I have been debating for a while on changing my Carburetor 1987 Monte Carlo SS to Fuel Injection (FI). I know ill get a bit better mpg and can get more power with the FI.

Has anyone ever done a swap? Any yays or nays?

 

You have a ton of options in this case. You can do one of the aftermarket EFI kits that will bolt on to your existing engine, you can swap in a newer EFI motor (like an LT1 or an LS motor), or, you can do what I'm doing on my Suburban (albeit I already have EFI but want more power than the TBI creates) and convert to a TPI. With the TPI swap, you can keep your existing engine and just change the intake system. I'll be changing to L98 heads as well most likely but it would work just fine on the stock heads. You just won't realize the best power potential.

One of the biggest benefits to EFI is cold start performance. Going from carbureted to EFI will maybe net you a 1-3 mpgs by itself (I know people with 2nd gen Camaros getting 25mpg because of Overdrive on their carbureted motors) but it starting up when it's cold out the first try is well worth it. You will have to install a high pressure fuel pump to feed enough fuel pressure. LT1s and LS motors require around 50 or 60 psi IIRC and TPI requires 40 or so psi of fuel pressure. Your carbureted motor only runs around 4-6psi IIRC and the TBI motors it's like 9-13 or so.

Hope that helps.

 

I want to keep my current engine (ZZ4 Small Block) so im looking at different parts that i can just swap in.

 

Fast an holly both have efi kit that pretty much replace the cab an fuel pump.
There supposed to be simple to install an tune them selves.
I'm doing a full LSX swap myself.Got tired of the cold starts an wanted to go LSX for awhile now.
I do now going EFI is a bit costly to do unless you find a used set up.

 

all i can say is you will enjoy it changing the fuel system for anouther the reliable start up as well better fuel mpg as well. i just swaped out my coworkers intake manifold and carb for holly's fuel injection setup that looks like a carb set up but it is fuel set up. it runs great. like it needed it like a heart trans plant. his is the chevy 1500 step side he had his 350 rebuilt and new card it didnt feel right till i seen the old manifold it has a starvation of air fuel mix wich makes itrun differently but the new setup he ordered it is a different beast now.

 

Have not done such a swap.... But my '84 Camaro is carbed. I intend to keep it carbed as this is part of the nostalgia to that car for me. I can drive fuel injected cars any day, but a carbed car??? Just my thoughts....

 

I just want the drivability an power of a LSX engine.But the double the mpg is a plus too.

 

fuel injection would be the best option. a carb is always going to be a compromise its either going to perform great at wot, or great while cruising, but never great at both. im sure people will say that thats all tuning and some of it is, but at the end of the day weather changes all the time and your carb is most probably not going to be tuned everyday. efi is going to be constantly adapting to conditions. its a far better setup i would say for daily driving and cruising. where i think the carb is better for dragging the car and cruising. i personally run a 750 double pumper on mine and have never had any real issues with cold start ups, and it was my daily driver for several years. im sure the high compression probably helped. on swapping out, the aftermarket route is probably going to be your best performing route. the l98 tpi swap probably your cheapest. the down side to the tpi is that your motor is probably going to suffer from the same thing that the l98s did. they had a tendency to fall on there face at 4500rpm do to the runners. slp does make revised runners that help with that problem though. i was personally looking at the accel super ram set up. which might be in my cars future when i get back to working on it.

 

Without changing gears, you will not come remotely close to doubling your fuel mileage by going EFI. You may gain 1-3 mpg but nothing more than that. So if fuel economy is your primary motivation, you want to spend your money elsewhere. You can hook an LS motor to a turbo 350 and you will get only slightly higher than a carbed motor hooked to the same transmission. Gearing (and especially adding OD to a non-OD car) is the single biggest fuel mileage gain. Like I said, I've seen 2nd gen Camaros (which have a relatively high drag coefficient compared to newer cars) get 25mpg on the stock motor, but hooked up to an OD transmission. With an LS motor it averages about 1-2mpg higher in those cars.

cold start performance is the single biggest reason to go EFI. My 73 will remain carbed for nostalgia, but it does have OD.

 

I have a 1988 MC SS it came with the 305 H.O i bout a LT1 4l60e computer and a factory wiring harness from another car i plan to install it but ive been to ill need a painless wiring harness which is $700 i was wondering was there any way i could use the factory harness and just use what i needed and cut the excess wires off.