Housed within the so-called bowls of the Powerjection unit are the four port-style fuel injectors, idle air control, and fuel pressure sensor. A throttle position sensor (TPS) sits on the outer part of the unit, working off the throttle shaft to give the EMS feedback about the throttle plates' position. | 
Once the 750-cfm Powerjection throttle body was set atop the intake manifold, Glen reconnected all the fasteners and throttle cable connections. It was then time to locate a future home for the coolant temperature sensor (CTS). | 
The CTS allows the EMS to determine engine coolant temperature in order to deliver the precise amount of fuel, whether it's cold, aiding in start-up, or adding fuel to an extremely hot engine to aid in cooling. A suitable location was found near the distributor on the Edelbrock Performance RPM intake manifold. |
Since we're using an electric fuel pump, the mechanical unit needs to be removed from the engine block. The El Camino also employed this inline filter, which we'll reuse, as the instructions indicate a pre- and post-pump filter should be used. | 
Once Glen removed the mechanical fuel pump, he used this block-off plate with a thin coat of silicone in its place. | 
The EMS must be placed in a cool, dry area in the cockpit. Since the El Camino came from the factory with computer controls, we figured we would mount the unit in the passenger-side kick panel. A wideband oxygen sensor module also needs to be mounted in a similar manner to interpret the signal going to the EMS to aid in proper fuel mixture. |
In order to help feed the wiring harness to the outside of the vehicle, Glen utilized an old oil dipstick to poke through the firewall grommet; once the harness was taped to the end, it was gently pulled through to the engine compartment. | 
Back under the Camino, Glen drilled a hole into the exhaust in order to weld in an oxygen sensor bung (provided with the kit). The instructions advise positioning the sensor away from the bottom of the exhaust to deter any contaminants from entering the sensor. | 
Once the bung was secure, Glen installed the wideband O2 sensor and harness. |
Coming down the home stretch, Glen found a suitable location on the passenger-side wheelhousing to mount the manifold absolute pressure sensor (MAP). A single bar sensor is used on naturally aspirated versions, although a two or three bar is available for boosted applications. It is advisable to keep the sensor close to the engine, allowing for a shorter length of vacuum tubing to be used. | 
Finally, Glen went over all the fasteners, electrical connections, and fuel fittings to ensure they were properly connected before reawakening the Bow Tie. While most are afraid of performing any kind of wiring job, the Powerjection instructions are very detailed, making life easy. | 
Before starting the Camino, Chris Winter, owner of Crazy Horse, decided to attach the laptop to the computer system via a USB cable (not included) to be sure all the EMS parameters were correct and the sensors were functioning as they should. Chris indicated that the software was easily installed and operating. The Powerjection unit comes programmed to start and run a 350 containing a mild camshaft; a complete set of instructions is available to load the EMS for additional applications. Once the start-up program is loaded, the EMS does the rest-usually in a half hour's worth of drive time. |
The "before" graph shows our not-so-successful carbureted dyno results. The mild 350 was breaking up due to carburetor malfunction, putting out only 187.9 hp to the rear wheels. | 
After installing the Powerjection I System, our power and torque curve smoothed out immensely, providing the El Camino with a far more respectable 238.3 hp and 306.4 lb-ft of torque. Beyond drivetrain loss, that puts the 350 in the 280-300hp range at the flywheel, which is not bad for a daily driver. | 
With some basic automotive knowledge, a typical Powerjection I install can be completed within 1-2 days. Driveability improved greatly compared to the carburetor that previously fueled the El Camino, and throttle response was unbelievably crisp. Start-ups are now a snap without having to worry about choke adjustments, and never mind the much-improved image under the hood. This system as tested will cost you around $2,750 with the polished billet throttle body. One can opt for the die-cast polished unit for around $2,300 and the die-cast natural finish for $2,200. |