AC Bill
Well-known member
I never knew that the late Stuart Hilborn, of the now famous Hilborn Fuel Injector systems was was born in Calgary Alberta.
Hilborn invented the fuel injection system that became the system of choice in auto racing sometime after WW2. He formed an idea for delivering fuel to an engine by means of injector nozzles which would spray the fuel, fed by a high-pressure pump, at a constant pressure. “Running carburetors with methanol was a constant problem,” he said. “The methanol reacted with the pot metal in the carburetor and turned into a white powder that clogged the jets; so there was no venturi effect, and you lost power.” Seeking an alternative to the old carburetors the hot rodders were then using, he then applied his knowledge of fluid dynamics to calculate necessary pump size to get precise amounts of fuel to each cylinder. Using a surplus aircraft fuel pump and a homemade system of nozzles, he then built and tuned his first fuel-injection setup, which he proved in 1948
His initial testing was done on his own V8 Hot rod. His simple device eventually revolutionized automotive fuel systems, and fuel injection is now used on virtually all modern passenger and racing vehicles.
I always loved the look of stack intakes that were often used with his systems by drag cars.
Hilborn invented the fuel injection system that became the system of choice in auto racing sometime after WW2. He formed an idea for delivering fuel to an engine by means of injector nozzles which would spray the fuel, fed by a high-pressure pump, at a constant pressure. “Running carburetors with methanol was a constant problem,” he said. “The methanol reacted with the pot metal in the carburetor and turned into a white powder that clogged the jets; so there was no venturi effect, and you lost power.” Seeking an alternative to the old carburetors the hot rodders were then using, he then applied his knowledge of fluid dynamics to calculate necessary pump size to get precise amounts of fuel to each cylinder. Using a surplus aircraft fuel pump and a homemade system of nozzles, he then built and tuned his first fuel-injection setup, which he proved in 1948
His initial testing was done on his own V8 Hot rod. His simple device eventually revolutionized automotive fuel systems, and fuel injection is now used on virtually all modern passenger and racing vehicles.
I always loved the look of stack intakes that were often used with his systems by drag cars.