Port Fuel Injected NON-Turbo Reliant
Before I started racing my Reliant again in 1999 I had a brief fling with trying to get a PFI setup working without a turbo. Inspired by the FFV Acclaims I figured I'd give it a try. I knew it *could* work based on the fact I drove a $150 87 Lebaron with a bypassed turbocharger for 6 months (Don't look at me funny, that's how I purchased it!) The car ran pretty good down low but was severely lacking any moderately high rpm power. I figured the later model intake would be just the ticket! I took the original 1985 TBI motor & auto trans that was lurking beside the garage and tossed on a 89 turbo intake. I used 33 pph TII injectors because the car was already equipped with the GLHS TII electronics. A exhaust pipe exited out the side with a single cat used as a muffler.
How did it run? Well.. it was a little soft. I suspect the 33 pph injectors were a bit much for a N/A motor. Turbo computers are calibrated to run full rich at WOT and the 87 Lebaron had 27 pph units compared to the 33 pph units that was installed in the Reliant. I think if I tried smaller injectors or lowering the fuel pressure it would have run better at WOT. Another issue is at WOT the turbo computer also pulls back some timing, it is expecting boost after all! I think if a zener diode was installed on the TPS feed so that it never quite saw WOT the car would have run better.