up at 348 HP lol. My son doesn't know it, but for Christmas I bought him a custom ground cam from Chris Straub that Chris claims will make 500 at the crank and increase mpg. But we're going to put the corn to it and hopefully be able to put another 10-12 degrees of timing in it that'll hopefully get us to 500 to the wheels. We're running 80lb injectors that should be able to handle 700+. What size injectors are you running? As you can see we have a TPI that doesn't help the top end any, but the TPI along with short stroke and 6.25" rods make gobs of torque.

He's been running it all summer on the 7.5 10 bolt with a Torsen that made it through the summer, but he just bought an 8.5 on ebay that we should be seeing within a week or two. Once that get puts put in we'll see what it will do at the local 1/8 mile (next spring/summer). Was your car an original 8.5"?

FWIW, I recommend the assembled MS2 with a relay board for anyone running a SBC with multiport stock dizzy setup. It is as close to plug and play as you'll find.

 

[Injectedcutty]

We just bought the 2nd Walbro 255. We found out on the dyno that a single gives up at 348 HP lol. My son doesn't know it, but for Christmas I bought him a custom ground cam from Chris Straub that Chris claims will make 500 at the crank and increase mpg. But we're going to put the corn to it and hopefully be able to put another 10-12 degrees of timing in it that'll hopefully get us to 500 to the wheels. We're running 80lb injectors that should be able to handle 700+. What size injectors are you running? As you can see we have a TPI that doesn't help the top end any, but the TPI along with short stroke and 6.25" rods make gobs of torque.

He's been running it all summer on the 7.5 10 bolt with a Torsen that made it through the summer, but he just bought an 8.5 on ebay that we should be seeing within a week or two. Once that get puts put in we'll see what it will do at the local 1/8 mile (next spring/summer). Was your car an original 8.5"?

FWIW, I recommend the assembled MS2 with a relay board for anyone running a SBC with multiport stock dizzy setup. It is as close to plug and play as you'll find.

I love the a1000, i have it wired into the painless ecm harness so it goes into supply and demand mode upon the motor running. I am only running 24lb svo injectors but my old motor was pumping out est. 435 hp and i can run the hsr up to 6800rpm w/o falling on its face! My cutlass had the 7.5" but i found an 8.5" from a 85 hurst that already had 3.73's in it. I had a powertrax put in it years ago. Last time i hit the 1/8" i was running with a 650 speed demon, stock suspension and garbage tires....ran 9.08 with loads of wheel hop and shifting at 6800. That motor died in july so im planning a new 355 build with the same guts that are good, new scat crank, new comp 268xfi cam, etc. Hp might drop a tad but i will mostly be cruising it when finished. I will look into the ms2 setup for sure. Before my block cracked i had partially tuned it running 10 degrees base timing.

 

[Silent viewer]

Could you post pics of the how you ran all of the fuel lines and regulator? My stealth ram motor is in my 442 and I am down to the fuel lines, regulator and a few more connections on my harness.

Very nice build!!!

 

[Injectedcutty]

Could you post pics of the how you ran all of the fuel lines and regulator? My stealth ram motor is in my 442 and I am down to the fuel lines, regulator and a few more connections on my harness.

Very nice build!!!

Thanks for checking it out! I have my pump mounted in the spare tire well with the fuel lines running along the pass side frame rail (-8an) then at the trans x-member i have a Y block splitting to two -6an lines....each goes to driver n pass fuel rail....both exit the fuel rail and go to the regulator, then a -6an line returns to the cell. I over complicated it though...you can get by just running one feed line to the pass rail, crossover to driver side and put regulator at back side of driver rail, then return to tank. I ran it the way aeromotive recommended.

 

[Silent viewer]

im liking how you mounted your regulator. I may use 1 -6 hose and the factory hard line on mine and mount the regulator as you did. thanks for the pics!

 

[85GPLef41]

Nice project! looking good can't wait to the final product! What color you planning? i also have a 87 Cutlass which i hope to redo the interior and swap engine out for either a LT1 or LQ4 408 though the LT1 would be cheaper! i like good build threads!

 

[Injectedcutty]

Nice project! looking good can't wait to the final product! What color you planning? i also have a 87 Cutlass which i hope to redo the interior and swap engine out for either a LT1 or LQ4 408 though the LT1 would be cheaper! i like good build threads!

Man i appreciate it! Like I've said, the progress on my cutlass has taken awhile because i have this vision in my head of the finished product. The paint color will be kept secret for now but it will definitely not be black on the outside when done. My body guy hopes to have the 1st coat of primer on er by turkey day!!! I will def keep updates coming.

 

[Injectedcutty]

Well why i was grinding away at work today, my brother n law, his uncle and our body and paint guy were grinding away on the cutty!!!! Might not look like much but my car has a new roof skin and quarters. PROGRESS, PROGRESS!!! They got the windshield frame almost done and what you see here. Cant wait to see it in primer!