Rochester FI Tuning

[Robert C.]

My sons just bought me a Kent-Moore Manometer as a gift.

I have lots of experience tuning my 65 Fuelie, but have never used a manometer during the process.

I was looking at the ad for Gary Summerville's 1957-1965 Rochester Fuel Injection Information & Rebuild CD, and was wondering if there is detailed info as to how to tune the FI unit using a manometer on the CD?

Any info would be appreciated

[Richard M.]

Re: Rochester FI Tuning

Robert, I'm unsure about the CD but I recall either a GM or a Rochester Products document that may have detailed instructions.

Rich

[Alan D.]

Re: Rochester FI Tuning

The 63 Shop Manual has some good basic stuff inc Kent-Moore Manometer

[Don H.]

Re: Rochester FI Tuning

I have never used one and only spoke to one or two people that have. As others have stated, the GM manuals discuss it. I think many people now use exhaust analyzers to adjust. Good luck, Don H.

[John S.]

Re: Rochester FI Tuning

I am very interested in learning to use the Kent Moore manometer on my fuel car also. Any direction to any type of videos would be a big help.

[Mike M.]

Re: Rochester FI Tuning

i haad a kent moore and back in the early 80's i used it per the shop manual. with a duntov cam and the manometer bolted to the 57 vet, the kent moore bounced around so much i couldn't interpret what it was trying to tell me due to fluctuation of the mercury and the AFTF. never used it again. also came across a NOS manometer i the original box. sold them both. mike

[Alan D.]

Re: Rochester FI Tuning

Hey Mike, now I recall that's why I only used it once with no success.

[Jerry G.]

Re: Rochester FI Tuning

I have three Rochester cars and I learned a trick on the road race car. I installed a broad band Air/Fuel ratio sensor and found out it was really easy to get repeatable reliable information using an A/F meter. For NCRS guys I would recommend you either talk with Jim Lockwood who uses a very nice setup that requires no modification of the car or just go to a chassis dyno shop and pay the $100 dollars to have them use their A/F equipment to set up your unit. The manometer was trying to equate fuel pressure and air flow to A/F. It was the best they could do at the time but really wasn't very good.

[Jim L.]

Re: Rochester FI Tuning

I appreciate the flowers, Jerry. The calibration set-up I use may not be practical for a one-time use. I justified it because I use it frequently to calibrate FI units.

There is a wide band O2 sensor which sits in the exhaust stream:






In the passenger compartment, I have a digital air/fuel ratio gauge and a small netbook computer. Whatever is displayed on the gauge is recorded on the netbook for off-line review. This lets me spot transients and glitches which I wouldn't otherwise notice by glancing at the gauge from time to time:



For a one-time calibration, paying the fee for time on a chassis dyno is the better way to go.

Jim

[James G.]

Re: Rochester FI Tuning

I agree with Jim and Jerry. I had my California Smog license for 28 years from 1971 on. We used the above digital air/fuel ratio gauges to set up the FI system. I had a 64 B/P Fuel Injection race car like Jerry's. Had a lot of fun with that car. Never used the Kent-Moore Manometer as I always heard there were problems. California techs were a little bit ahead of the curve due to the Smog laws. I look back now and realize we had an edge on tune up procedures.

Distributors caused way more problems than FI air fuel adjustments. Had one friend with a 61 FI 283/315. At 125,000 miles replaced the block with a 327/365 short block, but used the original 097 cam. After 141,000 miles changed out that motor with a 350/370 LT-1. All three motors he just moved the FI unit to each motor. Never had to rebuild the unit until 1979 after 336k miles. The distributor however had many rebuilds over the 18 years.

[John D.]

Re: Rochester FI Tuning

I have a manometer setup here that belongs to our own Chuck Berge. He is anxious for me to peddle it so if anyone is interested holler.
So many guys really mess up a fuel injection restoration with a manometer. One has to have a lot of practice using it. John

[Robert C.]

Re: Rochester FI Tuning

Thanks Rich

I have both the GM and Rochester docs, and have been re-reading the procedures.

[Timothy B.]

Re: Rochester FI Tuning

I have not done this but is it a cardinal sin to install a bung in the front exhaust pipe and use a wide band O2 sensor. After you are finished just install a plug in the threaded bung.

[Joe R.]

Re: Rochester FI Tuning

I have used the manometer with success and failure. Failure comes when the motor is not in perfect running shape to begin with such as timing and valve adjustment. Just follow the procedure in the 63 GM Corvette Shop Manual. A friend of mine (RIP) used to tell me "just turn it one nut flat at a time and you'll be OK".

JR

[Richard M.]

Re: Rochester FI Tuning

Jim, Great setup. Is that a 60's Kent-Moore Computer? (sorry couldn't resist)

So a question.... Is the software part of the chassis dyno package used at that outside shop or is it something you've acquired and installed yourself? Reason I ask is because I have a friend's '61 fuelie here and will be bringing it to a chassis dyno shop to run it up after I break-in the cam/engine here at my place using a wcfb/cast iron intake. After that I'll pull the intake/carb and install the FI unit and get that setup for basic operation. It's my first FI install ever and I'm gun shy to break in the cam/engine with it. The car can't be legally street driven as it has no registration yet so I'm going to trailer it to the shop for testing after the FI is installed and tested for basic operation. A good friend owns the chassis dyno at his restoration shop nearby.

I have access to a Manometer and assisted a friend on his '65 fuelies but that was long ago and I do recall the readings were not that helpful to him.

I must admit I'm really nervous about this fuelie first time fuelie run/setup. I'm certain I'll have problems as I'm a rookie. I'll be all eyes and ears helping a friend with his '57 fuelie run up maybe later today or tomorrow so I may hopefully learn something.

Rich

I appreciate the flowers, Jerry. The calibration set-up I use may not be practical for a one-time use. I justified it because I use it frequently to calibrate FI units.

There is a wide band O2 sensor which sits in the exhaust stream:

In the passenger compartment, I have a digital air/fuel ratio gauge and a small netbook computer. Whatever is displayed on the gauge is recorded on the netbook for off-line review. This lets me spot transients and glitches which I wouldn't otherwise notice by glancing at the gauge from time to time:



For a one-time calibration, paying the fee for time on a chassis dyno is the better way to go.

Jim