With the philosophy that a...
With the philosophy that a story on a static engine is nothing more than a regurgitated press release, we coordinated our visit with JR Motorsports to coincide with the release of the Pro-Flo XP. Apparently we were a little too precise; JR took delivery the day we touched down. By lunchtime Cody Nadler had it feeding one of JR's stroker packages.
We take it for granted today, but the Total Power Package that Edelbrock pioneered in the 1980s revolutionized the engine-building world. For it, the company matches cylinder heads, camshafts, manifolds, and carburetors to work as a system rather than a collection of random parts. The program took the secret out of speed, and as a result of it, anybody that could turn a wrench could go fast with an engine they built themselves.
Of course this wasn't without consequence. When big power was hard to make, we settled with just going fast regardless of how the engine acted. But with the horsepower dragon slain, we grew jaded. Soon we bench raced about fuel economy, part-throttle response, and the ability to casually drive an engine on a frosty day. Our daily drivers told us that fuel injection made it all possible, but taking that path put us right back into the clutches of the cagey speed merchant and his bag of tricks.
What Edelbrock did was extend the Total Power Package program to something generally deemed too evasive to pin down: fuel injection. The company's latest Pro-Flo system not only promises to make great power, it can make it without the bother of a laptop, a dyno, or extensive tuning experience. Most of all, the company did it without dumbing down its injection system. Sound too good to be true? Initially we thought so too.
It's not, though. Edelbrock recently collaborated with another Torrance company called EFI Technology. It produces engine control and data acquisition systems for, among others, CART, Atlantic, and Grand American series racing teams. The ECM that they developed is infinitely more user friendly. For example, the only person who could calibrate a first-series Edelbrock Pro-Flo was Edelbrock itself. Change anything on the engine-manifold, camshaft, heads, and so on-only to send the ECM back to Torrance for recalibration. Not so with the new system. By way of more advanced software, anyone can alter the fuel and spark map to suit an engine to a tee.
Initial setup requires connecting the ECM to a computer, but any will do whether laptop or desktop. Beyond that, further tuning doesn't happen on a computer at all; Edelbrock supplies these XT systems with a plug-in tuning module that has access to the fuel and spark maps for on-the-fly tuning.
Not that it's even necessary, mind you. What Edelbrock did was create a unique fuel/spark map that matches every engine combination in the Total Power Package system. Should an engine have every component from a particular package, the system works literally right out of the box. Beyond that, its OEM-derived pressure and temperature sensors compensate for altitude and temperature. Furthermore, by way of a supplied oxygen sensor that you plumb into your existing exhaust downpipe, the system operates as a closed-loop mode just as your daily driver does, constantly evaluating the system's performance and compensating for unforeseen variables. Should an unaccounted-for variable cause a rich or lean condition anywhere on the map, it can be addressed on the fly within the car by that tuning module
Edelbrock tailored the XT's fuel/spark maps for engines in its Total Power Package, but the system will work on just about any configuration engine. In fact, the company offers the ECM and controls separately so users can upgrade their existing Pro-Flo systems or adapt them to engines outside Edelbrock's injected manifold series. Edelbrock's Scott Armish noted that the supplied fuel/spark maps will get engines not built to Edelbrock's specs up and running but it's up to end users to fine-tune the system.
That box on the left is the...
That box on the left is the latest ECM. It requires an external computer, whether laptop or desktop, whether in or out of the car, for initial map selection. If it's feeding an engine built to Total Power Package specs-even an older one-it will be correct right out of the box. Should it need fine-tuning, the module on the right can access and tweak any parameter. By reading the oxygen sensor (supplied), the module offers instantaneous air/fuel feedback. For engines with conventional manifolds and camshafts it operates in speed-density mode; however, for radical cams and/or isolated-runner manifolds it can operate in Alpha-N (throttle position and engine speed).
Edelbrock's charter for the...
Edelbrock's charter for the new system emphasized simplicity, and the company followed through to the smallest detail. For example, the system splices into the car's existing harness by these three wires. From left to right they're switched power (ignition), constant power (battery positive), and ground (chassis or battery negative). All other components, whether injectors, fuel pump, or sensors, each have their own pre-terminated connection.
The flanged socket of this...
The flanged socket of this barrel connector mounts to the firewall; the one with the collar plugs into it. Separate the two and the engine absolutely disconnects electrically from the rest of the car. It sounds rather minor, but it's another one of those little things that makes the system more user-friendly.
Barring the O2 sensor connector...
Barring the O2 sensor connector (center), the system communicates with the outside world by several means. To the left is the parallel port that connects to a computer directly or by way of a USB-port adapter. The larger 16-pin customer-interface plug eliminates the need to tap into any part of the existing harness; it hosts various functions like tachometer feed, throttle-position for electronic overdrive transmissions, power for various 12- and 5-volt functions, and wideband O2 connectivity.
The manifold is the darling...
The manifold is the darling of the new system. It's not a tuned-port system, but the company designed it to operate on a wide range of engine sizes and speeds. It serves double-duty as the mounting point for the system's various sensors and components.
Edelbrock offers several manifold...
Edelbrock offers several manifold designs for several brands of big- and small-block engines and their subsets. This particular manifold fits the pattern GM created for the Vortec heads (in this case these heads are part of Edelbrock's E-Tec series).