A CHANGE OF HEART
- Thread starter kad5118
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kad5118 said:
The first question is, how much of this work can you do yourself? In either case, extensive rewiring and replumbing is required. The Olds 350 can be converted to a throttle body system pretty easily. You can get an aftermarket kit like a Holley. These can be found in the $500 range or less used. Alternately, get all the TBI system hardware from a late 1980s Chevy truck with 5.7 motor. You can buy an adapter to bolt the throttle body to a Q-jet intake. Use all the wiring, sensors, and ECU from the truck. Use the distributor from an Olds 307 with the CCC system. You'll need to change the connector on the truck wire harness, but the functions on the wires to the distributor are the same. The PROM in the truck ECU will be close enough for a stock engine. If you have mods to the engine, you'll need a custom PROM. Of course you'll need an electric fuel pump with the proper pressure rating (about 15-20 PSI for a TBI system). If you want a port injection system, you're talking a custom installation.
The LS-family swap can be done, but it's a lot more work.
If your looking to go with a multiport EFI system, your looking at anywhere between $1000 up to $4000 or more depending on how thrifty you are, how much of the work you can do yourself and what ECU you get.
The cheapest out there is the Megasquirt system. You can build one yourself for cheap or buy one already put together.
These are usually in the $250-$400 range.
Then you have a big jump and get into the name brand EFI ECU's like Accel, Big Stuff 3, FAST, etc. which start in the $1500 and up range. Probably closer to $2000.
Then there's systems like Motec, Electromotive, etc. that are in the $4000-$10,000 range depending on features.
As I mentioned in your other build, do you really need EFI? What is your experience level when it comes to building cars/engines? Because doing an EFI conversion is definitely not something that is very easy. It has a steep learning curve and will take time to learn how to tune it and get it driving well with it. Do you have the patience to tune the EFI yourself? If not, you can take the car to a shop with a chassis dyno but I've found they charge around $150/hr to tune an engine from scratch and it will take 3-4 hours to do it.
For a weekend cruiser that you just get out on nice days, I'd stick with a Q-jet.
The cheapest out there is the Megasquirt system. You can build one yourself for cheap or buy one already put together.
These are usually in the $250-$400 range.
Then you have a big jump and get into the name brand EFI ECU's like Accel, Big Stuff 3, FAST, etc. which start in the $1500 and up range. Probably closer to $2000.
Then there's systems like Motec, Electromotive, etc. that are in the $4000-$10,000 range depending on features.
As I mentioned in your other build, do you really need EFI? What is your experience level when it comes to building cars/engines? Because doing an EFI conversion is definitely not something that is very easy. It has a steep learning curve and will take time to learn how to tune it and get it driving well with it. Do you have the patience to tune the EFI yourself? If not, you can take the car to a shop with a chassis dyno but I've found they charge around $150/hr to tune an engine from scratch and it will take 3-4 hours to do it.
For a weekend cruiser that you just get out on nice days, I'd stick with a Q-jet.
Well i pretty much know what parts is needed in order to complete a basic efi system,multipoint or throttle body.I know a thing or two about motors,such as cam and head combination ,bore and stroke ,valve intake etc.I just trying figure out should i drop a 4.8 in my 1980cutlass 442 w30 or convert my 350r to efi because at the end the 4.8 will repay for its self hands down,But i not really sure how it would effect the value of my 442 cutlass as well.I could see it being a weekend cruiser or daily driver in the summer time,So for that reason I am stuck as far as my decesion beacuse im aiming for gas mileage as well as performance driveability reliability but i can easy get a 700r, 200r or 4l60e trans for gas mileage and stick with the stock rear end or drop down to a 3.08 rear end since the olds 350 rocket is a torq monster 8) .I guess im just havent made up my mind yet.
kad5118 said:
I have to laugh every time I hear someone say this. Yes, Olds motors are typically tuned for torque over HP, but the 350 Olds has a larger bore and shorter stroke than a 350 Chevy. The problem yet again is the crappy heads on the Olds motor.
Dwight on Oldspower.com has a 455 in his Cutlass running mid-low 12's and regularly gets 20mpg on the highway. No fancy EFI just a well tuned Q-jet and engine overall.
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