Next worst idea - o290D2

As you may have seen, i'm learning EFi on my old Camaro.
But I've another project I'm about to bring back from the dead, and I'm curious if there's a way I can get modern engine management of some description to work on an aviation motor.
No, it's not going in the air.

o290d2 Lycoming (4 cylinder, horizontally opposed, 290 cubic inches, air cooled, magneto fired, updraft carburetor).
I read one thread on here where a guy was exploring, but I don't think he ever finished - and that was from 2012
Edit: Not that it matters, but it will end up being 320 cubic inches shortly - I've ordered a new set of jugs and pistons, and have to have a little case work done.

Has anybody else played with this yet? I'd love to go completely over to EFI/Modern management, rid myself of the magnetos as well.
I might also be interested in adapting a modern EFI to the tow vehicle in this pic too:
Attachment 15868

Have you looked into Dynamic EFI? http://www.dynamicefi.com/

Dynamic EFI offers three different systems ( http://www.dynamicefi.com/EBL_Choice.php ), and they all have "Learning" abilities.:thumbsup:

dave w

Cool. I sent him a mail.
I can't tell from his website if he's ever done this before - I have to assume it can be done, particularly since we're not dealing with altitude changes on an airboat.
Could be fun to work out, too. 8 spark plugs, upside down carburetor, low RPM and all sorts of other interesting things that would bring a weird resolution to the tuning (for example, it idles at 600rpm and redlines at 2750)

Won't touch it or even talk about it.
So next idea.
Is there any reason a TBI Can't be ran upside down?

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Is there any reason a TBI Can't be ran upside down?

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only gravity, you'd think? updraft carbs have all sorts of design decisions made so fuel that's puddled doesn't just stream onto a hot engine surface. you'd probably need a drip tray or something

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Originally Posted by steveo

only gravity, you'd think? updraft carbs have all sorts of design decisions made so fuel that's puddled doesn't just stream onto a hot engine surface. you'd probably need a drip tray or something

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There's nothing under an updraft carb to stream fuel onto. It literally hangs out the bottom of the engine, with nothing below it. I think the scenario you describe is exactly why updraft carbs are used on aviation units in the first place - that and allegedly they don't flood the engine, but I've proved that theory wrong many times.

I would think that EFI (TBI) would be able to operate upside down since it is under pressure, and no need for a fuel bowl to sit and gravity to work it's course such as an updraft carb would have.

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Originally Posted by doc_rock

There's nothing under an updraft carb to stream fuel onto. It literally hangs out the bottom of the engine, with nothing below it. I think the scenario you describe is exactly why updraft carbs are used on aviation units in the first place - that and allegedly they don't flood the engine, but I've proved that theory wrong many times.

I would think that EFI (TBI) would be able to operate upside down since it is under pressure, and no need for a fuel bowl to sit and gravity to work it's course such as an updraft carb would have.

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I would think the only concern would be making sure the IAC counts are at a minimum at idle so the air flows as strongly as possible through the throttle bores. Air cooled may get interesting. May have to use the oil as an engine temperature reference rather than the cylinder heads.

its good it drips out the bottom of the engine where it's safe. it's just worth considering that at some point, fuel probably will come out of there. besides idle fuel pooling, if the engine can't ingest it, a sticky injector, ecm, or distributor malfunction has the potential to barf a lot of fuel when the engine isn't sucking enough air to ingest it, that's all.

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Originally Posted by Fast355

I would think the only concern would be making sure the IAC counts are at a minimum at idle so the air flows as strongly as possible through the throttle bores. Air cooled may get interesting. May have to use the oil as an engine temperature reference rather than the cylinder heads.

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That may be easier to tap into and get from near-direct on the heads than you'd believe. It's a boxer, so there are oil drain-backs at the top of each cylinder - very easy to pull oil temperature from there. I wonder how you could figure out the relationship between the oil temp at the head and the head temp...? Of course, the rocker box is right there too, I wonder if there is some sort of surface thermometer you could epoxy or thread bolt down on the rocker arm retainer boss to take a transfer temp of the head?

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Originally Posted by steveo

its good it drips out the bottom of the engine where it's safe. it's just worth considering that at some point, fuel probably will come out of there. besides idle fuel pooling, if the engine can't ingest it, a sticky injector, ecm, or distributor malfunction has the potential to barf a lot of fuel when the engine isn't sucking enough air to ingest it, that's all.

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Ah, ok,. that makes sense. I wasn't thinking about it in that aspect - particularly a carb being self regulating and an EFI spraying it regardless of conditions.