Features Lets see your cars using Rochester Fuel Injection

I was shooting the breeze with a friend of mine the other day and the conversation turned to some of our experiences with cars back in the day and it brought to memory and this story in particular. Back in the mid 60s a friend of mine bought a used 61 Corvette with Rochester fuel injection. He drove it for a short time and experienced all sorts of drivability problems such as stalling and rough idle so he took it to a number of dealers and independent repair shop trying to resolve the issues. He finally gave up and installed a duel quad setup and all was good. The fuel injection system sat under a bench in his garage for a number of years and as often happens life went on and he sold the Vette and eventually moved into a new house. I helped him clean up the garage in the old house and came across the old Rochester unit under the bench and asked him what he was going to do with it. He said that he had forgotten all about that”piece of crap” and told me to just toss it into the trash pile destined for the dump. I said I’d take it if he didn’t want it and he answered “Be my guest” I kept it for a few years and never had time to play with it and finally sold for what I thought was a pretty good price which with based on the prices I see them going for today was a pretty dumb move. This all got me to wondering how many guys are running cars with the good old Rochester FI system. Let’s see um!!!

 

This should be interesting. I don’t have pictures of it on the Coupe but at one time this car had one on the 327

 

Not mine, but interesting

 

My MG had a early Rochester FI that Willie had cut the top off and did something then welded it back together. Willie standing in front of car with Ray Kobel leaning over engine as they built the car. It was built in 4days and 4 nights, 2nd picture is first day out at Westhampton drag strip with the rest of the guys that helped plus car owner Dave Daly (in drivers seat). Sadly everyone in that photo is gone, it was 1962.

Pat

 

I have read that Bill Thomas opened them up to increase the size of the Injection Ports to make them flow better and then welded them back up

 

my 57 fuely we had for many years--ran great and was reliable--just didn't like the modern gas but was still very drivable-had it for many years-ran strong too

 

Yep, he sure did. I have a Bill Thomas catalog and the modded injection unit is in there. Claims 15-20 HP. Price is 125 for sandblasted and 140 for polished.
SHIT, ID PAY 150 FOR ONE.
How things have changed.

 

Last Rochester Fuel Injection Out Of 5 That I Enjoyed On My 1964 El Camino...

 

I have only seen a very few 57 Chevy fuely's. Does anyone know what the production numbers were???

 

1965 rochester in my 32 3 window.

 

That is one pretty engine!!!

 

I have been running Rochester FI units since 1963. Do all the calibration/set-up myself. I find them easier to set up than a Holley 750 carb.

My '55 Belair.....early '60s....315 HP 283 motor w/'58 Rochester


My '60 Vette....late '60s.....315 HP 283 motor


My current '40 Coupe.......375 HP 327 motor w/ modified early Rochester

 

I knew a guy in the early 70's that had a "calibration/tool kit", I recall it being in a wooden box, not sure if it was a GM item or not, is that what you have.
He had an early 60's (non finned) F.I. unit on the 327 in his 66 Chevelle and was known to stamp his name in big letters on everything he owned, including the top of the plenum.

 

Calibration kit is made by Kent-Moore.....was sold at Chevy parts counters.

 

Not mine but belongs to a friend who passed a couple years ago. All steel 32 powered by a 65 Rochester FI backed with a 4 speed, nice car! Don't have any pictures with the hood open but it's in there. His widow still has it and would sell but wants big bucks

 

In 1966, when I was stationed a place called CFB Moose Jaw, a base in central Canada, I had my chance to buy a 57 FI unit from a farmer that had too much money and no talent. He had taken it off his factory 57 FI 2dr hdtp, and had it up for sale for $200.
The unit came complete with the manometer and all the other testing equipment. I had a good look at it, and it was easy to see that it had lived the life of a junk yard dog. The manifold had been cracked and welded, and there were various other signs that the person that worked on the unit, should have been sweeping floors in Walmart instead of working on sophisticated machinery.
As badly as I wanted the FI unit, I couldn't see spending that kind of money on something that could be so screwed up that it would have been difficult, and expensive, to repair. He would not take less for the unit, so as a result, I passed on the purchase but always regretted it.
After I got out of the air force in the early 70s, I was flying a corporate jet for a company that often flew into Vancouver and parked at the Shell executive center. Because my responsibility was with the aircraft, I spent a fair amount of time there, and got to know the mechanics, one of whom owned a 57 Chevy, FI 2dr hdtp. The first time I was aware that he had an FI car, was on a slow Sunday, when I noticed the car in the hanger, and the FI unit sitting on his workbench. I asked him what he was doing with the unit, and he stated that he was just doing his first overhaul of the unit, because of some problem. I asked him if he liked the FI, and his response was that he loved it. He finished doing his routine maintenance, and had it installed and running that afternoon.
It sounded great, and made me wish that I had bought the one I passed on.
Bob

 

I’ve had several , my baddest was a 63 convertible with a 70 lt-1 it was really quick. I still have my manometer, , and two complete 63 units, one I removed from my split window, I removed the complete motor, core support, air cleaner etc, so someday down the road my wife my want to liquidate some parts, I think the cars will still be here when she goes. The only trouble I ever had was with the Drive cable. I tried to modify a cable from a Boeing 747, but could never The the ends shaped right. I no longer try to use them because of the great state of California gas.

 

A lot of people don't realize, that GM also offered the FI unit for the Pontiac. I have never seen one, but I know for a fact that Pontiac Division built 316 FI convertibles, and sent them out to the Dealers to put on the showroom floor.
Bob

 

Pontiac Rochester Fuel Injection For 1957/58 That Looks Unique But Adjusts The Same...

 

About 1965 I was working in a auto parts store. The landlord lived upstairs. He had bought a new '58 Bel Air 4 door hardtop off the lot with a 283 and F.I. He didn't want the new fangled F.I. and had the dealer put a carb. on it. The F.I. and the distributor sat on a shelf in the parts store for years with a $75 price tag. I wanted it, but never had the spare cash. I think it took about 10 years before someone finally bought it.

 

Here's a link that talks about the Pontiac unit. A friend of mine had one back in the day and at the time we didn't realize how rare it was.
http://chevroletfuelinjection.com/pontiac-fuel-injection-1957-1958/

 

My 57 FI clone. The parts are the right ones for a 57. Mine just wasn’t born with fuel injection. The unit was restored about 5 years ago by one of the FI experts in the country and so far it has been very reliable.

 

Excellent Detailing...Thank You...

 

This is made up of '63, '64 and '65 pieces. What couldn't be polished got chromed. Matching numbers, yay!

 

@Sting Ray
That's a great looking Vette.... Silver Blue is my favorite color for the early Stingrays. When the 63's first came out the first one I ever saw was silver blue with a white gut that just blew me away!!

 

My 57 had a Bill Thomas ported early injector on it.
Ran like a scalded cat.
Only issue was I kept pulling and replacing rocker studs the higher I wound it.


Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.

 

Here's a short video by GM from 57 that promotes their Revolutionary New Fuel Injection System.

 

Just in case anyone is interested here's a .pdf with a lot of information of how to setup and tune the injection system.Pretty interesting.

 

OK here's one more article that talks about the history of Rochester FI system.

 

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