It is not the tune so much as the fuel evaporating and gunking up the carburetors that is the driving force for EFI.  I am planning the 2 x 4 EFI install for my '55 Thunderbird after I get everything sorted out.  I hate to have to open the hood, remove the air cleaner, get my little squirt bottle of gasoline, funnel, and fill the carburetor, pump the accelerator until the fuel starts coming out the squirters, and then start the engine.  That gets old unless you actually start the engine every three or four days.  My T-bird sits for several weeks at the time, and this is what I have to do to start it again.  I had an electric fuel pump installed between the tank and engine fuel pump, and it didn't last very long before it failed and blocked the fuel to the mechanical pump.  I know there has to be a better way, and there are supposed pumps that allow fuel to bypass when the pump is turned off, but I haven't found one as yet that is reliable.  Joe-JDC

JDC

Carter electric pumps have been reliable for me.  However, I do not have a mechanical pump installed so I cannot speak to how well it free flows when turned off.


Lawrenceville, GA

When I bought my car it had it's original TPot carb.  It also had an old electric fuel pump and a very crusty gas tank.  It ran like crap. My new engine has a modern mechanical fuel pump and a 1848-1 Holley four barrel with the choke disconnected. I also have a mechanical advance distributor with a Pertronix module and coil.  My engine is in perfect tune. It idles and runs like a watch.   I never have to remove the air cleaner to start it.  I pump the gas and it starts. As soon as it warms up a little, I'm off.

Admittedly, I live in Central Florida and I drive my car at least once a week.  I should fix the choke, but it isn't necessary where I live. I honestly don't believe you are going to gain that much with EFI.  If you want it for the cool factor, I get it.

Joe what carbs dry up? I have had 2×4s, Carters and Edelbrocks for 50 years typically sits 4 or 5 months through the winters. I have an electric fuel pump turn it on for a bit it turns over a couple of times and runs perfectly after all winter. They never leak, I don't even have chokes in them. I have not had to adjust or do anything to them since they were adjusted at Ted's which has to be close to 10 years ago. I probably missing some hp by not having some other type carbs but I don't like having to fiddle with them all the time. I do think that EFI will do the same but I like old school cool.

  Vic Correnti

Nearly 10 years ago?  NO WAY!  LOL, It seems like a couple of years ago.  I have a couple of intakes I would like for you to try, but that would be a hassle to change things around.  Anyway, Autolite carbs have the accelerator pump housing under the carb body, and so does Holley.  These evaporate out rather quickly here in San Antonio.  I keep the T-bird in the AC section of my garage, and it will still need primed after about 10 days.  I am procrastinating about installing all the new parts on the engine until I get the car stripped and painted.  Joe-JDC  

JDC

Are you against using an electric fuel pump without the mechanical pump, sure makes starting easy after sitting. I have had no failures with the red or the blue Holley pumps. I know there are better pumps out there too. So now that you threw me a bone I have to ask what kind of changes required? Right now I have installed a different clutch system and have to work through some growing pains. Any chance you going to the Shootout this year?

  Vic Correnti

Not against an electric fuel pump, but not happy with the noise of the Holley blue pump, either.  I have a Edelbrock 257 that I have gone back through, and picked up a little flow over your figures, and a couple of larger Edelbrock carbs that I think would be worth some et.  With the possibility of another Masters of Motors Challenge this fall, I may be really busy with a couple of engine builds, and a trip to Alaska.  Looks like a full Spring and Summer again.  Joe-JDC

JDC

I have isolated my blue Holley by suspending from a 1/2" thick piece of a truck mud flap and don't hardly hear it but my cars exhaust is not the quietest but the exhaust does exit out the back like it should on a 55 bird. So how big are the Edelbrocks? I'm running 2-600s now with the secondary air flap crap removed. Any thoughts how much I increased the cfm?

  Vic Correnti

Besides having the appropriate intake manifold for the throttle body that's being used, Installation of the aftermarket fuel injection units requires good electrical connections including the grounds.  The wide band oxygen sensors are very sensitive to vacuum and header/exhaust leaks so those must be eliminated.  Some units require a return fuel line back to the tank; I’ve worked around some of those by just having the return line go back in at the inlet side of the externally mounted fuel pump.  A good charging system with an alternator would be a prerequisite.
 
Age is going to be your enemy with anything electrical as any terminal corrosion that takes place will have the systems not necessarily failing but instead doing funny stuff that may be hard to trouble shoot.  Reduced voltage or voltage spikes also creates some unique tuning problems.  Soldering all the electrical connections does not guarantee that this will fix the problem as soldering actually speeds up that corrosion process in some instances.  You’ll not see soldered connections in an airplane, just crimped terminals.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

The Carter pumps use grommets in the bracket to suspend the pump.  As long as you use a length of rubber hose between hard line ( or maybe even rubberized support for the hard line), it is pretty quiet.


Lawrenceville, GA