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Convert 50 L 2 BBL to Fuel Injection

  • Thread starter Mike from Vancouver
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Mike from Vancouver

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"I'm thinking of trying to

"I'm thinking of trying to convert a Merc 5.0 Liter 2 BBL carb to Fuel Injection ('94 SeaRay 200 Alpha One). Has anyone tried to do this? Comments good or bad.
Found a company called "Affordable Fuel Injection" on the internet. Has anyone dealt with these folks? Comments...
If you have done this conversion, was there a significant boost in performance and/or better fuel economy

Thanks for the help. Mike"
 
"Mike,

Never on a SB. My f


"Mike,

Never on a SB. My first choice would be to find a good used factory system. There is so much involved in this system including, but not limited to a new engine harness, ECM, plenum, throttle body, fuel pump/pumps, IAC, TPS, MAP sensor. As you can see, piecing together a system is not practicle.

An aftermarket kit would be easier, but I would still try to find a dead horse somewhere and harvest the entire system. It will be cheaper and it is proven.

I have a complete BB system, but that won't help you.

Keen an eye on E-Bay, something will show up.

Good luck
Rick"
 
"Hi Rick,

Thanks for the in


"Hi Rick,

Thanks for the input. Yea.. when I was looking at it, it seemed to be a fairly extensive retrofit. This co 'Affordable fuel injection' seems to have all the bits and pieces, inc new harness etc. All seems good, but they don't talk about installing an O2 sensor... Not sure if the ECM can be programmed to ignor this input and still work efficiently.

Mainly I'm doing this to get better economy. Any idea how much better the fuel consumption is after the conversion?

Cheers,

Mike"
 
"02 sensor is not used in this

"02 sensor is not used in this system. I can't say how much you will gain much in the area of economy. You'll find an increase in hp, so naturally, you will want to use that hp. There goes the added economy, although at the same speed you should be using less fuel. Carbs aren't that innefficient, but you will gain a lot in the way of easy starting, smoother accelaration and safety.

Plus, it will keep you out of your wife's hair for a couple of nights.

Good luck
Rick"
 
I would have to ask how many h

I would have to ask how many hours are you putting on this boat per year? Its my experience that if you count the times you really stick that nozzle in the gas fill its not that many times per year for most boaters in runabouts. Tell me you are putting more that 200 hours a year on it and we can get serious about fuel comsumption.
 
"You don't really think yo

"You don't really think you'll sve money after putting EFI on it, do you? Carbs--properly set up--get virtually the same gas mileage AT SPEED as EFI. Moreover, top speed will be about the same as well, as drag racers who went to fuel injection found to their dismay (and empty wallets).

Jeff"
 
"I don't agree Jeff, and n

"I don't agree Jeff, and neither do these guys.

"There’s no limit as far as the electronics go. The limits are presently available hardware and injector sizes. Right now 2,000 hp is not a big deal". Mark Hamel

"When you get to Top Fuel, there is an immense learning curve to develop an integrated EFI system that could deliver fuel at the needed rate, but I won’t rule it out. It has the potential to reduce downtime". Warren Johnson


"The ASA stock car LS1 spec engines cost one-third less and last three times as long as last year’s engine--that’s $12,000 compared to $30,000. They make 430 hp with rpm held to 6,500 max. They use a GM computer, which any Chevy mechanic can scan with the normal dealer diagnostic tools. Seal the motor and seal a production ECM, and you can keep control and have fast, reliable, and affordable racing". Bill Howell, Howell Engine Developments and GM Motorsports tech rep to ASA

"You can pick up an entry-level Holley carb for $99 (more like $199--ed.). You can pay thousands of bucks for a TPI system, and if you’re modifying the engine, it probably won’t run right out of the box. On the other hand, if you’re going to drive 25,000 miles per year, with the improved reliability, decreased maintenance costs, and better fuel economy of an EFI system...then the economics start to come back". Myron Cottrell"
 
"Thanks Rikk, Jeff and Harves

"Thanks Rikk, Jeff and Harves Marine...

