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Fsj fuel injection installation cost
Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2018 3:06 pm
by Jasonjoli
Does anyone have a ballpark estimate of how much I can expect to pay to have a Howell fuel injection system installed labor only?
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Re: Fsj fuel injection installation cost
Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2018 9:00 am
by 4whalin
I just installed a CA legal Howell tbi on my 89 wag. Bought it from BJ’s Offroad, $1,450. Had a shop install it for $300.
There was a little surgery involved installing the O2 sensor in the exhaust at a muffler shop. All in about $2K.
I am still dialing in the fuel mixture, playing with air cleaners and distributors, but I absolutely love the way it runs.
Currently just have a replacement distributor w/ vacuum advance from O’Reilly’s.
Re: Fsj fuel injection installation cost
Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2018 9:19 am
by Jasonjoli
4whalin wrote:I just installed a CA legal Howell tbi on my 89 wag. Bought it from BJ’s Offroad, $1,450. Had a shop install it for $300.
There was a little surgery involved installing the O2 sensor in the exhaust at a muffler shop. All in about $2K.
I am still dialing in the fuel mixture, playing with air cleaners and distributors, but I absolutely love the way it runs.
Currently just have a replacement distributor w/ vacuum advance from O’Reilly’s.
Great thank you! Install was cheaper than I expected. Was thinking it would be double that.
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Re: Fsj fuel injection installation cost
Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2018 12:40 pm
by 4whalin
It helps to find the right garage. And make sure they (and you) go thru instructions carefully. You’ll get to remove your smog pump and quite a bit of vacuum lines with the cvonversion. And seal off a few ports on the exhaust manifold. Just an FYI to make sure you look in the right places. Doesn’t hurt to invest in an OBD1 scanner tool afterwards to see how things are running as far as fuel mixture and timing. At tleast that’s what I have with the Howell system. The brain is from a 1990 GM product
Re: Fsj fuel injection installation cost
Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:03 am
by FSJ Guy
$300 sounds cheap to me. Most shop rates are $100/hour. I would think a tech would charge more than 3 hours time to remove the old stuff and install/test the new stuff.
If you don't have the time or space to do it yourself, I understand. Otherwise, it is really as easy as installing a stereo. Have a shop install the O2 sensor (involves burning a hole in metal and welding...) and you can do everything else in your driveway with regular hand tools.
See my website for details if you're curious.
:- )
Re: Fsj fuel injection installation cost
Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2018 11:06 am
by Jasonjoli
FSJ Guy wrote:$300 sounds cheap to me. Most shop rates are $100/hour. I would think a tech would charge more than 3 hours time to remove the old stuff and install/test the new stuff.
If you don't have the time or space to do it yourself, I understand. Otherwise, it is really as easy as installing a stereo. Have a shop install the O2 sensor (involves burning a hole in metal and welding...) and you can do everything else in your driveway with regular hand tools.
See my website for details if you're curious.
:- )
Great thank you for the tip. I'll check your site out.
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Re: Fsj fuel injection installation cost
Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2021 10:04 am
by 4whalin
An update on fuel injection. My Howell system runs on high pressure, so no return line (if you can call 12psi high pressure.)
Anyway, when I’m driving, the 20 gal factory tank became a 15 gal tank since the fuel pickup was pulling so hard it started to cavitate and pull air at the last 5 gallons. Solution: Spare tire inside the back of the cabin on a bracket and a 35 gallon tank in its place with a well where the pickup goes in the bottom. One 700R4 overdrive later and I’m closing in on 600 miles range per tank. CA legal Thorley headers and electric fans getting me up around 16mpg. Howell EFI is CA legal too. We can’t change motors on anything post-1975 in CA or they won’t register it since it’s not smog exempt. Otherwise I’d drop an LS in.
Re: Fsj fuel injection installation cost
Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2021 7:35 am
by Stuka
4whalin wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 10:04 am
An update on fuel injection. My Howell system runs on high pressure, so no return line (if you can call 12psi high pressure.)
Anyway, when I’m driving, the 20 gal factory tank became a 15 gal tank since the fuel pickup was pulling so hard it started to cavitate and pull air at the last 5 gallons. Solution: Spare tire inside the back of the cabin on a bracket and a 35 gallon tank in its place with a well where the pickup goes in the bottom. One 700R4 overdrive later and I’m closing in on 600 miles range per tank. CA legal Thorley headers and electric fans getting me up around 16mpg. Howell EFI is CA legal too. We can’t change motors on anything post-1975 in CA or they won’t register it since it’s not smog exempt. Otherwise I’d drop an LS in.
You can do smog legal LS swaps. GM even sells a smog legal complete 5.3L that you just bolt in. You have to go to a referee station to have it certified, but once thats done, you are golden.