What about putting a Holley 4BBL on the Torker?

Oh my. There is soooo much info on the web if you look for it.

Firstly, you don't look for a conversion for the 304. Any junkyard conversion will need to be tuned to the engine it's used on, so the approach is the issue, not the engine.

Here's one approach - Will Marsh fuel injected his Travelall for under $300 (well, that was his goal - he did not quite make it, but he can tell the story) http://www.binderplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53524 This project uses the Megasquirt EFI controller, which can be sourced as a kit or as a completed board. The main advantage of Megasquirt is its easy programability - you plug it in to your laptop computer.

Here's another Megasquirt project - http://www.diyautotune.com/tech_articles/megasquirt-carb-to-efi-part1-nova.htm - DIY AutoTune sells the Megasquirt kits.

Remember that it does not matter what engine that you are installing to. You will be programming the system to work with that engine.

For an old design engine like the 304, IMO TBI (throttle body injection) is the only sensible approach. The most popular TBs were used on GM cars. You can use the whole shebang from these cars, including the computer. You will need to reprogram the computer to work with the new engine. Maybe the BinderPlanet FAQs would be a good place to start - http://www.binderplanet.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=75 - this is almost all about using the GM computer.

Using the GM computer requires a PROM burner (programmable read-only memory) and is less user friendly than the Megasquirt. These two approaches seem to be the main "camps" for Jeep conversions. Both approaches have their merits. And by no means are you limited to these two approaches, although it seems that information for other approaches (ie a Ford computer or whatever) is much less available in the public domain. And information is key here...

The Megasquirt pages have a lot of information about how EFI works. http://www.bgsoflex.com/megasquirt.html

The installation can be cheap, using junkyard and/or homebrew parts, but you will need to invest a lot of sweat equity in reading and study. As I said, there is lots and lots of information out there. You can start with these links and then follow them where they lead.

 

The technology has changed. The GM computers don't "need" a chip burner, etc. I have Dynamic EFI's EBL and can tune over Bluetooth. Moates Ostrich is another one. I don't believe there is a truly "plug and play" solution for any engine other than the stock application. Even the AMC geared stuff from Howell can't possibly account for every combination of heads, exhaust, cam, etc. They won't ever admit it but they are stabbing in the dark - hopefully on the conservative side - with any tune they provide for an application sight-unseen.

The only way to tune properly is with a dyno or on the street with a wideband O2. Anything else is either compromising performance or your motor's longevity, possibly both at the same time.

I would stick the carb if you don't have the desire to learn this stuff and optimize it for your setup. EFI tuning is a steep learning curve and a lot more complex than just a fuel table and a spark table.

 

All good points..............and you hit it right on the head when you mentioned "other than a stock application" Although Howell does have the ability to take somewhat of an educated guess but the reality is , it is a guess!

I doubt that anyone is going to damage a stock engine over that guess unless compression ratio's and cam timing have been changed to the extreme , but surely optimum power and mileage will be somewhat at risk.

If you have the time and money to spend a few days on the dyno with a good tech , It may will get you where you want to go........ or:

Pick a motor combination that is already factory fuel injected and performs to all your Horsepower needs & requirements as it comes out of the wrecked vehicle or crate........much easier to get there.

 

Yes, but ... this is not rocket science.

Lots of people have successfully converted their older cars to fuel injection. I have yet to read a horror story about a damaged engine.

Electronics is easy compared to the fiddly, fussy and fragile vacuum-powered mechanical systems in a carburetor.

If it interests you, go to it. Doesn't have to be expensive.

 

For those with interest - Here is an exhaustive step-by-step install for a true junkyard system - http://www.binderplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48769

 

Wow. That's a knarly pile of pieces to wade through.
That is one heck of detailed 'How-To'. Thanks for finding it Tim.
Here I go getting distracted again.

 

Just refuse to be overwhelmed by the totality of it. Divide and conquer. Look at one wire at a time, and keep at it. Complexity is in the eye of the beholder.