Carb to FI question.......
 

Going to the junk yard later today to find a FI system out of a 4.3 S-10, my question is, if i put it all in, the O2 sensor will get all messed up by the water, and i cant just buy a pre programed computer, the computer needs to know how the output is. How do I put the O2 sensor in to not have it get messed up readings by the water for cooling the exhaust??? Could I run dry exhaust with header wrap (3000 hp drag motor, the header with the wrap is only warm, not burning) or will it be to hot under the hatch?

Thanks for any info
Tommy

Don't run dry exhaust in an enclosed compartment. That dragster has tons of airflow over the engine. I sincerely doubt you will get the s10 EFI to flow enough to make even as much power as your carb does now, under the load your boat puts on it. Save your money. You need more cubes or a supercharger (artificial cubes) to make a signifigant difference. If you know what you're doing and spend some $$ you can build more power from your motor, but best bang for the buck, and easiest, is a centrifugal supercharger kit from any of the reputable manufacturers.

Ditto. Skip the EFI off the truck. Your carb is making more power now.

ok, but how do i supercharge it w/o fi? a roots blower? who makes one for the 4.3?

no, not roots. Centrifugal - Procharger, Paxton, or Vortech.

The truck FI is a bad idea. A holley TBI unit or a Cutler style port FI would be a far better choice. Still not worth the money on a V6. You could buy a 350 longblock, distributor, intake, and carb for less than an EFI addition to your 4.3

EFI on a boat is NOT to achieve max HP - it is to provide ease of starting, idle quality, easy way to map a good fuel curve at cruise, altitude tolerance, one-stop jetting for all temp and atmospheric conditions, and (in this day and time) less cost overall to the mfr.

A properly sized carb will almost always provide best hp when compared to "non-race" EFI systems. It's just the manners that are harder to tweak into a carb setup.

Big $$ Haltech controllers, high-flow dry tunnel ram style intakes with huge throttle bodies, utilizing the latest microspray FI nozzles aimed right down the throats of the intake ports are dandy to be sure - they are also in excess of $3k and then you have to program them...

You currently have a 2 barrel 180 horse 4.3, right?
Look for a used stage 1 Procharger setup for a smallblock carb motor. Make sure the intercooler isn't corroded up, send the pump back to procharger for a freshenup job (might want to convert it to self contained lube also). Find the Largest pulley they offer for it. Drop a 4-barrel intake on your motor with a 600 holley and put her all together. Jet her rich, back the timing down to 30, and start tuning.

(it is slightly more involved than this, but I feel this will give you the best bang for the buck if you are dead set on modifying your 4.3 -- if it were my billfold, I'd be dropping a carbed 350 or 383 in it).

What about PowerDyne?

http://www.superchargersonline.com/p...its_VehMake=GM

I would buy a kit specificly made for marine applications.
Why don't you just put an intake and carb on it, maybe a cam too. Merc made 205 hp with a 4 barrel on that motor.