I put about 70 to 80 Hrs per yr on the boat. I'm not trying to have fewer trips to fill the pockets of the oil companies (although that would be nice!!!) it's more about squeezing a longer days boating far away from a gas station and not having to carry jerry cans inside the boat. I jut don't like carrying fuel inside the boat and trying to fill the tank while tossing in the waves!!!

Maybe I'm looking down the wrong road and a larger tank would be better... but not much space for another tank. Catch 22.

It would be worth while if the fuel economy was 20% better +/-

Good Articles Rick, thanks.

Hopefully someone has tried the boat conversion and can 'light the way'... I hate being the path finder!

Keep the input comming guys,

thanks for all the help.

Cheers,

Mike"
 
"Interesting how some people q

"Interesting how some people quote only the part of a statement that backs their case. Here's the REST of what Warren Johnson had to say:

(Which makes more power--carburetors or EFI?)

Properly tuned, carburetors make more peak power than EFI in a Pro Stock engine. A carb’s pressure differential atomizes the gas a lot better than spraying fuel through an orifice.

(Warren Johnson)

Making power in an engine is a matter of AIR flow, not fuel. EFI has been legal in IHRA ProStock class since 2001, but virtually no one runs it! Why? They don't want to get beat.

I rest my case on horsepower...

Fuel economy: How much gas can one buy with the thousands of dollars needed to convert to EFI, and will it really save that much gas? At a constant, medium throttle condition (cruising in a boat) a carb (properly set up) will deliver similar gas mileage to EFI. It's in a car, with light throttle and constant rpm variation, that EFI really shines (along will cold running and start up). Again, a properly set up carb will fire right up and idle beautifully (though still not up to EFI quality). One more point: an engine needs to warm up before being hammered on, so why do people always spout that "instant drivability" advantage of EFI?

Then there's reliablity: If you're waaaay out there, and some electronic module craps out on you, you'd better have a good radio, pardner! A carb set up looks pretty nice compared to analyzing an EFI setup as the waves get higher and higher. I've repaired carbs with basic tools and got back home. Try that with an EFI system!

Jeff"
 
"Jeff, You know how much I lo

"Jeff, You know how much I love ruffeling your feathers about this.

If fuel injection is so unreliable, more expensive, less efficient and less powerfull, why is it that you can't buy anything with a carburetor anymore?

Did I mention how much less emmissions they emit?

By the way, my '88 Chevy 2500 has over 320,000 miles on it and has never had an EFI related problem. You can't get any more reliable than that.

You know, I'm watching the obituaries. If you go first, I'm having a carburetor etched on your tombstone.


Love,
Rick"
 
"let me know if anyone uses th

"let me know if anyone uses that afforble system. im planning on an engine update, and the prices they have are comparable to the cost of a distributor-carb-intake for a vortec 350. this engine can be bought as a long block , ,new. what about their wiring harness? will it plug into the mercruiser harness? wii guages from the carb motor still work?
thanks,,
hud"
 
"Be damn sure it's a MARIN

"Be damn sure it's a MARINE system, not a street rig, both to be legal (Coast Guard ap[proved) and so you don't get blown up.

Jeff"
 
"they advertise it as a marine

"they advertise it as a marine system, they supply everything but the4 fuel line, probably where the liability comes in at...."
 
"Depending on how the system i

"Depending on how the system is configured, you may be able to get away without a return line to the tank. If the system incorporates a fuel cooler you can return the fuel back into the system via an unused port in the filter manifold. Mercruiser does this and Crusader offers this system as an alternative to the two line system. Keep in mind, if you don't have a fuel cooler this configuration will not work. The constantly recirculating fuel picks up heat from the engine everytime it goes through the system and will eventually get hot enough to create a vaporlock condition. A PS cooler will work as a fuel cooler if you wanted to do it this way."
 
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