Everybody knows that fuel gets converted into power. Power equals energy. So it stands to reason that if you can cram more fuel into your engine and burn it efficiently, the result will be more power to the pavement. It used to be you could just bolt a bigger Holley carburetor onto a stock or aftermarket intake manifold to take advantage of your newly installed cam and headers. But if your Corvette is equipped with electronic fuel injection, it's not quite that simple.
We went in search of increased fuel-handling capacity and found it in the Mid America Motorworks catalog. Specifically, we found a set of high-performance Accel fuel injectors along with an adjustable fuel-pressure regulator that seemed like a logical upgrade for our Tuned Port '87 C4. we had already upgraded the ignition system (including a new chip) and are regulars at the local dragstrip, so the time seemed right to improve our fuel-management system. we ordered the new injectors, a fuel-pressure regulator, along with a fuel-pressure gauge to keep our vital signs in-check, and headed for the garage.
The Mid America folks also recommended a full tune-up in conjunction with this fuel-system upgrade in order to reap all the benefits afforded by the new go-fast parts. Since we had just recently upgraded our ignition system, everything in the sparking department was fresh. And a little baseline work provided assurances that we had a good starting point for our upgrades. That baseline included running a bottle of Red Line Fuel System Cleaner through the gas tank a couple of weeks before we tackled this job just to make sure that we didn't contaminate our new injectors with water or any other badness.
We scanned for any trouble codes using our previously acquired Diagnostic Grounding Plug Kit (Mid America PN 604-259) to make sure we had a clean start for our work. we also took baseline fuel-pressure readings with key on/engine off (43 psi) and key on/engine on (36 psi) so we knew our starting point. finally, along the way we took care of a couple of minor items that will contribute to both the appearance and performance of our '87.
| DIFFICULTY INDEX: *** |
| ANYONE'S PROJECT | no tools required | * |
| BEGINNER | basic tools | ** |
| EXPERIENCED | special tools | *** |
| ACCOMPLISHED | special tools and outside help | **** |
| PROFESSIONALS ONLY | send this work out | ***** |
The parts collection for this project is from the Mid America catalog. Included are a set of eight new Accel high-performance injectors, a new fuel-pressure regulator, and a new diaphragm that should certainly be changed at the same time, new gaskets for the runner-to-plenum junction, a fuel pressure regulator for "before" and "after" readings, a new fuel filter, and a can of Red Line fuel system treatment. We also purchased an o-ring kit from our local Chevrolet dealer.
Things You'll Need
Parts List
Mid America Motorworks catalog
Accel fuel injectors (set of 8): 606-611
Adjustable fuel-pressure regulator: 609-175
Fuel-pressure regulator diaphragm: 601-034
AC-Delco fuel filter: 609-749
Fuel-pressure gauge: 100-612
Red Line fuel-system cleaner: 100-537
Fuel rail o-ring set (GM): 17111696
Tools Of The Trade
In addition to everyday hand tools such as screwdrivers and wrenches, you'll also need:
51/48-inch line (flare) wrench
31/44-inch line (flare) wrench
8mm socket
10mm socket
T20 Torx socket
T40 Torx socket
TT10 Tamper (proof) Torx socket (included with new fuel-pressure regulator)