Installed aFitech 30002 this year on my 440. Had an Edelbrock 750cfm carb before that. Was never able to stomp the gas an squeal the tires. Now with 275's on back I can get a very noticable chirp when flooring it from a stop. Car starts a lot easier, turn the key on, wait until the pump quiets down and hit start. No need to pump the gas pedal. The 30002 is a bit more expensive but fitech had a $100 rebate when buying it as a complete kit. They do sell a much lower cost 400HP version without timing control. It takes a different distributor to use the timing control, I haven't completed that yet. It runs very well without it. I do think you need to have your engine running well before doing this. Timing chain must be in good condition, good valves, and a stable cooling system. Or you will have headaches. I wound up installing a 3/8 steel line for the feed and return line instead of the rubber hose approach. Seemed more reliable to me but a lot more work. The kit was around $1025 with the rebate. I do recommend EFI. Emissions are a lot lower, an improvement in mileage but I haven't driven that much yet to know how much. You can adjust the air/fuel ratio to really squeeze fuel efficiency out of it. However it is not recommended to go much above 14.7:1, increases NOx emissions. (can you say SMOG?) A decent setup is close to that at idle/cruise. and around 12.5 or less when accelerating. You will spend time playing with the settings. Lot of youtube videos and a forum online to get you going.
Installation, I believe all setups require a return line out of the throttle body. Some models offer a small tank with the high pressure pump that mounts near the engine eliminating the line back to the tank. Some say it doesn't work that well. I don't know, I installed the return line. It isn't easy installing the line, car on jack stands and a creeper/tubing bender, etc. Another issue is the line comes in a coil so a tubing straightener is needed (around $80, can sell it later). One hint I can give is use a coat hanger to determine the shape of the line from the tank. Lot easier to bend it into shape and transfer the bends to the line later. This is a high pressure fuel situation, I used 6an & 8an fittings for safety reasons, high pressure hose clamps only. Use flexible lines going to the throttle body. Look for leaks immediately after turning on the power before starting the engine. I am very happy with it.
Thanks for the comments. I would expect that emissions would be a bit lower, as the fuel metering can be more accurate, but as some perceive that "rich" makes more power and set the system to run that way at cruise, the improvement in emissions can be variable.
Driveability should be better in all temperatures, if the adjustments are "right". The comment I'm wondering about is the need to let the pump "power up" before starting the car. I know that friends, in the past, who put electric pumps on their carb'd cars always did that, let the pump quieten down before starting the car, as a matter of course, did that. But OEM systems don't need that, so does the aftermarket system bleed-back when the engine is turned off, rather than keeping enough pressure in the system so that it pressurizes immediately when the key is turned on?
The remote reservoir/supply pump is a recent innovation. IF you have the underhood room for it. Can take some of the plumbing issues out of the mix, it seems. The return-less EFI systems run the fuel pump differently, modulating the pump to the engine's needs, as I understand it. An upgrade which came from the OEM situation? Yet the supply/return fuel system might be the best deal. Possibilities that one of the fuel line vendors can bend up a line kit rather than doing it yourself? Return line included? Doing metal lines is the best long-term situation.
As time progresses, many of the additional things of installing EFI on an older vehicle have been made easier. The weld-in bung for the O2 sensor has been replaced by a clamp-on situation, I believe, which could take one additional situation out of the mix, to me. Finding a welder. Again, welding the bung into the exhaust pipe might be the best long-term solution?
Cost effectiveness does not really seem to be a part of the situation, though. So it can relate to what "price" you put on the other aspects of EFI on your vehicle for it to be worthwhile. Which can be variable, even if the installation goes well. But having a vehicle that will operate well for ALL who drive it can be intangible.
Enjoy!
CBODY67
