Engine Swaps - Is Fuel Injection For You?

Your classic, custom, muscle car, or street rod has impeccable paint, beautiful interior and all of the comforts that you need to give you a proud feeling when driving down the road, or pulling into a show. One would think that this would be enough, but you feel that something is missing. You scratch your head, and take a walk around the vehicle trying to figure out exactly what is missing. You sit in the driver seat, turn the ignition key, and then it hits you. Your engine and transmission just don't measure up to the overall beauty of your ride.

When you look in the engine compartment, everything looks ok, but there are a few things that you just are not happy about. Here are some things that you may be unhappy about:

• When you hit the gas pedal, you aren't happy with the response. It simply doesn't have the pop that you would like.


• You plan your trips around gas stations.


• When the vehicle sits, it cranks and cranks then finally starts.


• When driving down the highway, your engine is screaming and your tach is well over 3,000 rpm.


• Last, but not least, you don't open your hood because you really don't want anyone to see the dated engine and mess of wires all over the place.

If you nodded your head to any of the bullets listed, then it may be time for you to consider upgrading to fuel injection. There are companies that specialize in building fuel injected engines that could replace that carbureted engine that you are running. If you engine is fairly new, you may only need to upgrade to a fuel injected top end. The aftermarket industry has made great improvements in the technology of fuel injection. It may be time to upgrade.

I am not trying to make this sound like an easy swap. There are a lot of things that you need to consider before making the first step toward this upgrade. You will need to know if your current wiring can support the addition of the EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) computer, sensors, etc. Does your fuel tank have a return line and you will more than like likely need to change your fuel pump and add a fuel return line. Also, some of your problems may include the transmission and differential gear ratio that you are running. This is a good topic for another blog.

Whatever your plan for future upgrades, fuel injection should be something that should be considered. The benefits of upgrading to fuel injection could include:

• Better fuel economy - in some cases, you could double your fuel economy while increasing the overall horse power.


• Quicker throttle response - get off the line quicker!


• Starts faster - no need to pump the gas pedal - turn the key and it fires up!

We are always looking at ways modernize the vehicles that we love. Power steering, power brakes, air conditioning, security and navigation are more and more becoming common accessories in our builds. Should fuel injection be something that you consider for your future upgrade?

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