Installing a FAST EZ-EFI 2.0 on a GM 2.8 V6/60!

[82-T/A]

Guys,

I really hope you can help me. I'm comitted to dumping $1,200 bucks on one of these "self-learning" EZ-EFI 2.0 systems from FAST.

Long story short...

What is it? - The FAST EZ-EFI system is a "plug and play" system that replaces the factory wiring harness and ECM of any MPFI and SFI GM computer system, including TPI. The system is self-learning meaning that you basically have to do as little work as possible and it will essentially optimize the fuel management for you. The EZ-EFI 2.0 system DOES in fact actually control timing, as well as load. (This is the difference between 1.0 and 2.0). It comes with a completely new engine wiring harness and has ALL the factory sensor plugs (by default) that our GM MPFI system has. It also converts from MPFI to SFI.

Why do I want it? - Plain and simple, I'm restoring my Fiero, and I no longer want to deal with burning chips, or fiddling with 27+ year old wiring harnesses. I know how awesome Megasquirt and the 7730 ECMs are, but to be honest, I don't want to deal with it... I just don't. EGR, cruise, and EVAP can all vacuum controlled, so I don't need a factory ECM for it. I have a 2.8 with 3.1 crank and rods and .040 overbore pistons (so a 3.2?) along with an H272 CAM, and some other odds and ends. I just want it to run right, and run well.


Here's my question: The FAST EZ-EFI 2.0 system says that in order to use the "timing function", it requires the following:

"In order for your EZ-EFIŽ to control ignition timing on a traditional, single coil, distributor-equipped engine, it must have a crank reference signal at TDC from a “locked out” distributor with an integrated pickup. A capacitive discharge (CD)-style ignition box is also required for the EZ-EFIŽ to control timing. The CD ignition box will receive the ECU’s ignition output signal and fire the coil."

So, two issues:

- Locked Out Distributor w/ integrated pickup, and a crack reference signal; do I have this? I'm pretty sure all HEI distributors (at least the ones with the 7 and 8 pin HEI ICMs are "locked out." I'm also pretty sure that my distributor has a pickup since I have a pickup coil in it. Note, I also have the newer design distributor with the improved stator. I have the basic Computer Controlled distributor that comes with the MPFI system with the 8-pin HEI ignition control module. Using some images I stole, and modifying them... I came up with this image (below). Only big question I have now is... is the signal output from the ICM (the tach "reference") acceptable for what the EZ-EFI 2.0 is expecting?




- A capacitive discharge (CD)-style ignition box is also required; Now, I'm not sure if FAST is being overly dramatic here... but the difference between inductive and capacitive really just has to do with how decent the spark is... could this REALLY be a requirement?


Anyway, thank you so much for any future responses. I want to make my Fiero "look" as 100% stock as possible, but really want modern drivability, but also don't want to spend months and months messing with MetaSploit and having to soldier and messing with decades old wiring harnesses. I really just want it all to work. I know most of you will try to convince me otherwise how much better the 7730 will be and all that... but I really want the least amount of effort as possible with the biggest bang for the buck. I'm at the point in my life where I just want it to work, and I don't want to have to spend all my free time in the garage anymore. With work, kids, house projects, everything else... I just want to be able to throw money at it and put together brand new parts. That said... before I throw money at it, I want to make sure it works.

I definitely don't want to down-grade to a mechanical/vacuum advance distributor.


Thanks guys... really appreciate any help you can give me.

[Guest]

If you just want it to work the Fast EZ-EFI is not going to be the ticket, I don't know of one swap that works as well as people would like to believe they do and end up messing with it as much as any other system.

That being said, the dizzy you have is "locked out", there is no mechanical or vacuum advance, so that part is fine. The TDC trigger requirement I'm not sure exactly what the EZ-EFI needs here, and may simply require cutting off 5 of the 6 tips to give a proper single pulse when #1 is at TDC, though it may require a second trigger instead to do this with the stock triggering system in place. Your best bet would be to get a hold of FAST and verify with one of their techs to know exactly what it needs to see, be it a single trigger or two different triggers.

The CD ignition is just a way of saying an aftermarket ignition amplifier, such as an MSD 6AL. The FAST system MAY trigger a stock type ignition control module, but again, a FAST tech would know better, though they may not say it can, because of of politics in selling this type of stuff.

[caffeine]

Ya a friend of mine has a 'self-tuning' standalone but it doesn't run the engine perfectly like you might expect without fine tuning. If your cam is big enough you might find that you need a richer AFR in cruising and a higher idle to run properly as well.

[82-T/A]

So... I'm back to this again...

Not thrilled with my options.


Does ANYONE know of a good EFI system that is "self learning" that I can buy for my Fiero's V6, that WILL use the distributor. At this point, I don't care if I have to make my own harness. I just want sequential multi-port functionality, and use of the distributor, and self-tuning.

Any ideas?

Thanks guys...

[caffeine]

Any standalone that will work with the 60* DIS ignition should also work with a distributor.

[Guest]

I looked at the info for the FAST system you had previously looked at, and I couldn't find any reference to SFI, but did find reference to a dual sync dizzy, but was unable to download the PDF to explore whether a dual sync dizzy was absolutely necessary or not.

If you want SFI and dizzy without spending ridiculous amounts of money then Megasquirt3 will be the way to go, since it will do SFI and work with a dizzy and be far less than any other aftermarket SFI EFI I have seen.

To be honest though SFI is not needed and is simply an emissions benefit.

To be quite frank, a 7730 will get you up and running very quickly, tuning would likely take a few hours at most and if you want to fine tune at any time you can. Most of my vehicles I've used Delco ECMs in I have driving in minutes after first fire up. Then usually a few hours of driving around to enjoy the fruits of my labour and fine tune the really rough areas, which really only equates to maybe 10s of minutes more, because I'm usually by myself and can't tune while I drive. BTW, most of the time these are on engines that that ECM was NEVER intended to be on.

The '7730 was used in the F-body from 1990 to 1992 on a 3.1 with a dizzy so any of those bins would be a great start, and probably get you 90% of the way to where you want to be.

Baring that, any aftermarket system that will work with the OEM computer controlled HEI or later dizzy in a GM vehicle will work with the Fiero dizzy as well. The signals are the same here.

Later this year I am going to test both a Megasquirt 2 and a Haltech Platnium Sport 1000, because I own one (MS) and have access to the other. Neither will do (V6) SFI, though I'm going to dig deeper and see if one of the GPIO pins can be used to create an SFI capable set-up on the Haltech. I want to see if there really are any benefits to using something other than an OEM ECM or what I lose/gain in the process. The Haltech Platnium Sport 2000 does have enough outputs for SFI.

But none of the options I listed are self-learning... there's probably a reason for that.