EFI on my Inlined '72 K-20........Awesome!

[TP from Cntl PA]

As a few of you may know, I've been working on adding a Howell TBI setup on the 250 in my '72. Yesterday I finished it up and took it for a ride, I still have a slightly rich condition at idle, but I believe that is probably because my return to tank line is a bit to restrictive and needs changed, but other than that, and a intial timing issue, I am really impressed with it. I have always been a big inline fan, and put a clifford water heated intake, clifford truck headers and a edelbrock 1404 500 CFM 4 brl on it when I built the truck, which worked well. But I wanted a more consistant idle in the cold, and better mpg's are always nice in this day in age, so I bought a TBI kit from Howell via Clifford. After putting this thing on and running it, its like someone dropped in a whole different engine. If any of you inline guys are thinking about a TBI setup for you inline, IMO you can't go wrong with one!

[dan42]

Let's see some pictures!!

[mkundo]

I'm pleased to see that someone other than myself is using the Howell TBI. I'm interested in the Howell TBI on my sbc 350 It's a daily driver and I would like to keep up with the times. My $.02

[suville]

I'm watchin this! Thanks for the info been lookin into this for some time.

[shifty]

Curious what the cost was to do this mod, and would love to see pictures also.

[krue]

How about write us a FAQ up.

[shifty]

Originally Posted by krue

How about write us a FAQ up.

Now THAT would be friggin SWEET!

[70inline6]

Originally Posted by shifty

Now THAT would be friggin SWEET!

Ditto.... do tell and post pics! Cool.

[Brad]

Ok I'm curious.
and

[68 short step]

also wanting to see pics...

[NONHOG]

I don't even have a six and I want to know more ! Cool stuff !

[98L150]

love to see how much your milage increased?

[TP from Cntl PA]

Wow, I didn't expect to get much if any interest in this topic on here!

I had the truck out yesterday for a time and put it back in the shed. If I get home from the farm early enough tonight I'll pull it out and get some pictures.

Actually, the kit is for a Inline 6 Jeep engine. Clifford provided the adapter to run it on their manifold. It wasn't that difficult to install, but required alot of wires to be lengthened to get it to look ok as I don't like wires laying all over in the engine compartment. It uses a stock GM OBDI computer and throttle body, which I believe is from a 4.3 V-6. Howell put the harness together which was nicely labled, but the directions were sketchy in areas though as to sensor location and system operation. I had to fab up a bracket for the throttle cable, also made a bracket for the fuel filter(Put it where the OE fuel pump was), and installed the fuel pump where the old ignition coil was. I added a piece of flat stock off the fuel pump bracket to hold the relay and fuses for it. I ended up placing the computer under the glove box, so you really don't even know where its at. Only noticeable difference inside is the data link connector for the scan tool if needed. The system has a check engine soon light, but I zip stripped those to the harness and haven't hooked it up yet...........Mainly because I don't want to see a light on the dash and want to keep it hidden. I am thinking about using the spare hole in the gage cluster, and somehow putting the light in the cluster and putting a sticker in it that is like the ones on new vehicles, so when the light goes on, all you'd see illuminated would be "Service Engine Soon" with the little engine underneith.........But I don't have the "How" I'd do that sorted out yet. I am a big stickler for keeping crazy improvement "Stockish" looking. I also had to run a return line back to the tank. I used 1/4" line, but I am thinking about changing it to 3/8" as it maybe a bit to restrictive as I am slightly rich at idle now. The GM TBI doesn't require a return spring, but I am plaining on adding one, don't have much feel with my boots on and their light spring at the moment. If anyone has any questions feel free to ask, I'll answer them, although it might not be immediately. Like I said, I asked around when I was looking at buying this and didn't really get any good info, so I'd like to help anyone who is in that position as much as I can...............And I'll see if I can get pictures tonight.

[suville]

Like krue said! I for one would be patiently awaiting a FAQ write up on this. There are some, over on "inliners forum" that have done EFI on I6's and a guy over on one of the Cad forums is developing a system for the Torque monsters! The original 76 EFI Cad stuff is very scarce and newer and more efficient contributions have been made. With gas goin like it is sure looks tempting!

[shelby987]

TP, great to see someone beat me to it.....now I have someone's brain to pick when I get to it. I have been eye'ing the howell setup on ebay for the 258 cid. Jeeps. Do you mind if I ask what your final total came to?
Was there any programming that you had to do, or was the electrical system basically plug and play?

And here I thought I was the only K20 left with the original 250! I have a built 250 I am looking to put a crane baja cam into, then put the TBI setup on it.....is the setup tunable at all if need be? Are you still running your in-cab tank?

[70rs/ss]

Very interested, I have the 4-barrel intake and was going to put a small huffer on my six, maybe fuel injection instead of the 4-barrel!! Picts, please!!

[72 cheyenne pdx]

I went on Howell's website, and for the 350 V-8, it looks to be 1700.00 without the coild and distributor, and 2000.00 with those pieces.


