1957 Chevrolet Fuel Injection

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The biggest auto news of 1957 was the Ramjet fuel injection that was manufactured by GM's Rochester carburetor division and developed by John Dolza, E.A. Kehoe, Donald Stoltman and Corvette chief engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov.

It was standard equipment on the 1957 Corvette engines, but could also be had on the big V-8's powering any other Chevrolet car.

The new fuel injection replaced the carburetor and intake manifold.

The 1957 Chevrolet fuel injection system consisted of three components: fuel meter, manifold assembly and air meter. Instead of fuel and air being pre-mixed in the carburetor, then being forced through the intake manifold to each cylinder, the air supply is taken in separately through a manifold. The fuel is injected directly and constantly into each intake port where the two then mix.

The Ramjet was reported to have several advantages: increased power, instant accelerator response, faster cold starts, smoother engine warm-ups, elimination of carburetor icing and better overall fuel economy. One of the keys to the success of this system was the design of the fuel nozzles.

1957 Chevrolet Fuel Injection Drawing

The basic operation of the system is as follows: For starting, a solenoid connected to the starter circuit operates to unseat the fuel valve. Air is fed to the air meter and is metered past a throttle valve, controlled by the position of the accelerator, into the manifold passages which feed each cylinder. As the air flows through the air meter, a signal is transmitted to the fuel meter, which determines the proper amount of fuel to be fed to the cylinders. The fuel is pumped to eight nozzles, one each in the manifold passage just above the intake valve. There the fuel and air mix and enter the cylinder when the intake valve opens.