# Fuel Injection Conversion...has anyone done it?



## Cletus (Dec 8, 2012)

Hi Folks,

Getting kind of serious about doing one of these FI conversions and I don't see where anyone has done one of these? My 400 with a modest cam and a QJet has all of the hot starting/ fuel boiling woes as many do. Not sure adding phenolic spacers and blocking off exhaust ports will make that much difference and frankly the appeal of FI is very alluring. Has anyone done this with either the Edelbrock or FAST systems. Any opinions on the variants that integrate timing into the system? I just don't have the patience for cars that die or don't want to start after sitting for 45 minutes. It's funny...I drove QJets back in the early 70''s and never had the woes we have now with these new fuels. 

Any guidance is appreciated. The engine seems pretty much bullet proof beyond this. I have tortured it beyond belief hoping I would kill it which would give me an excuse to put a modern power plant in, but alas, it runs beautifully (under extremely limited conditions) and will likely outlive me. Also important to note that nothing sounds like a Pontiac 400, and I am not sure I could give that up for a modern Corvette motor with all the electronics. 

Cletus


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## danthepontiacman (Jul 5, 2008)

I know about the setup or benefits but if you do the upgrade id go with the edelbrock setup because all or most of the other brands are throttle body but the edelbrock is multi port and prob would due better on gas sipping.


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

It would be awesome if they made a Tri-Power kit with three throttle bodies that would bolt onto the original intake!!


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## Bensjammin66 (May 12, 2009)

Lotta people on here swear by a Q-jet... I run an AED 850 Holly type carb and never once had an issue with hot starting or dare I repeat it, fuel boiling?!?! Yikes!! Those EFI setups are super pricey for a working man like myself. But I think if i was going EFI id go full balls to the wall and find me an alumnium LS, LQ or LY engine and stick that beauty in there instead of dropping thousands on a n EFI setup for an older block. Just my .02. Engine swaps are pricey too I guess. What isn't these days in this hobby though... 

On a second note they sell a block off plate for the exhaust cross over for iron heads that i had success with before i got my KREs. That prevents ALOT of heat build up in your intake.


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## Cletus (Dec 8, 2012)

I will try the spacer and the block off plates first. I love the sound of the "puddle dumper" Q Jet secondaries. It was a fresh "Jet" product so I can't imagine the plugs are leaking already? But it does display some funky behavior I never saw in the days of old. I had Quadrajets on my 68 GTO and 67 Camaro's back in the 70's and never had this trouble. Stand by for a follow up report. The sun is out and it's warm here in Oregon so it's time to get it out of the garage. Cletus.


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## Lemans guy (Oct 14, 2014)

Cletus, Holley has an ultra street avenger carb that has 4 corner idle adjustment,

I don't have one but maybe somebody who does can advise. Some things that help with those hot start issues are timing. Retarded timing makes a car idle hot.

On a modern car if you watched the computer scanner you would see the computer putting that timing out to 25degrees at idle.....

Full manifold Vacumn to a the right distributor vac can can help put it out where the car runs cooler at idle where the fuel perc problems come in.

But hey FI is very efficient, just adds a lot more stuff....


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

I like injection, for its own sake. Very efficient. Not cheap, though. But smooth and easy driving, for sure. Me, I'm running the same 250,000 mile Quadrajet on my '67 that the car was built with. It still works flawlessly.....and I live where there's alcohol in the fuel and summer temps are 100-110+ every day for 2-3 months every year. No hot start issues or vapor lock issues at all. No heat block off intake gaskets, either. Not needed. Up in rainy Oregon, you should not have this issue at all. Make sure you have the mandatory steel plate under the carb if you are running a '67 unit on a '67 intake. A fuel return system also does wonders. (My '67 came with one...and I had vapor lock issues when I bypassed it). Something is not right with your particular carb or fuel system.....Q-jets work just as well now as they ever did, set up correctly.


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## Cletus (Dec 8, 2012)

It was a brand new "Jet" brand QJet and it was installed and set up by "major murray" here in Portland. They seem pretty competent and have a great reputation. But the hot start issue has always been there since the rebuild. Starts great, idles great (even with a modest cam) and has good power. Timing is good, distributor advances properly, cooling system all checks, (pump impeller fit checks with flowcooler pump) runs 220 at times at speed but runs cooler at idle and around town. It's virtually indestructible other than this hot start issue. It always starts, but it takes some time and it's a nuisance. I blocked off the crossover (it's a edelbrock pontiac performer) and i am not sure if that intake actually does anything performance. I have a factory intake I guess I could try. I can smell fuel after it's parked hot. Do you think the Jet brand carb (less than 600 miles on it probably) is leaking down when hot? I hate to tear it apart to check that but it might make sense. I notice that when I move the car around in the shop (move it cold) and return to it a couple days later it fires just fine. When it sits for a week or so, it takes a few moments for it to fire. I will report back when I install the phenolic spacer in a few days.


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## Indecision (Oct 24, 2010)

Not pontiac specific... but here's a great article in Car Craft (best magazine ever for those wondering) that I read when it showed up in the mail a few months ago. Great read and answered a lot of questions. I was thinking about going that route, but I'd rather put the money toward an LS. It also taught me about the AEM Phantom fuel pump, which I will run when I do go EFI. 

Car Craft's Giant EFI Test - Car Craft Magazine


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## Cletus (Dec 8, 2012)

Update on HOT START issue. 

So I pulled the Edelbrock Performer intake and closed off the exhaust crossover and installed a phenolic spacer and the hot start issue seems to have cured itself. I also modified the starting system with a ford starter relay and a heavier gauge wire so I could go back to my GM starter. I was never able to get the Hi Torque starter to perform. This car had a big cam in it installed by the previous owner and I wound up having to put a lot of advance into it to get it to run cool. So for the moment, all is well!


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