EFI Bolt-On System - Simple (No, Really) Fuel Injection

Today most of us are driving a fuel-injected car or truck, but many of us grew up driving older carburetor-equipped vehicles. We all remember pumping the accelerator pedal on those cold winter mornings, hoping the engine would start, or having to give a little more pedal at a stop light to prevent a stall. Certainly, those of us that drove during that period can fully appreciate all the benefits a modern electronic fuel-injection system has to offer.

For years, GM and Ford enthusiasts have been retrofitting various types of fuel-injection systems onto older model cars. Those enthusiasts have had access to systems designed for cars like the tuned port-injected Camaros and Firebirds, and the EFI-equipped Ford Mustangs of the mid-'80s and '90s to make their conversions possible. But Chrysler enthusiasts have been at a distinct disadvantage. For us, the ability to retrofit a practical, reliable, inexpensive, electronic fuel-injection system onto a stock V-8 engine in an older vehicle simply wasn't possible. Yes, there are the fuel-injected, small, front-wheel-drive models of the '80s and '90s, but those four-banger EFI systems can't be installed onto larger engines. For the Chrysler stock small-block/big-block engine driver, the only alternatives to a carburetor were a small selection of over-the-counter universal systems, and the so-called laptop-tunable, custom, electronic fuel-injection systems produced by several manufacturers.

Various universal EFI systems have gained a great deal of notoriety over the years. sadly, some have given fuel injection a bad reputation. Most often, these systems comprise a stand-alone, fuel-only controller tuned by adjusting knobs on the face of the unit. Because of their generic nature, these controllers are not vehicle specific and do require tuning for the application. But with only the ability to turn knobs, how accurate can their tuning be? this method of tuning is somewhat unscientific, at best. These controllers do not permit access to the engine performance maps, and they only allow for adjustments to the fuel curve. Generally, these devices lack the sophisticated electronics necessary to alter engine timing; timing is still controlled by a vacuum-advance distributor. by not facilitating an oxygen-sensor input, they cannot allow for a closed-loop operation to enhance fuel economy. It is true these controllers can offer a semblance of fuel injection, but they ignore half of the process. The principal advantage of the EFI systems is price. While they may not be entirely satisfactory in their performance, they can be inexpensive to purchase.

Laptop and hand-held calibrator tunable systems can be calibrated to work in nearly any vehicle, and they can perform extremely well. Their tuning is accomplished by altering the engine's individual fuel and timing maps at various engine speeds throughout the power range. For the most part, the implementation of these systems requires the skills necessary to interpret engine performance curves and to tune an engine through a computer.

Certainly, these are a collection of skills we don't all possess. Lacking these skills, the buyer must obtain expensive dyno-time to achieve the desired result. these systems can also come with a hefty price tag, often thousands of dollars. while these systems are state-of-the-art and champion the cause of retrofit EFI, we believe they are best suited to high-performance applications, where their higher purchase costs can be justified. But what about drivers who want to enjoy all the benefits modern electronic fuel-injection systems have to offer and not spend thousands to do so? Until now, there hasn't been a complete bolt-and-go, retrofit, electronic fuel-injection system for Chrysler enthusiasts driving stock or mildly modified V-8s.