With our little high-end brain trust in here I wanted to pose the question...
Is anyone currently working on an aftermarket Direct Fuel injection system?
I'm not talkin Sequential, or DFI... I mean the systems that place the fuel injector directly in the chamber. Audi uses this on its ALMS cars and Mercedes used it in the late 60's on some of its cars.
Clearly this has the potential to really provide an insane amount of control in the A/F metering dept (among other things). Just curious to know if anyone is currently on R&D on one of these systems for us SBC guys.

 

I'd guess that all OEM's are working on it, but as to whether the cost/benefit ratio is there, probably not with under $2.50/gallon gas. While it can good things for power, it perhaps can do better things for economy. Isn't that one of the reasons Audi R8's used it?

I think we'll see variable valve timing in our pushrod LS1 before direct injection. It'll take 2 cams in the block, but I thnk it's economically doable. My guess is the power/emissions/fuel economy/cost benefits are bigger than DI.

 

gm's newa cadilac v12 has it, though its more of a conecpt engine dunno if it'll see the light of day

seems it would be a lot easier than variable valve timeing....

but ya next sbc from gm will have two in-block cams and have some variable valves, probly debut shortly before the c6 vettes that have completely variable (solenoid actuated) valves

 

I checked - Audi is doing direct injection on the A2 street car next year.
I honestly don't see what anyone is devloping non-solenoid actuated valve motors anymore... its such a better design than poppet valves and camshafts.
Ya know - if you have solenoid actuated valves with a Crank Position sensor, you can (in theory at least) start an engine without a starter motor. All you need to do is sense which pistons are on the compression stroke and send in the fuel. That's pretty cool all by itself.

 

The solenoid actuated poppet valves will be much closer to reality once automakers start using the 42 volt electrical systems, rather than 12 volt systems currently. It takes quite a bit of current at 12 for a solenoid to open and close a poppet valve in .004 seconds. You mentioned not using poppet valves. I've only seen poppet valves, even if they are solenoid (instead of cam) actuated. Then there was that head design that used the rotary valves, which was pretty neat. I think they had issues w/ keeping precision and sealing against combustion chamber pressures, but flow numbers were insane. That was as close to a digital (on/off)cam as you could get

Back on topic - nearly all diesels are direct injection already. It's not difficult, but it's a cost vs benefit thing for the manufacturers.

 

I've read that direct injection into the cylinder so far has poor atomization compared to fuel that moves a little in the air stream. And as a side note I first read of solenoid actuated valves in Popular Mechanics back when I was about 15 or 16 and I'm 43 now! so I think they've had enough time to sort it out ,it's just not cost effective for the return.