Author Topic: EFI straight eight Buick  (Read 142119 times)

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Offline Buickguy3

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Re: EFI straight eight Buick
« Reply #90 on: April 15, 2009, 05:50:05 PM »
Scott,
In Montana, "Far off" is only a day's drive. Thanks for the link. I think we'll try to get to one of them whem we get the tranny back in the SaltCat. Doug :cheers:
I keep going faster and faster and I don't know why. All I have to do is live and die.
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Offline GH

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Re: EFI straight eight Buick
« Reply #91 on: May 07, 2009, 10:23:02 AM »
We're loading the Buick on the trailer tomarrow morning and heading to Omaha for the dyno tuning session. We had some issues earlier this week with the ignition and or ECU, will sort it out Friday evening or Saturday.

Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: EFI straight eight Buick
« Reply #92 on: May 07, 2009, 07:05:46 PM »
Have a safe trip.

Are we placing bets on the output? :roll:

Good luck!
"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline dieselgeek

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Re: EFI straight eight Buick
« Reply #93 on: May 11, 2009, 12:03:02 PM »
Are we placing bets on the output? :roll:

We didn't get to WOT tuning just yet.   We spent most of the weekend sorting through ignition, crankshaft trigger, and EFI stuff.  We had to move injectors around in order to achieve better fuel distribution, and Mike & Gary decided they want to rework the injector locations a little bit before we let it fly on the dyno.

The new cam is, to say the least, "aggressive"  - the old Buick has a whole new attitude.  My wife got some videos of us running it in my shop, I'll try to get something up on Youtube in the next couple days.

The good news is, we got the crankshaft triggering working with the EFI, which is a mix of junkyard parts but a very accurate/high tech setup:  uses a Hall sensor (from DigiKey) mounted over a Ford EDIS wheel (35 tooth, one missing) that feeds signal into the Engine Management computer, which then triggers spark through the MSD and old distributor.  I.e. there's no need for points or pertronix in the old distributor and the new ignition is very accurate with the high resolution trigger wheel (computer gets a position update from the crankshaft every 10 degrees, or 36 times per revolution - makes for very accurate spark timing).  The EFI is also tuned for a good start and idle, the datalogging is working and everything seems good.

We had some trouble with the noisy old cap & rotor and it's hard to find replacements locally.  Mike and Gary are considering going with 8 LS1 coilpacks, as the new trigger setup allows them to go Coil-per-plug (wasted spark) and ditch the old cap, rotor, wires etc (everything but the oil pump drive).  We saw a lot of noise on the scope, that will disappear if they go this route.  How awesome would it be to see 8 coils on the old inliner?!?   :-o (man I hope they do this)

So, there should be an update in a few weeks after they do some reconfiguration work,

-scott

Offline fredvance

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Re: EFI straight eight Buick
« Reply #94 on: May 11, 2009, 12:41:43 PM »
What a masterful,"word? ", mix of old tech and new!! Cant wait to see it run again. :cheers:
« Last Edit: May 11, 2009, 03:14:13 PM by fredvance »
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Offline Stan Back

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Re: EFI straight eight Buick
« Reply #95 on: May 11, 2009, 03:10:53 PM »
Have you ever been able to measure the twist of the 44-inch crank at high RPM?  I understand it is substantial, but that could just be an old wives' tail.

Stan
Past (Only) Member of the San Berdoo Roadsters -- "California's Most-Exclusive Roadster Club" -- 19 Years of Bonneville and/or El Mirage Street Roadster Records

Offline GH

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Re: EFI straight eight Buick
« Reply #96 on: June 01, 2009, 12:08:19 PM »
When we got back from Omaha, we had 4 pistons too lean, rings gone bad from too much cranking, scored cylinder walls. We are waiting on new pistons and rings. We have added 2 injectors in the plenom for the two front intake ports. Will try and go to the chassis dyno again late June or early July if time permits.

Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: EFI straight eight Buick
« Reply #97 on: June 01, 2009, 09:01:51 PM »
Ouch - that hurts.

Sounds like you have a plan of attack. 

Good luck!

Chris
"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline GH

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Re: EFI straight eight Buick
« Reply #98 on: June 08, 2009, 08:53:05 AM »
Got the Buick together and running yesterday. We started it on the carb. by using a high tech fuel pump and fuel tank running on lawnmower gas.

Offline Seldom Seen Slim

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Re: EFI straight eight Buick
« Reply #99 on: June 08, 2009, 09:07:42 AM »
I like that nice subtle 90 you've got in the hose.  The engine ran with that "restrictor"?
Jon E. Wennerberg
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Offline GH

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Re: EFI straight eight Buick
« Reply #100 on: June 08, 2009, 01:22:11 PM »
SSS, it ran great as long as I held the button down on the remote starter switch which we were using as a pigtail to the fuel pump. That inline pump was one I had carried in the tool box as a spare since the days I raced the A/GS Willys, was surprised it still worked. We first tryed to adjust the efi regulator down to 5-7 lbs pressure for the carb, but it would not go that low. We've got a fellow from Foxsomething that is going to donate a hat with 8 efi injectors to go on top of the blower. We had major problems with the homemade efi injectors above the blower. It sure has been fun..............
« Last Edit: June 12, 2009, 08:36:09 AM by GH »

Offline GH

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Re: EFI straight eight Buick
« Reply #101 on: June 11, 2009, 08:36:14 AM »
Here is a photo of the coil packs we are installing on the Buick.

Offline RichFox

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Re: EFI straight eight Buick
« Reply #102 on: June 20, 2009, 01:42:46 PM »
Here is a midway through shot at a low tech Buick injector. Since they started out as EFI throttle bodies I guess a smart guy could continue to use them as such. But that leaves me out.

Offline Stan Back

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Re: EFI straight eight Buick
« Reply #103 on: June 22, 2009, 11:08:28 PM »
Rich --

Dammed if I don't like your inventiveness!  Can you remember the Slant-6 Fuel Roadster of Team Fercockta that held the F(?)/FR record for 30 years or so with the butterfly-less injectors?  How'd it work?

Stan Back
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Offline GH

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Re: EFI straight eight Buick
« Reply #104 on: June 23, 2009, 10:07:06 AM »
We both got back from family vacations. Yesterday we did some prewiring and prefuel lines so when we receive the efi hat we can get it running quicker. We are scheduled for the chassis dyno in Ohmaha on the 11th. of July, boy we're sure cutting it close this year....