EFI for 360 Satellite?

[Triplegreen500]

So...winter boredom is setting in...

I have my '72 Satellite Custom wagon in the garage. It has a rotted fuel tank, but I have a (quite possibly the LAST) NOS fuel tank on the bench that I'm debating drilling, and welding a bottom-rear-corner hose nipple for fuel pickup before installation.

Reason for that is, one way or another, the wagon will be EFI.

I have a GenIII Hemi (all stock 2005 Magnum R/T motor, 36k miles, from a personal car that was t-boned and totalled) that I've procrastinated putting in, for the last dozen years or so.

The car has a decent LA 360 in it now (non-original), backed up with a 727 and a 3.23 SG 8.75" rear (factory original rear)...but it runs like poo because the Holley puddle-dumper is all gakked up. I've debated getting an Edelbrock AVS for it (always had outstanding luck with the AVS carbs - back in the day, the car had a Magnum 360/380 crate motor topped with an AVS and it ran consistent 13.40s on street tires and pump gas), and running it a while that way, but with winter boredom...I've been looking around at 4bbl EFI conversions like the Go EFI self-contained from FiTech, or something like the Edelbrock setup.

Anyone have any experience with these conversion-style EFI setups, good or bad?

 

[451Mopar]

Look at the drop-in fuel pump modules. They have advantages over using an external pump.

 

[rmchrgr]

Yep. Sell the NOS tank and get an EFI-ready one from Tanks, Inc. with an in-tank fuel pump, easiest way to go.

I’d look at a Holley Sniper system, probably the most straightforward update system available.

 

[Triplegreen500]

If they're not universal, I guarantee they won't fit the wagon tank. It's not a horizontal tank under the trunk; it's a suitcase tank inside the drivers quarter panel, behind the wheel. Part of the reason I needed to find a new one - "rotted" isn't quite accurate, more like debris from the drive wheel got spat up into the bottom of the tank, and after 40+ years there were more pinholes than I could fix.

I'll be adding a shield under the tank, as part of the reassembly...

 

[slepr1]

I have an Edelbrock EFI in my 71 Cuda. I'm regretting it as the years pass. Eventually something will fail and when it does I'll be perplexed on how to fix or diagnose. The carb on my Cordoba is straight forward and can be swapped out as quick as I can pull out my wallet.

 

[rmchrgr]

OK fair enough. Didn't know wagon tanks were different than regular passenger car tanks. Is there any way to install a “normal” style tank? Have to think the chassis would be pretty similar to a coupe/sedan?

 

[Triplegreen500]

Floors are totally different - trunk has provisions for rear-facing third row, and there is a HUGE footwell back there below the trunk floor. Spare is in passenger side quarter panel.

I could do a cell...but I really like the original "stealth" setup.

 

[rmchrgr]

Well regardless of whatever particular tank you wind up using, the Sniper system has become fairly ubiquitous at this point and there is a ton of support for those products; to my knowledge not so much on other brands. Sniper uses a Walbro pump which can be externally mounted, plenty of successful installs use that method.

 

[diesel_lv]

If you install a bottom tank sump, the possible problem is sediment clogging the port. If you use an inline pump, it should be within 3 feet of tank and below the lowest level of the tank. You will also need to install a fuel return, this can be in the tank or in the filler neck. There are companies that make custom, baffled tanks. Then an inline works just fine and is super easy to replace if it goes bad.

 

[Triplegreen500]

I'm planning to do a 1/2" port, and 6" outside of it I'll have a glass-case inline filter. It's a brand new NOS tank, so there's no junk in it yet... I've run a Holley Blue pump on the car in the past, without a return, just an inline regulator underhood but I guess with EFI pressures I may have to run a return line. I can easily use the factory feed port as a return port though.

NOBODY makes a tank for a wagon. I've even sent measurements and specs to folks before, and gotten shrugs and "uh....nope". Seems that nobody likes the idea of putting their product in a quarter panel, as opposed to being protected by a bumper, a diff, and a set of springs.

 

[tmaleck]

I'll suggest the Edelbrock Proflow 4. It has built in timing control and true sequential port injection. Uses a wifi phone or tablet, and is self learning. Everything breaks eventually, but modern engine management for under 2k is worth it. I went with the XT style on my 440, but others like the 4150 style as well. I went in tank pump and used the Corvette fuel filter/regulator combo. As long as your external pump is below the fuel outlet, that's OK. If it has to be above it, the pump will fail prematurely.

 

[Triplegreen500]

Yes, the pump will be mounted so it's gravity-wet; there's room in the quarter panel for that, I can put it right behind the tank and have it lower than the tank's lowest point.

I'm not afraid of EFI. Lots of "old school" guys hate it because "ya cain't fix it on the side of the road with a screwdriver like a carburetor can"....but...you generally don't need to. And, you get cold idle. And, altitude compensation. And, consistent power. And....well...we all know the upsides.

 

[diesel_lv]

I'm planning to do a 1/2" port, and 6" outside of it I'll have a glass-case inline filter. It's a brand new NOS tank, so there's no junk in it yet... I've run a Holley Blue pump on the car in the past, without a return, just an inline regulator underhood but I guess with EFI pressures I may have to run a return line. I can easily use the factory feed port as a return port though.

NOBODY makes a tank for a wagon. I've even sent measurements and specs to folks before, and gotten shrugs and "uh....nope". Seems that nobody likes the idea of putting their product in a quarter panel, as opposed to being protected by a bumper, a diff, and a set of springs.

There are very specific requirements for filters, pre pump and post pump due to injector orifice size. The pressure EFI requires creates more heat, both in the fuel and pump. An in tank can get by without a return if the EFI is designed that way, inline pumps at 50+ psi can start to boil. I live in 120+ summer temps and even with a return, would vaporlock and eventually shut down the pump altogether. I am fortunate that Aeromotive make an in tank setup, I went that route n no problems since.

 

[Triplegreen500]

Again though, unless an in-tank is a universal design...I guarantee it ain't gonna work in the wagon's suitcase tank.

I'll get all the delivery aspects sorted out, I've done plenty of plumbing and electronics during my life and I "get" the concepts of pressures, flow, heat, etc. My OP was asking if folks had any input regarding the different brands and models of the actual injection setups that mount on the engine.

 

[wish4hemi]

Again though, unless an in-tank is a universal design...I guarantee it ain't gonna work in the wagon's suitcase tank.

You could leave the stock tank as-is and use FiTech's Force Fuel system.
https://moparconnectionmagazine.com/fitech-efi-quenches-the-thirst-of-a-1970-charger/

I have experience with Holley Terminator and FiTech Go EFI. The configurability through Holley's software is second to none if you like fine tuning stuff, especially with custom ignition setups. If you just want to plug it in and go, FiTech is just fine.