Howell Odd Fire V6 Fuel Injection Kit Install

I really like my MC2100 carb and we have had some really fun times together. We have had many long drives on the beach, multi day overland trips, road trips and traversed the Rubicon. Always faithful through good times and bad...... I am a different person now than when we first fell in love and I have developed needs that I don't feel the MC2100 can fulfill. For this reason I feel the need to court another fuel delivery system. I am not saying that there is no possibility of getting back together on another project..... but for now I need a break.
I never thought I would have to eat my own words...... But I am taking the fuel injection plunge.

I purchased a Howell Kit #HB225 that is specifically for the odd fire engine.
#HB225 225 CID Buick TBI Conversion Kit - Howell EFI Conversion & Wiring Harness Experts




When I install the FI I will be adding a fuel return to each tank. For ease of switching and reliability I purchased this Groco 6 way fuel valve.




I have one more romp to take the MC2100 on this weekend..... Next week......

 

Can't wait to hear your report. Install all the way to adjustments to final drive. I've got my eyes and ears waiting on you bud. I believe the Howell kit will be my choice, but I'm gonna watch this one closely. I have a 2150 with the altitude mod. But have not installed in place of the 2G. The 2G is brand new and working great, but off Cantor or high angles, it loads up pretty good.

 

Going om a stock 2bbl intake?

 

Howell offers an adapter for both the stock 2bbl intake and 4bbl aftermarket.

 

Eagerly watching this too!

 

That's good to know. My Jeepster Commando has a 4bbl Holley 390cfm carb on it now, but I've been interested in the Howell EFI. Looking forward to your install.

 

x2

 

It's fun sitting back watching those individuals slowly bight the bullet and then progress over to the dark mysterious side. Then they begin to as they enjoy their new efi. The next thing you know they will be in the street.

Kyle, in the long run I believe you will be very pleased.

 

It's gonna be fun. Cant wait till next week!

 

Kyle, having worked with both MegaSquit and GM ecm's, I have been taught to pay particular attention to electrical grounds. After reviewing the installation manual and discussing the work with your friend, you may want to consider during your installation something that I did when I installed my electrical. Your installation manual says to terminate the ecm system grounds to a lug on a cylinder head or intake bolt. I ran my negative battery cable to a lug on one of my engine heads. I then ran a grounding cable from that lug to the frame and another to the body. The ecm's system ground leads also terminate on that same engine grounding lug. Actually, in my case every major electrical system that required a ground is terminated at the engine grounding lug. In this way, I have no chance of a floating ground which would have the potential of disrupting something. Is this over kill? I don't think so but others may disagree. You do as you think best.

 

I think you have two general considerations with grounds. First you want your sensors and the computer to have the same ground level. This requires big enough conductors to all these devices so that the voltage drop along the ground path is negligible. It'll never be zero, but you can make it so small that it does not matter. The larger you make your wire, the less drop there will be.

Connectors matter too. I'm a fan of crimp and solder, but if you only crimp, you need to get a ratcheting crimper specifically for your connector type. The Megasquirt computer takes this concept a step further, and uses something like 8 or 10 of the input connector wires for the ECU ground. Each connector has a resistance, but these wires are all in parallel. 8 or 10 connectors in parallel have 1/8 or 1/10 of the resistance, and thus 1/8 or 1/10 of the voltage drop. This ground level is very important to the expected operation of the electronics.

Second you should avoid ground loops. As Ed (45es) describes above, making circular current paths in your ground circuits is bad. The usual approach to this is the "star ground" where all the grounds come back to a single point, and there are no alternate paths for the ground current.

With electronics, such a ground loop will raise or lower the ground potential at the sensors or devices, and could cause surprising behavior. If you have to have ground loops, make sure the ground you establish is way way better (lower resistance) than any competing ground. Ground paths in parallel will never be any worse than the quality of the single best ground path.

 

I'm getting all my ducks in a row before I tear the jeep apart. First little hitch in the install is the water temp sender. My Offenhauser intake does not have a 3/8" NPT port for the water temperature sender.


Option A:

Drill and tap the intake at the location shown.




Option B:

Install a T fitting at the intake manifold to put the coolant temp sender inline.

 

You only have 1 option, that is B. Option A will only end in disaster and will not seal properly. I would guess the aluminum is only around 3/16-1/4” thick right there which is not enough to thread and properly seat an npt fitting.

 

The only other option that I see would be to drill and tap the current 1/4"NPT temp sender location to 3/8"NPT.
The heater hose location is the easiest, but will it give an accurate enough reading?

 

I vote for a T fitting, you can always change it later if you don't like it.

 

The T fitting will probably work as long as the flow of water through the fitting never gets reduced or stopped as in heater temp control. Another posibly option is to look for a temp sender that is 1/4" NPT.

 

Interesting if those existed. I looked for a thermostat housing for the Buick small block that includes a threaded port for a CTO or temperature sensor or whatever. Link?