Fuel Injection System - New-Age 455

Counterpoint

When the dyno testing was completed, HPP contacted Chris Richards, owner of Mass-Flo EFI, for comment. What follows are his observations and opinions based upon his experience regarding his fuel-injection system.

"Ours is a closed-loop learning system. Given the opportunity to learn and adjust fuel trims in the real world (something that cannot be accomplished on the engine dyno), I believe this system will provide better fuel economy than any carburetor. A/F ratio will be monitored by the O2 sensors, long- and short-term fuel trims will be set, and the A/F will be correct at all times under all conditions. Also, as the engine's needs change (with altitude, weather conditions, engine wear, and so on), the Mass-Flo system will adjust for those changes automatically (no need to jet up or down). In other words, the Mass-Flo system adapts to the engine's ever-changing needs and improves with drive time."

Chris also states this system is the cure for the poorly maintained and/or maladjusted carburetor since his EFI self-adjusts. "In my experience," he says, "a Mass-Flo-equipped vehicle has much better manners than a carbureted car, especially when cold. Cold starting is worlds better, and I believe once it learns the combination, horsepower and torque will improve. That said, I don't believe anyone spends $3,000 to $4,000 on a fuel injection system to obtain maximum power. The fact is, if the engine is provided with the correct A/F ratio and spark advance, it's going to perform to its power potential regardless of how the fuel was supplied. The real reason you should invest in a Mass-Flo system is drivability, fuel economy, and reliability. This is where the Mass-Flo system shines. Times have changed, and the average enthusiast's time is limited. On the rare occasions you have time to enjoy your car, you should be able to enjoy your car, not fight with your carburetor."

As you have just read, Chris feels that a chassis-dyno test after the fuel injection has the opportunity to learn the engine's operating characteristics on the road would better represent the attributes of Mass-Flo's product. It just so happens that was part of the original plan anyway. So as soon as we can get the engine back into the SD Trans Am, we'll pit the Mass-Flo EFI against the Demon once more-this time on the chassis dyno after putting some miles on the engine so the EFI can learn what it needs to.

Chris tells HPP he is confident the system will perform much better. We will all find out on the dyno!
-Thomas A. DeMauro

The Mystery Motor

When building an engine, doing everything right and leaving no stone unturned greatly improves the rate of success over skipping steps and assuming all is well. Our SD-455 came to us with myriad internal problems, some caused by previously done slipshod work, but the fact cannot be denied that the initial failure was the impetus for the engine to be rebuilt.

When dealing with an engine such as this, Craig Wise tells HPP, "With every engine I build, I perform every practical test and measurement, but with something that has a history of problems, I go even deeper, way beyond what would be considered normal even on a NHRA Pro Stock engine." Since the SD had wiped out some of the main bearings and then, in turn, the rod bearings, RaceKrafters spent days checking over the block before doing any machining.

A scratch test-using machinist blue dye on the main caps/saddles and the mandrel from the line hone installed and turned by hand-was performed. Craig also Magnafluxed the block to such an extent that he burned out the black light bulb in the tool. With this data, he performed the necessary machine work, and the 455 ran great, as proven by the dyno results. But the rear main seal developed a leak near the end of our testing.

We all thought the rear main leak was an anomaly, but Craig wanted to look inside the engine after it came off the dyno. His intuition was correct, and everything looked great except for the No. 2 main bearing. It started to show some wear. So despite all of the checking and machining, a ghost is hiding somewhere in the rare Super-Duty block.

At this point, we don't want to jump to conclusions, but RaceKrafters will exhaust all possibilities to save the rare Pontiac casting. Some suggestions are that the oil galley feeding that main cap may have a crack in it and is bleeding off the oil pressure to that bearing. This would be an internal oil leak that wouldn't be exposed by the Magnaflux procedure. The only way it can be confirmed is through an industrial X-ray test-but that is only a possibility, not a diagnosis.

So as you can see, the staff at HPP once again proves we have just as many or more issues with our projects as the readers. Those of you who think of us as King Midas, think again. We will keep you informed of what we find with Melvin's engine block.
-R.B.