Candela - EFI Conversions: How to Swap Your Carb for Electronic Fuel Injection

CarTech

CarTech, Inc.

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Phone: 651-277-1200 or 800-551-4754

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www.cartechbooks.com

2014 by Tony Candela

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission from the Publisher. All text, photographs, and artwork are the property of the Author unless otherwise noted or credited.

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All trademarks, trade names, model names and numbers, and other product designations referred to herein are the property of their respective owners and are used solely for identification purposes. This work is a publication of CarTech, Inc., and has not been licensed, approved, sponsored, or endorsed by any other person or entity. The Publisher is not associated with any product, service, or vendor mentioned in this book, and does not endorse the products or services of any vendor mentioned in this book.

Edit by Paul Johnson

Layout by Monica Seiberlich

ISBN 978-1-61325-183-6

Item No. SA322

Title Page: This Chevy 383-ci small block was fitted with a Holley HP-series 750-cfm double-pumper, but now it is fitted with the MSD Atomic system. Keith Kanak, the owner, had been considering an EFI conversion to improve fuel economy so this couldnt have worked out better.

Back Cover Photos

Top Left: This throttle body has been designed by MSD to resemble a carburetor and most casual onlookers will assume thats exactly what it is. This is the heart of the MSD Atomic EFI System, which includes the ECU as well as numerous sensors.

Top Right: If youre on a budget, many aftermarket EFI systems allow you to retain your existing ignition components.

Middle Left: A proper-size alternator is critical to the performance of any EFI System.

Middle Right: We install a complete MPFI system on a 455 Olds and illustrate every aspect of the installation. We maximize its performance and unlock the full potential of the system.

Bottom Left: The fuel system on this 1970 Olds Cutlass has performed flawlessly. As we convert the Olds from carburetion to EFI you learn which components you can retain and which you must upgrade.

Bottom Right: Before undertaking a conversion to EFI, its imperative to get the electrical system sorted out in your project vehicle. This power panel is simple to build and provides an orderly, sensible, and safe way to add aftermarket electronics to your project vehicle.

CONTENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tony Candela has been in the automotive aftermarket industry for more than 25 years and has held positions in installation, sales, management, manufacturer sales representation, and regional sales management. In his tenure, he has worked for two aftermarket electronics manufacturers, Clifford Electronics and Rockford Fosgate.

In 2009, he founded a sales and marketing company at which he does technical writing, content development, sales, and marketing for numerous companies in the automotive aftermarket. In April of that same year, Candelas first book, Automotive Wiring and Electrical Systems, was published. In August of 2011, his follow-up book, Automotive Electrical Performance Projects, was published. Each has won awards with the International Automotive Media Awards (IAMA). In 2011, Candela founded an automotive electrical supply company.

Tony has written and given hundreds of seminars on the topics of installation, application, wiring, and basic automotive electronics. He has been a guest speaker at SEMA on two occasions. On the weekends, he can typically be found in his garage working on his vehicles or at any number of car gatherings in the Phoenix area.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This is my third book. Each has been published by CarTech. Id like to first thank my publisher for giving me the opportunity to pen the titles. Molly, Bob, and Paul, you exemplify how business should be done, and its a true pleasure to work with a publisher of such caliber. Second, I thank my parents for instilling the value of hard work in me at such a young age and leading by example their entire lives.

I have a close circle of friends and family who influence me daily. Id like to personally thank Steve Meade, Anthony DAmore, Frank Beck, Todd Ramsey, Garry Springgay, Bill Basore, Bill Surin, Rob Hummel, Matt Luster, Jim Candela, and Julie Metzler. Each of you has the uncanny ability to challenge me to be my best. Thank you for that!

This book was made possible by the many companies and talented individuals who went out of their way to help. Id like to thank Beck Racing Engines, Holley, MSD, Auto Meter, Edelbrock, Fuel Air Spark Technology, Mechman, XS Power, Fluke, Painless Performance Products, Aeromotive, and Mitchell1. Id also like to thank Doug Flynn, Tom Kise, Blane Burnett, Bill Tichenor, and Todd Ryden for making themselves so readily available to me.

Last but not least, Id like to thank Peter Bodensteiner for taking the chance with an unknown and giving me the opportunity to write the book Automotive Wiring and Electrical Systems. This proved to be the springboard for my future.

Jackie I miss you, buddy.

Lets face it; the idea of converting from carburetion to electronic fuel injection (EFI) is incredibly exciting. In fact, this is one of the most commonly discussed topics among enthusiasts at local gatherings. If youve picked up a car magazine in the past five years, youve undoubtedly seen numerous articles on this topic, nearly as many as the topic of LS conversions. Most people I speak with have numerous questions that the confined space of a magazine article simply cannot address. This book addresses those questions in their entirety.