Race Engine EFI build

I remember me saying I´ll never use an EFI but since I saw the stuff Phillip Oakley showed me I might have changed my mind just a little bit
Currently I´m running a dual Dominator, tunnel ram setup on my C-headed 620cui drag race engine.
It´s too late to move to EFI for this race season but I´ll try to collect as much information as possible for the next season.
Would be nice to keep my tunnel ram dual setup, just replace the carbs with two throttle bodies, I saw some very nice ones from Accufab.
For the control, I don´t know if theres much difference in performance between the brands, Holley seems to be the most sympathetic for me at the moment.

With this post I would like to collect your experience, advise, etc.
Who is running such a combination? What do you recommend or not recommend?

I forgot to mention I have to work for my money, so I don´t want to spend 5000+ Dollars on that stuff, If I´d have to I´ll stay with carbs  

Thanks
Franz

Unless you source everything used you will definitely be close to or well over $5k depending on which system you run.

Ashburner wrote:I remember me saying I´ll never use an EFI but since I saw the stuff Phillip Oakley showed me I might have changed my mind just a little bit
Currently I´m running a dual Dominator, tunnel ram setup on my C-headed 620cui drag race engine.
It´s too late to move to EFI for this race season but I´ll try to collect as much information as possible for the next season.
Would be nice to keep my tunnel ram dual setup, just replace the carbs with two throttle bodies, I saw some very nice ones from Accufab.
For the control, I don´t know if theres much difference in performance between the brands, Holley seems to be the most sympathetic for me at the moment.

With this post I would like to collect your experience, advise, etc.
Who is running such a combination? What do you recommend or not recommend?

I forgot to mention I have to work for my money, so I don´t want to spend 5000+ Dollars on that stuff, If I´d have to I´ll stay with carbs  

Thanks
Franz

$5000+ is the going rate....... But keep in mind Top End carbs will be in the $3000+ range for a pair too. And you have to do the tuning manually.

Ashburner wrote:I remember me saying I´ll never use an EFI but since I saw the stuff Phillip Oakley showed me I might have changed my mind just a little bit
Currently I´m running a dual Dominator, tunnel ram setup on my C-headed 620cui drag race engine.
It´s too late to move to EFI for this race season but I´ll try to collect as much information as possible for the next season.
Would be nice to keep my tunnel ram dual setup, just replace the carbs with two throttle bodies, I saw some very nice ones from Accufab.
For the control, I don´t know if theres much difference in performance between the brands, Holley seems to be the most sympathetic for me at the moment.

With this post I would like to collect your experience, advise, etc.
Who is running such a combination? What do you recommend or not recommend?

I forgot to mention I have to work for my money, so I don´t want to spend 5000+ Dollars on that stuff, If I´d have to I´ll stay with carbs  

Thanks
Franz

megasquirt: less than 1/2 the cost of holley with more features.

My first suggestion is alway to find out what dealers/installers are in your area. Holley / FAST /Big Stuff 3 / Haltech all have their followers but once you buy all this stuff at some point you are going to need technical support. Holley has a great forum and you get responses pretty fast. Holley phone tech is very slow however. I have an Holley HP efi but it is a street car not a max effort car. I have a friend that is a Holley dealer and they do no like FAST and pretty much hate MSquirt systems. He has a Big Stuff3 on his Twin Turbo 598 Boss and they install a ton of Holley Dominator systems. At your level I would not be looking at the DIY route IMO. I have another friend that installed a FAST unit and had random problems. He could never figure it out and ended up taking it off because he couldn't find anyone in our area that works on FAST units.

Here is a quote I found on YB:

Of the three mentioned, the Holley is like a Mac. It can do a lot on it's own and do it well.

The FAST XFI is more like Unix. It can do a lot on it's own, but I find it far easier to tune and take the car to the bitter edge than the Holley.

The BS3 is like Windows. It can work very well at times and other times you have no clue what it is going to do.

Why are you wanting to switch? In a naturally Aspirated Drag race application you're not going to make more power with EFI over carburetors.

Carbguy wrote:Why are you wanting to switch?   In a naturally Aspirated Drag race application you're not going to make more power with EFI over carburetors.

X2.....for an all-out race setup, you already have the better system.
EFI will certainly "drive" better in the pits and going into the lanes and the return road, but for a wide open blast down the track, carbs are slightly more superior in power output.

that´s depending on the person you´re talking to
Carb guys are saying Carbs are better, EFI guys say the opposite.

The biggest advantage is that we have more control over the engine, over here we have drag strips with poor prep, changing conditions etc. with an EFI ECU we can do a quick change to reduce power for example, or reduce power only in certain parts of the run.

The design of our -not out of the shelf- system is almost done. The "only" thing that needs to be finished is the correct intake runner length. maybe it doesn´t work but we´re confident it does.
I´ll send updates and pictures by end of the year

Yes, in that case, I would agree. When I say the carbs make more power, that's with both systems being dialed in to near perfection.
I've seen it numerous times on the engine dyno.....with the big bad carburetor(s) just squeeking out a few more ponies.
But the instant tuning capabilities of the EFI are light years ahead of the crude, but effective carburetor!!

I definitely like carburetors.. but I´m also curious about the new stuff

MS3pro is a legit system. Tina & David Pierce (just the first people to pop in my mind) run them in their stuff.

I ran MS1extra in my Mustang. It is going into my F100 for the turbo build. My favorite feature is being able to change the tune with my phone using MSDroid. No laptop needed.

From a tunability standpoint of taking power away the EFI has some Pros vs. Carbs although a good ignition system will allow you to do that as well. But on an all out power run naturally aspirated carburetors will still be quicker.

Franz,

Are those ancient Barry Gant things you have 1050's?

Lem,
they’re 1090’s

I also plan on running EFI in a "All motor", I have gotten a complete Holley Dominator system with the digital dash. I was also planning on running ACCUFAB Victor intake with fuel injection. I am thinking this set up should bring me into the low 9's, well I can hope can't I? It will be a stroker as I have NOT gotten anything for the set up.

https://accufabracing.com/throttle-bodies/intake-manifold-systems/big-block-ford/intake-manifold-kit-big-block-ford

Chuck
PAE

Project finished.
We´re about to test our own designed intake manifold next weekend (first race of the season).
engine is running but we didn´t have the opportunity to run the car before the first race.
Everything custom is home made, milled, turned, drilled, 3D printed, CNC milled and of course designed.
I´ll keep you updated how it went.. I hope the Holley Dominator EFI is learning as quick as it´s advertised  

for the people with Facebook, here´s more information about our build

https://www.facebook.com/groups/691263030975827/?multi_permalinks=1952720714830046&notif_id=1563189682867763&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic