Pro Flo 4- hate to try again after Edelbrock E-Street EFI

[77 K20]

So I spent $2,489 back in September 2015 on Edelbrock's "New" E-street TBI fuel injection. Better than a carb, but has issues. It was the 1st generation. Had issues. They came out with a second generation. Had issues. Then the discontinued it.

Problems: Cannot set the idle RPM to 650. My HT383 has a very mild stock cam. When offroading I don't like the idle RPM to be 750 (which is the lowest it will go). It also likes to have the idle surge. Both just at idle or part throttle cruising. A surging idle is horrible when both transfer cases are in low range.

It doesn't have a high idle for cold starts in winter. The 750 RPM setting isn't high enough. As soon as it try to use the gas pedal to increase a bit- guaranteed to stall the engine the first time.

In troubleshooting with Edelbrock one of the "arguments" was how to set timing. GM who made the HT383 engine stated: "If using the HEI distributor P/N 93440806, set the ignition timing to 10º before top dead center (BTDC) at 650 rpm with the vacuum advance line to the distributor disconnected and plugged." Edelbrock kept saying NO- NEED 22-25 degrees at idle!!! Tried that- massive engine knock even running super unleaded.

I have vortec heads that have no heat crossover to warm the intake in winter. A wet style intake manifold just doesn't work. And that is why GM went to multiport injection. The dry manifold works great when it is cold. So that is why I'm stupid enough to think about spending another $2,300 for Pro FLo 4.

BUT: any of you guys that converted over to Pro Flo 4 have any of the issues I listed above? If so then I'll either just keep living with all the issues or the next step would be a LS swap. And I don't think I have the patience for another long project like that again.

Basically curious who runs it in COLD weather, does it actually start in cold weather without screwing around with it for 5 minutes. Does/can it idle at 650 with a stock cam. Does it surge at idle or part throttle? Does it surge when it gets hot?

Thanks guys.

 

[Camar068]

just googling, did you try going half way to their timing suggestion? Say 16-18? Still looking around on google just out of curiosity. I have no clue with these units.

E-street post

 

[77 K20]

I tried halfway even. It is happiest at 10-12 degrees. It seemed to surge even worse also at the more advanced timing.

There was a reason they discontinued it in fairly short order. Sad it cost so much.

 

[Frankenchevy]

My sniper ran like crap with my vortec manifold whenever MAT was near freezing or less. After starting the truck, it would get colder for a few minutes before warming up. It’d take 15-20 minutes of bucking and running like crap before it got better. The pro flo 4 is better, but I was out of town all last winter and the coldest morning I’ve driven it in was about 40 degrees.

It doesn’t as cold here as it does where you are. Coldest morning we’ve had is 16 degrees.

 

[signkutter]

Same experience with Edelbrock. They flat rejected a refund , never even offered to even replace my unit with a 2nd gen. Ill never buy anything from them again

 

[77 K20]

So in doing more reading and research I found it won't be quite as "easy" as I thought. Apparently with pro flo 4 if you have a stock cam then you cannot use the 60 psi fuel pressures. Need their lower pressure of 49 psi. The Edelbrock fuel sump I have cannot be opened or modified. So then add another fuel regulator after it? Really kinda cheesy. Need the truck to be reliable and this doesn't seem to be the best idea:
stock fuel tank, mechanical fuel pump feeding a Edelbrock fuel sump regulated at 60 psi, then another regulator to 49 psi that will need a fuel return to... somewhere... not sure even how I'd do another fuel return.
I guess the best thing is to start looking at to install a 31 gallon Suburban tank with baffles and a nice walbro pump inside of it. Then have a fuel regulator somewhere under hood.
Or I could get an adjustable Edelbrock fuel sump for $400.

 

[Camar068]

Same experience with Edelbrock. They flat rejected a refund , never even offered to even replace my unit with a 2nd gen. Ill never buy anything from them again

good to know, and cuz of this just lost any support from me.

 

[mcarlo86]

I wonder how a TPI unit would work on that 383?

 

[yevgenievich]

I wonder how a TPI unit would work on that 383?

Would work better with ported or aftermarket runners, but otherwise should work ok. I had tpi on a 383 in 94 gmt400 for a while.

Following would work better
Edelbrock pro flo intake, then dbc throttle body and rest of sensors from vortec sbc. Then use 411 ecu.

 

[Frankenchevy]

So in doing more reading and research I found it won't be quite as "easy" as I thought. Apparently with pro flo 4 if you have a stock cam then you cannot use the 60 psi fuel pressures. Need their lower pressure of 49 psi. The Edelbrock fuel sump I have cannot be opened or modified. So then add another fuel regulator after it? Really kinda cheesy. Need the truck to be reliable and this doesn't seem to be the best idea:
stock fuel tank, mechanical fuel pump feeding a Edelbrock fuel sump regulated at 60 psi, then another regulator to 49 psi that will need a fuel return to... somewhere... not sure even how I'd do another fuel return.
I guess the best thing is to start looking at to install a 31 gallon Suburban tank with baffles and a nice walbro pump inside of it. Then have a fuel regulator somewhere under hood.
Or I could get an adjustable Edelbrock fuel sump for $400.

Iirc, when you order it, you specify which pressure regulator you need. It goes on whichever of the four possible fuel rail locations you choose as your inlet. The tunes are built around that pressure. Anything under 400hp is the lowest pressure regulator. Your 383 should use the next one up I’d think.