Installing EZ-EFI on my 1977 Camaro

[jerhofer]

What size roller cam are you running with this system? I want to get one of these!

Here are the cam specs.

Lunati VooDoo Solid Roller Cam…249/255 @ .050, .585/.600″ lift, 110lsa*



www.jerryforthofer.wordpress.com

[Kenova]

Here are the cam specs.

Lunati VooDoo Solid Roller Cam…249/255 @ .050, .585/.600″ lift, 110lsa*

Rumpity-rump-rump-rumpity-rump-rump .......

Ken

[jerhofer]

Rumpity-rump-rump-rumpity-rump-rump .......

Ken

When I first considered installing this system, I wondered how it would work with my cam. At the Autofair at the Charlotte Motor Speedway back in August, a fellow stopped to talk with me about my Camaro. Turns out he is the main engine engineer at TRD (Toyota Racing Development) in Salisbury, NC. Among other cars he owns is a Lingenfelter twin turbo Z06 and a '71 Camaro with a 355. I mentioned that I was considering fuel injection and he said he had installed the EZ-EFI on his Camaro. He had a similar type cam on it and it was working fine. If I had not talked with him, I am not sure I would have done the installation.

Because of my son working for Red Bull and they're running Toyota's, he knew my son and his car. My son has a '69 Camaro with a 406 and a fuel injection system he built from scratch. Prior to moving to Red Bull, he had worked for Michelin for 12 years designing race tires. Michelin had him spend three years in France working with race teams all over Europe. While he was over there, I was storing his Camaro. He bought a used Hilborn manifold on Ebay and had one of his Michelin friends bring it to him when they went to France.

He e-mailed me one day with instructions to take very specific pictures of the engine bay with a ruler in the background for measurements. He then built the entire system over there including a carbon fiber air box designed for ram air hoses that he has run to the nose of the car. He even built the autoclave to make the air box. He bought the appropriate sized injectors, drilled the bosses for them, made the linkage, and programmed the computer that runs the system. So my install was pretty simple compared with what he did. What is really amazing, is that he only had to trim about an inch off the inner structure of the hood in one corner to clear the airbox.

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[Mudweizer]

What is you vacuum like at idle and what is you idle speed at now since you installed the fast system? Thanks for the info.

[jerhofer]

What is you vacuum like at idle and what is you idle speed at now since you installed the fast system? Thanks for the info.

I don't have a figure on the vacuum but it is enough to make the power brakes work. I have the idle set a 900rpm currently. I plan on experimenting with some lower idle numbers to see what happens. My power steering pulls down the motor quite a bit so I am not sure i can get away with a much lower idle figure.

[David Pozzi]

When first setting fuel pressure, the instructions say to ground a wire off the ECM. This will turn on the pump for easy pressure setting.
It's green and marked "fuel pump relay" or "fuel pump controller" one connects to the fuel pump relay, the other is for grounding to turn on the pump when testing. Once the pressure is set close enough to start, you can just set it running as long as the vacuum line is disconnected.
David

[jerhofer]

When first setting fuel pressure, the instructions say to ground a wire off the ECM. This will turn on the pump for easy pressure setting.
It's green and marked "fuel pump relay" or "fuel pump controller" one connects to the fuel pump relay, the other is for grounding to turn on the pump when testing. Once the pressure is set close enough to start, you can just set it running as long as the vacuum line is disconnected.
David

I do remember reading that now that you mention it, but, in the excitement of getting the engine running, I completely forgot about it.

Thanks.

[bonecrrusher]

Nice update! Pics of the carbon fiber airbox and hillborn injection setup?

[jerhofer]

Nice update! Pics of the carbon fiber airbox and hillborn injection setup?

I don't have a picture of my son's engine with the airbox on. These pictures are of the system with the carbon fiber stacks that he made. He ran it with these stacks for awhile before installing the airbox and intake hoses. These stacks fit under his stock hood. He didn't make the valve covers in case anyone is wondering.









www.jerryforthofer.wordpress.com

[jerhofer]

Nice units...I like these things. One suggestion after lookign at the pics....fit a double spring for the throttle return.

I installed my new Lokar throttle cable today. Big improvement. The throttle cable that came with the car was not installed very securely so there was a lot of slop and it hung up a bit sometimes. The new one took all of that slop out and is much easier to modulate. It came with the double springs.

I set the idle at 800RPM and it varied between about 750 and 850. I had to set the idle at around 1100RPM on my carburetor to get it to keep running. By the way, I sold my carburetor on Ebay for $455. Got some of that money back!!

I drove it about 25 miles and the idle was slow to come down to that level. There are some advanced adustments that I have not done yet. I will hopefully get around to doing those tomorrow. Other than that, it ran great with excellent throttle response.

[bonecrrusher]

Cool - you planning on taking this on the PT this year?

[jerhofer]

Cool - you planning on taking this on the PT this year?

Not sure yet. My wife and I may take a vacation next summer instead.

[gt40racing]

Great writeup....I have to install this same system on my 51 ford truck I am building for a daily driver.... great info and detail.

[jerhofer]

Great writeup....I have to install this same system on my 51 ford truck I am building for a daily driver.... great info and detail.

Thanks. The reason I wrote this up is that when I did a search, I couldn't find much information other than installations by magazines. Magazines generally don't talk about all the little things you come up against when installing it in the real world.

Worked on the idle this morning. I have it idling at 850RPM with the IAC right around 20, which, according to FAST, is ideal. Because of my cam, I did not try for a super low idle. Wasn't going to happen. I was going to go out for a ride but they just put down the chemicals for the freezing rain forecast for tomorrow. It needs a wash job, so that is on the agenda for this afternoon.

[bonecrrusher]

Not sure yet. My wife and I may take a vacation next summer instead.

Ah okay - let me know - I plan on long hauling from FL to MI this year...

[jerhofer]

I washed the car inside my garage yesterday and then had to back it out to squeegee the floor. I used to dread backing it out of the garage when the motor was cold with no choke. I would usually have to crank it a few times, have it die, and then blip the throttle like crazy to get it out of the garage.

This time was different. Cranked the ignition, the car started, and I backed out with no drama!! That alone made the effort worthwhile.

[Mudweizer]

What was the cold start Air/fuel ratio at?

[jerhofer]

What was the cold start Air/fuel ratio at?

The default was 3.5 and I went with 3.2.

[Mudweizer]

Wow, that was a lot richer then I guessed(8 or 9:1). How long does it stay in that range? Thanks for all the info so far.

[jerhofer]

Wow, that was a lot richer then I guessed(8 or 9:1). How long does it stay in that range? Thanks for all the info so far.

I should have said 13.5 and 13.2. 3.2 would be about all gas and no air.