Designing and Tuning High-Performance Fuel Injection Systems

So you’ve decided that fuel injection is for you, but want to know more. Many questions surround what appears to many as more of a black art than science. Engine tuning used to be the hallowed ground of vehicle engineers and cutting-edge hot rodders. For years, the carburetor filled the needs of enthusiasts and provided simple adjustments at the end of a flat-bladed screwdriver. But today, electronic controls for engines are the norm. Even the casual enthusiast who actually drives his favorite hot rod on the streets can easily see the benefit of increased precision when he fires the car up for the first time each spring. A properly tuned EFI system rarely needs anything more than the turn of the key to come to life.

Following up his best-selling title, Engine Management: Advanced Tuning, author Greg Banish goes in-depth on the combustion basics of fuel injection as well as benefits and limitations of standalone. Learn useful formulas, VE equation and airflow estimation, and more. Also covered are setups and calibration, creating VE tables, creating timing maps, auxiliary output controls, start to finish calibration examples with screen shots to document the process. Useful appendixes include glossary and a special resources guide with standalone manufacturers and test equipment manufacturers.

Aftermarket standalone systems are a great way to dial in performance and reliability. Designing and Tuning High-Performance Fuel-Injection Systems is the book you need to become an expert in this popular modification.

From the Publisher

Following up his best-selling title, Engine Management: Advanced Tuning, author Greg Banish goes in-depth on the combustion basics of fuel injection as well as benefits and limitations of standalone. Learn useful formulas, VE equation and airflow estimation, and more. Also covered are setups and calibration, creating VE tables, creating timing maps, auxiliary output controls, start to finish calibration examples with screen shots to document the process. Useful appendixes include glossary and a special resources guide with standalone manufacturers and test equipment manufacturers.

Common Tuning Mistakes

Load-bearing dynamometers like this Mustang MD-250 allow the calibrator to hold the vehicle under very steady conditions almost indefinitely. Testing on a chassis dyno is far safer than street tuning and doesn’t need to stop for traffic or pedestrians, or become compromised for turns and changing road grades.

Components of a Standalone System

Standalone systems, like the Edelbrock Pro Flo seen here, come with everything needed to convert an existing carbureted vehicle to electronic fuel injection. Notice how the IAT, ECT, MAP, TPS sensor, and fuel pressure regulator are all neatly integrated into a single package on a Performer RPM intake that makes for a very clean installation.

Introduction to Setups and Calibration

The laptop computer has become the cornerstone of ECU programming. It’s more important to make sure that the computer has the necessary connection ports to communicate with the ECU than it is to have the latest processor or the most RAM available. My touchscreen Panasonic Toughbook has proven to be a very reliable instrument in the field.

This 5.0L V-12 Jaguar XJ13 gets a pull on a chassis dynamometer. A practical way to measure engine power, chassis dynos are rapidly becoming more popular in the aftermarket tuning world.

Initial Setup

Verifying delivered ignition timing is a critical step in the setup of any EFI system. Here, Dave from Nelson’s Performance is using a dialback timing light to determine the exact offset angle of this system.

Creating a VE Table from Scratch

The engine dyno is the best tool for developing a VE table because the operator can simply dial-in whatever combination of engine speed and load he desires. Large cooling systems allow the engine to operate for long durations under conditions that would otherwise overheat a conventional radiator or vehicle cooling system.

Startup Maps

After being parked for a while, the engine is soaked to the ambient temperature where fuel does not evaporate as readily as it does at full operating temperature. When the engine is first started, a little extra fuel will be added to establish an initial wall film.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ CarTech; 9/15/12 edition (September 22, 2009)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 128 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1932494901
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1932494907
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 0.38 x 11 inches