Fuel Injection

I have a '68 CC Mustang with a 289, 4 bbl. I would like to convert to fuel injection. There are several kits out there that seem like they'd work well. Howel Engineering has told me that their system will work very well without the O2 sensor, and this would certainly simplify the installation. Have any of you converted your motors to EFI? How did it go? What issues did you encounter? What system did you use?

I'm sure that some of you might be sickened by the idea of scraping a carb and you might even feel compelled to leave a not-so-nice comment here. Please don't. I would appreciate only constructive ideas from people who have ventured down this path. Personally, I think 4 bbl carbs are among the coolest things to sit atop a motor...but this is 2018. Carbs are headed in the same direction as the dinosaurs and EFI is a wonderful thing.
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Using your thinking “it’s 2018” leave the Mustang alone and buy a FI boat. If you insist of wanting a 68 fuel injected boat drop in a new motor and take advantage of a true computer controlled fuel injected engine instead as also fits pieced together system IMHO.

Gary S wrote: Using your thinking “it’s 2018” leave the Mustang alone and buy a FI boat. If you insist of wanting a 68 fuel injected boat drop in a new motor and take advantage of a true computer controlled fuel injected engine instead as also fits pieced together system IMHO.

It's complicated...    The lake we live on has horsepower limits imposed in the 1970's; 140 HP and 18' length max. I would buy a new Nautique, but I can't put it on this lake. My boat has been 'grandfathered' in since we owned it prior to the regulations. I need to keep this baby running. A neighbor of ours bought a Nautique 176, and they made him put a 4 cylinder engine in it. It can barely get out of it's own way. So sad.

Please understand I'm just being devils advocate. It does not matter to you if you feel a FI system is safer than a carb,it's the Coast Guard who determines that. Say if you did use non approved components and something happened,a sharp lawyer could put you into a world of hurt. That said are you looking for an off the shelf throttle body type system or port injection system you could build up yourself like a Megasquirt system and using say 5.0 Mustang intake components? Maybe you could find a working PCM Pro Tec system- the hurtle there being finding a working system and making a 351 distributor fit a 289. It's going to be alot of work any way you go. Do you have an Interceptor in it now?

KenVan wrote: I want "turn key" every spring, without fail.

Fuel Injection, is certainly not going to accomplish this for you.
Just ask anyone who has it. I dont think "turn key" every spring truly exists in the world of boating. There will always be maintenance and general work that will need to be done. Personally the closest you might get is a yamaha outboard. But even then if you think you're going to shut it off in november and fire it back up in april without a hiccup it may only work for a few consecutive years.
If you're unable to do the work each season find a mechanic who can. You will probably break even as far as costs go vs going with a peiced together F.I.

Now as far as the USCG goes, there is the category of parts that have actually been tested and received the USCG "stamp of approval". They usually advertise that fact pretty prominently and have a sticker or tag on that piece of equipment that says it's approved.

Then there are those companies that advertise that their piece of equipment meets USCG standards. They haven't got the "stamp of approval" though because they haven't undergone the expensive testing.

But people use the stuff and the company lawyers must know it's OK if for example somebody blows themselves and a couple of passengers 20 ft into the air .because for example their non USCG approved, but meets the specs distributor caused an explosion.

Everybody with a DUI marine distributor raise your hand now and say it "meets the specs, but it doesn't have that official stamp of approval" and tell KenVan how a marine AFI system is any different than your favorite distributor.

I don't know the answer to the meets vs approved issue but I figure those lawyers for all these different companies aren't too worried about it for some reason.

DUI is just an example, there are plenty of others selling marine stuff that "meets the spec"

AFI advertises that it's marine and they go to boat shows selling it so they must have confidence in it's marine capabilities

Gary S wrote: ,for the last 5 seasons my 95 fires off after sitting for 6 months just like I ran it yesterday,but I think the carb'd ones would too if they used electric fuel pumps

After a layup, all it takes with a carb'd engine with a mechanical pump is a couple squirts of gas down the manifold and they fire up just like it ran yesterday too.

I always have one of these when I get an engine running come spring.



Sure does save me having to spend $1,500 on a FI system that's questionable with the USCG!

DayTony wrote: KenVan wrote: I want "turn key" every spring, without fail. Fuel Injection, is certainly not going to accomplish this for you. Just ask anyone who has it. I dont think "turn key" every spring truly exists in the world of boating. There will always be maintenance and general work that will need to be done. Personally the closest you might get is a yamaha outboard. But even then if you think you're going to shut it off in november and fire it back up in april without a hiccup it may only work for a few consecutive years. If you're unable to do the work each season find a mechanic who can. You will probably break even as far as costs go vs going with a peiced together F.I.

Wise words, generally speaking. But we've owned the boat since it was new (it's a 1968) and it has always been very reliable. It's a Correct Craft, right? I added electronic ignition in the 90's, and that has proven to be a good upgrade. My only issues recently have been with the fuel system, and in this era of ethanolized fuel. Ethanol is not friendly to these older systems. Since I can't get ethanol-free gas (at a reasonable cost), I want to modernize the fuel system to accommodate the fuel.

I'm not necessarily looking for feedback from those who have a stock EFI boat, because I don't think those are great systems. I'm looking for feedback from those who have put aftermarket EFI on their motor. Do you have any experience with aftermarket EFI systems?

Here is my fuel injected boats label next to the filler,they really don't like alcohol either . Maybe it's more of a handling problem rather than a fuel type. Do you use any fuel stabilizer? If I could I would not use alcohol either but here we have no choice.

I think PCM recommends it to cover their butts. Back in the late 80's they told you to use leaded gas in their engines too,when it had already been phased out in the automotive world. No one even worries about that anymore

Also. For aftermarket efi I have only dealt with Howell and MoTec. But the systems I dealt with are probably long outdated now from what I've seen on the magazine pages lately. The motec could be custom mapped but it did not record pulls so we had to make notes and adjust it after.
Today I believe most are self learning. And will record data for use while tuning.

8122pbrainard wrote: DayTony wrote: Also. For aftermarket efi I have only dealt with Howell and MoTec. . Tony, Were these on marine engines?

Don't worry pete Motec have it covered....fully polyurethane-potted versions of the M400, M600 and M800 ECUs

KENO wrote: 8122pbrainard wrote: DayTony wrote: Also. For aftermarket efi I have only dealt with Howell and MoTec. . Tony, Were these on marine engines? So Pete................KenVan came here looking for info on fuel injection systems, he got pointed towards AFI who happens to sell a marine system that just might work on his engine. It's no less "marine" than a DUI distributor AFI has been around for quite a while and sells good stuff. He wants a Fuel Injection system, he didn't come here to get talked out of it. And........give him some credit for wanting to try this.

Ken,
Where are you getting the impression I'm trying to talk him out of trying a FI system?

Ken - Maybe you can find a bad (mechanically) FI marine engine & salvage the fuel system. Maybe put an adjustable pressure regulator on it t adjust for difference in displacement.

8122pbrainard wrote: Gary S wrote: ,for the last 5 seasons my 95 fires off after sitting for 6 months just like I ran it yesterday,but I think the carb'd ones would too if they used electric fuel pumps After a layup, all it takes with a carb'd engine with a mechanical pump is a couple squirts of gas down the manifold and they fire up just like it ran yesterday too. I always have one of these when I get an engine running come spring. Sure does save me having to spend $1,500 on a FI system that's questionable with the USCG!

8122pbrainard wrote: Ken, maybe we can help if you describe the problem you have in the springs?