Hilborn fuel injection for a Corvette

[Bruce B.]

I am looking for someone to convert a old mechanical Hilborn injection to EFI which I want to use in one of my Corvettes..
Is anyone aware of someone who can do this conversion?
I know I can buy an new EFI from Hilborn but it looks to "electronic".
Any suggestions will be appreciated.

[Steven B.]

Re: Hilborn fuel injection for a Corvette

Bruce, Blower Drive Service (BDS) converts but I am not certain how well hidden the electronics are. Cost is $3500-$5000 I believe.

Steve

[Tyler T.]

Re: Hilborn fuel injection for a Corvette

I am looking for someone to convert a old mechanical Hilborn injection to EFI which I want to use in one of my Corvettes..
Is anyone aware of someone who can do this conversion?
I know I can buy an new EFI from Hilborn but it looks to "electronic".
Any suggestions will be appreciated.

I have been doing one but got sidetracted. I bought one off ebay a few years ago and there was little support. There is a guy on ebay that sells an adapter that you can use in place of the mechanical injector without drilling the manifold. I drilled mine to put in the injector sleve. I plan on using a Megasquirt to control the injection.

Tyler

[Clem Z.]

Re: Hilborn fuel injection for a Corvette

i build a BBC chevy for a fellow who owned a world of outlaws sprint car team and we used the mechanical hillborn injection on it for his street driven corvette. unless you are worried about emissions and or MPG it worked fine.

[Craig B.]

Re: Hilborn fuel injection for a Corvette

Bruce, I've been involved with racing for 51 of my 64 years and I'm very familiar with Hilborn and Kinsler mechanical units used on naturally aspirated engines. If you were to use your unit as is, I think you would be disappointed in its driveabiliy unless you live in the rural Dakotas, Montana, or north of Las Vegas. I"ve seen Hilborns attempted 3 times on the street and each time the owners were very disappointed with there efforts. Mechanical units on street cars tend to start hard ( no choke ), continually load up at stop lights, and stall at low RPM. If you choose to modify your current unit you may want have the throttle bushings and shafts rebuilt first. I've seen units that wouldn't idle below 2200RPM before rebuilding that had up to .020" wear on the shafts and bushings. Bruce if you feel the Hilborn EFI system is visually unattractive to you look at the Kinsler; there are subtle differances between the EFI and mechanical units. Finally if you use your mechanical unit as is make sure it is set up for gas and not alcohol and don't take ANYONES word for it.

[Michael H.]

Re: Hilborn fuel injection for a Corvette

If you were to use your unit as is, I think you would be disappointed in its driveabiliy unless you live in the rural Dakotas, .

In about 1982, just for something different, we installed the 305" enderle injected race engine from my D/Gas Camaro that I raced in the early 70's. Engine was 12.5 to one, TR60 Engle roller cam and all the rest of the goods.
I set up the injector and the car ran VERY well on the street. In fact, we drove the car from the west Chicago suburbs all the way to Duke's drive in, about a 15 miles one way, with zero issues. The engine idled at around 1200 RPM and actually fired back up (hot) without squirting fuel into the injector.
Most of the people that looked at it at the drive-in wanted to know where our trailer was because they were convinced we couldn't have gone far driving that thing.

[Paul D.]

Re: Hilborn fuel injection for a Corvette

Bruce,
This past Sunday morning , a show on SPEED TV called "Two Guys Garage" featured a set up just like you are describing. They were putting a side draft version on their project 62 Impala that would fit under the stock hood, but were showing a straight up version also. I didnt catch the manufacturer, but they claimed excellent drivability with the EFI. Try searching on the SPEED TV site. Chip.

[Clem Z.]

Re: Hilborn fuel injection for a Corvette

In about 1982, just for something different, we installed the 305" enderle injected race engine from my D/Gas Camaro that I raced in the early 70's. Engine was 12.5 to one, TR60 Engle roller cam and all the rest of the goods.
I set up the injector and the car ran VERY well on the street. In fact, we drove the car from the west Chicago suburbs all the way to Duke's drive in, about a 15 miles one way, with zero issues. The engine idled at around 1200 RPM and actually fired back up (hot) without squirting fuel into the injector.
Most of the people that looked at it at the drive-in wanted to know where our trailer was because they were convinced we couldn't have gone far driving that thing.

the car looks great BUT a couple of those guys look a little shaky.

[Jim H.]

Re: Hilborn fuel injection for a Corvette

Hi Bruce;
Check this site out http://www.fuelairspark.com/. I just converted my 427 BB to EZ-EFI. The performance is fantastic. I wanted to get rid of carburetors and join the 21st century. However, I did'nt want a real complicated system; it had to be affordable; reliable; fairly widely used; produced by a reputable manufacture and give me a good bang for my buck. The EZ-EFI from FAST filled the bill. The cost to for the project was $2200 for the EFI; $250 for a new fuel tank (mine did'nt have a return line); $60 for return line tubing and fittings.
Good luck,
Jim
Denver CO

[Tracy C.]

Re: Hilborn fuel injection for a Corvette

In about 1982, just for something different, we installed the 305" enderle injected race engine from my D/Gas Camaro that I raced in the early 70's.......

Dude... car looks like a 63 Chevy II to me. I don't see a Camaro in these pics.

tc

[Michael H.]

Re: Hilborn fuel injection for a Corvette

Dude... car looks like a 63 Chevy II to me. I don't see a Camaro in these pics.

tc

Here ya go. Same engine in 1972. I trashed a perfectly good new 68 Z28.

[Steven B.]

Re: Hilborn fuel injection for a Corvette

Bruce,
This past Sunday morning , a show on SPEED TV called "Two Guys Garage" featured a set up just like you are describing. They were putting a side draft version on their project 62 Impala that would fit under the stock hood, but were showing a straight up version also. I didnt catch the manufacturer, but they claimed excellent drivability with the EFI. Try searching on the SPEED TV site. Chip.

They used a Kinsler unit. Google Kinsler.

[Tracy C.]

Re: Hilborn fuel injection for a Corvette

Very nice... I wouldn't call that "trashed". One of my best friends in high school had one just like it. Black over black with silver stripes. DZ 302 and the whole nine yards. He rolled his down an embankment in 1977. He trashed his for sure.

tc

[Michael H.]

Re: Hilborn fuel injection for a Corvette

Very nice... I wouldn't call that "trashed". One of my best friends in high school had one just like it. Black over black with silver stripes. DZ 302 and the whole nine yards. He rolled his down an embankment in 1977. He trashed his for sure.

tc

Mine WAS Ash gold with black stripes when delivered. I tried to order a black one but shortly after the 68's were introduced, GM dropped black from the option list. I painted it black for the 1970 season.

Kinda rare. No console and ordered/delivered with a 4.88 rear. Sure wish I had it today.

[Bruce B.]

Re: Hilborn fuel injection for a Corvette

After talking to lots of people I have found a machine shop/drag racer/ engineer who is going to convert my old mechanical Hilborn to EFI.
Our mutual goals are to convert it in a inconspicuous manner.
No fuel rails, no IAT sensor in the stack, hidden TPS and so on.
I'm shipping the Hilborn on Monday so the process can begin.
Hopefully my Almond Beige 62 will show up at the Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green this summer with 8 stacks coming up through the hood.
Joel M., thanks for the motivation and great conversation.
Bruce B