Because of limited space under...
Because of limited space under the hood, a K&N filter is located behind the driver-side fender vents. This also allows for a cooler air charge. An MSD 6A ignition box resides behind the passenger-side vents.
After these two major components were adapted to the plenum, several other brackets were needed as well. They included a fuel-distribution block (bolted on to the bottom of the plenum), a bracket to hold the fuel-pressure regulator valve (bolted to the right-rear plenum leg), a bracket to hold the MAP sensor (bolted to the left-rear plenum leg), and a bracket to hold a fuel-pressure gauge (bolted to the VST). Because of limited space, all of these parts fit very close to one another.
The FAST ECU I used requires a separate coolant-temperature sending unit. I decided to make a new thermostat housing that included a pipe thread for the sensor rather than drilling and tapping the original FI intake base. The air-temperature sensor is mounted in the supercharger-discharge tube, about halfway to the throttle body. The lambda (oxygen) sensor is mounted in the left-side exhaust pipe after the first bend.
After all the components were attached to the plenum, it was time to bend the 3/16-inch stainless tubing that connects the injectors to the fuel block. I practiced making each piece with old, steel brake line and then duplicated it with the stainless tubing. I purchased Ridgid tube benders, which made the job much easier.
The FAST ECU was mounted in...
The FAST ECU was mounted in the glove-box area to ensure low ambient temperatures. The original glovebox liner was replaced with aluminum plates bolted together with Allen-head stainless screws.
The fuel-delivery lines were all made from 3/8-inch stainless tubing. Starting at the original fuel filter, a short line feeds fuel through a No. 6 AN/14mm banjo fitting that fills the VST fuel-pump reservoir. Another line delivers fuel from the electric pump to the fuel block under the plenum, while a third line returns fuel to the pressure regulator. The final link is a return line to the VST reservoir. All of the banjo-fitting bolts were custom-made from 303 stainless steel, utilizing 14mm Dowty bonded seals.
When the fuel-delivery system was done, it was time to start on the electrical components. I decided to mount the FAST ECU in the glovebox. The original box liner was replaced with 0.065-inch aluminum plates bolted together with Allen-head stainless screws. Three relays and two ECU-fuse holders are also housed in this area. (I got this idea from Russ Fulwood, whose '67 502 EFI Corvette was featured in the April '05 issue of VETTE.)
When I realized that the FAST wiring harnesses were too long for my application, I removed the plastic cover on each harness and fed the wires through existing holes in the firewall. After determining the proper length for each set, I pulled the wires back through and wrapped each new harness with nonadhesive tape. After cutting the wires to length, I replaced the pin connectors that connect to the various sensors.
The original bellcrank was...
The original bellcrank was replaced with a custom unit with slightly different ratios. This removed the throttle play inherent in the original design.
The MSD 6A ignition box was the next item to install. After some searching, I determined that the area behind the battery was an ideal location. I fabricated a bracket that bolts to the battery box's hold-down bolt. This location is relatively cool compared with other areas under the hood and is close to the air vents in the right fender.
The final electrical components to install were the distributor and coil. Craig chose the ACCEL Digital Fuel Injection (DFI) Hall-Effect distributor for my application. Fortunately, ACCEL makes this modern distributor for Corvettes with mechanical tach drives. I had to machine a custom distributor-holddown clamp because of limited space between the intake baseplate and the tach drive's gear housing. The MSD coil was initially mounted in the regular location, next to the distributor. However, when we attempted to perform the first calibration session, severe radio-frequency noise was generated, shutting down the ECU software. The coil was then relocated to the left-side framerail, resolving the problem.
M&H Electric Fabricators, in Santa Fe Springs, California, modified the main engine harness by removing the pink wire between the coil and starter and the purple wire that activated the Rochester cold-start solenoid. M&H also supplied me with hard-to-find terminal pins and nonadhesive wire-harness tape.