Banger Fuel Injection

[Dave in MN]

I ordered the Holley Sniper Autolite 1100 EFI system three weeks ago and plan to try it on the ’31 Town Sedan I am currently tweaking for road trips. The car has a Burtz block, Miller Hi-Speed Head, FSI ignition and a T-5 Transmission. The drive train is "worked" as I pull a clam-shell teardrop trailer when traveling.

I currently have two Stromberg 81’s installed on the car with a progressive linkage where the secondary carb starts opening at half throttle of the primary carb. This system works kind of… just okay. I have made multiple jet changes and have not been able to tune out two lean spots in the throttle position. The engine lurches when the mixture goes lean and glancing at the temporary air/fuel (A:F) mixture gauge I have onboard, the mixture is often 16:1 or leaner. Most of the time the A:F mixture is between 11:1 and 14:1 and at that ratio area, the engine runs well.

I am also not satisfied with the overall fuel economy I am getting. I hope the EFI helps raise the mpg some.

I am installing a 5-gallon belly tank under the car to act as a buffer tank for the EFI return line. The original fuel tank feeds the belly tank by gravity, and this requires a vent to atmosphere for the belly tank. The extra fuel capacity will be appreciated when on the road. I am also designing the system so I can easily change back to a single Stromberg 97 and a low-pressure fuel pump should the EFI system fail when on the road far from home. I will stow the pump and carb under the front seat.

I contacted Holley last week in regard to the expected delivery of my order. They indicated it would be another 7 weeks before they shipped. That is about 10 weeks from order to delivery if they meet their schedule. This time interval gives me concern should I have a failure while on the road and find myself in need of a replacement part. For me, a large part of calling a road trip a success is making it home without a trailer or transport hauler. Carrying a replacement carb and fuel pump is my planning in advance to have a successful trip. I hope to have this car ready to leave for a trip to Alaska in the spring of 2023.

I know, this project is entirely silly and unnecessary so feel free to agree with me. I’m having fun with it though; so silly or not, it doesn’t matter.
Good Day!