Not a bad price. Is it worth it? Right now I get 12mpg. If you increased the fuel mileage to 20. With a 20 gallon tank I would increase from 240 miles a tank to 400 miles a tank. Right now gas is $3.49/gallon. I would increase 160 miles on a tank. Now if my Calculations are correct, each time I fill up, at 3.49 a gallon, my savings is $46.53. At 1700, it would pay off after my 36th fill up or at 2000, after my 42nd fill up. Currently I fill up once ever 4/5 days, that means I would have it paid off and paying for itself between 4-5 months time. I am no mathmatical genuis, so my calculations may be way off, but if I am right, that is a pretty quick turn around. That is if I have a 20 gallon tank, which I believe it is more like 18, and if I got 20 mpg. I may have to call Howell, and see what, if any, guarantee on what the increase mileage is.

[TP from Cntl PA]

Here are first acouple of pictures..........I used the same air cleaner setup with my 4 brl carb, but I had to modify it some, and its been too cold to paint it yet, which is why it is the way it is.




The setup is put together for a 258 Jeep and is a plug and go deal out of the box(Other than extending wires as I mentioned earlier on). I had to buy a new GM HEI distributor as this setup does need a Tach signal to work, and the stock distributor I had with Pertronix guts didn't cut it, so that boosted my cost a tad. I have just over $1500 in the conversion and to me, since I use the truck often in all air temps, the consistant idle made it worth it to me without a doubt, regaurdless of MPG gains. I never expected the preformance gain I've seem to have obtained. I was told Holley's TBI setup was cheaper, but looking at Summit's prices I can't see it, unless they had a different source. I did have a discussion with Larry @ Clifford Preformance about the cam spec's. The general opinion is this setup functions the best with the stock grind. And the offerings from Crane and the others wouldn't do enough to make it worth the swap. He says he has a grind on a blue print that would work fairly well, but I didn't spring for it. Maybe in the future if the new 300 Ford 6 head copy for the chevy's becomes available I may swap the cam in with the head as I feel the GM head doesn't flow all that well. Inliners.org has some info on hope for that. But until if/when that happens, I'm going to run the stock cam.

[70rs/ss]

Is the Ford head idea to get the intake on one side and the exhaust on the other? This is why I was thinking one of those 144 ci blowers to help with cylinder fill?? A turbo would work as well, just a means to an end, ie getting more air in which makes more power and efficiency. I like the set-up and $1500 is a steal even if you just pick up a couple of MPG, it'll pay for itself down the line and the reliability/driveability is at the top of the list as well.

[tkeduk8r]

Yeah... this thread is a good one... I gotta watch it too... by the way, how does that 250 do pulling a load at say 55-70????
--Mike

[Brad]

I'm curious what your mileage will be as well. Please be as accurate as possible by using GPS or having your speedo calibrated. How does this compare to the torque of the 4bbl you had on?

[TP from Cntl PA]

Originally Posted by tkeduk8r

Yeah... this thread is a good one... I gotta watch it too... by the way, how does that 250 do pulling a load at say 55-70????
--Mike

Pulling a load? Heck, that is why a stake body is on it............We HAUL



Hauled this little skidloader home from a sale......Figured it didn't weigh much so why get the trailer out......After it was home I come to find out that little thing weighs 2 ton or better. The 250 motored it right down the highway. Honestly, IMO these inlines work the same light as they do loaded. I pull a triple axle gooseneck trailer with this truck around the farm and on short hauls, the truck always gets me there and home, just not as fast as some.

I'll keep track of mileage when I take it for a trip...........

I'm in contact with Howell about the idle issue, hopefully the fuel tank location isn't an issue with the return trying to "Pump" fuel back up from the frame into the tank. If it is, I ain't sure how I am going to cure it at the moment. I've been driving it some, but the non-consistant idle is a pain. Got the 3/8" line ready to go on to replace the 1/4" return that is on there now, but wanted to see what the designers/techs at howell think before I waste time on it.

[shifty]

what kinda gas mileage did you get pulling that load?

[bdozeraz]

Originally Posted by 72 cheyenne pdx

I went on Howell's website, and for the 350 V-8, it looks to be 1700.00 without the coild and distributor, and 2000.00 with those pieces.


Not a bad price. Is it worth it? Right now I get 12mpg. If you increased the fuel mileage to 20. With a 20 gallon tank I would increase from 240 miles a tank to 400 miles a tank. Right now gas is $3.49/gallon. I would increase 160 miles on a tank. Now if my Calculations are correct, each time I fill up, at 3.49 a gallon, my savings is $46.53. At 1700, it would pay off after my 36th fill up or at 2000, after my 42nd fill up. Currently I fill up once ever 4/5 days, that means I would have it paid off and paying for itself between 4-5 months time. I am no mathmatical genuis, so my calculations may be way off, but if I am right, that is a pretty quick turn around. That is if I have a 20 gallon tank, which I believe it is more like 18, and if I got 20 mpg. I may have to call Howell, and see what, if any, guarantee on what the increase mileage is.

The kit you looked at was the multipoint fuel injection. The throttle body kit is only $1200. http://www.howellefi.com/shop/custom...cat=252&page=1

The kits for the 6 cyl jeep engines are a little over a grand.

I have one of Howell's throttle body kits on a 383 in my 72k5 and I love it. I have been running it for about 6 years now.

[zeeklu]

I would just try running the return with 3/8 line into a bucket to see if that helps. Chris