Hey fellas, just finished up the 350 Carb (i know) in my 04 rubi... Found out i need fuel injection this past weekend on a trial rides. So I have a few questions:

1) Is it worth converting to TBI?
2) Do I have to change cam, pistons, heads?
3) I found a setup for sale out of a 95 chevy van, would this have vortec heads?

Thanks

As long as your motor pulls 16" of vacuum at idle you should be ok with TBI. If it has a performance cam, and less than 16 you need custom fuel mapping. No vortec in 95.

It is just a stock gm crate 4 bolt 350 nothing fancy no cam. Would the heads be any different from the van as appose to my 85 (minus the intake mounting holes)?

What carburetor is it?

I really don't think it would be worth trying to change heads. Fuel injections biggest challenge is loss of vacuum, or should I say change. That stock GM crate motor will run fine with the 95 TBI. Just make sure and get everything.

you could go pane if you wanted. or you could go TBI but its another option

I'm running a holly 600 carb just the street edition.

I can get everything for a good deal. But I am looking at TPI setup as well... MPI would probably be better? What would you guys do? I daily drive the jeep and winter is coming. Also Weekend trail riding. The engine runs great right now with a carb, just worried about steep hills and cold weather (I'm not a carb tech by any means, i've really only messed with FI)


What is pane? like propane? ( I am wanting to do that, but only once i can dedicate the jeep to off road use only as I don't really have alot of places to fill up)

You will be very happy with TBI. Sure, TPI and MPI are better which is why you see those systems used on more modern engines, but they are also more complicated. You don't get much more simple or dead ass reliable than TBI.

yea propane. sorry lol

So.. tbi setup -- Get intake (modify holes), tb, wiring harness, dizzy, ecm I won't have to change cam or worry about heads?

TPI - Better more complicated - Need to mess with cam?! I know more about TPI than i do TBI but I'm unsure about converting from carb to FI! Thanks for the info again! TBI might be the fix until i can swap out the 5.7 for a 5.3 vortec or hemi ^_^

my holley 670 truck avenger has suprised me on some angles, it still runs

years ago i had a 670 street avenger and i used to stall going down shallow slopes

but now i can be at a crazy angle and still be fine

So.. tbi setup -- Get intake (modify holes), tb, wiring harness, dizzy, ecm I won't have to change cam or worry about heads?

TPI - Better more complicated - Need to mess with cam?! I know more about TPI than i do TBI but I'm unsure about converting from carb to FI! Thanks for the info again! TBI might be the fix until i can swap out the 5.7 for a 5.3 vortec or hemi ^_^

No you don't need to mess with the cam. (or the heads) If you go TBI use the system from a '87 to '89 GM. Sure it's an older system, but it is also the most well understood and tunable system around.

TPI is good up to about 4500 rpm as I understand. I've got a 305 TPI in and running, but my rig isn't driving yet so I can't comment on how it runs. (I'm using a 7747 ecm)

Has anyone bookmarked a good TBI (or FI in general) Bible thread around here? I haven't been paying attention to it in the past and when you search you are just flooded with crap threads. I am in the same boat and have a complete TBI setup I am going to swap onto a rig.

It would be nice to have tips like how to mod/simplify the wiring harness, cheep O2 sensors that work, cheep fuel pumps that work, where to get the TBI/Carb adaptor, what cam people are running and what they had to do to make it work.

I can do cage and suspension work all day long but a motor is like a black box. I have never taken the time to really understand the engineering behind them and usually just slap a proven combo together.

Just another option--Edelbrock MPI kit. Comes with new manifold, injectors, etc. Uses stock GM ECM, and includes a new PROM. I use it (had to, to get my Chevy conversion past the Calif SMOG cops), and I'm happy with it; better mileage and torque than the TBI, but $1200, or so.
Search the Chevy forum for tbi conversions. There's a guy who use to post regularly regarding set-up and trouble-shooting of tbi conversions. He also had his own web-site (Scouts) with lots of "FAQ's". I think his moniker was "BillUSN-1", or similar.
The late TBI's came with either an PCM, for the electronic auto trans, or an ECM for the manual trannys. The '93-95 ECM is very similar to the older ECMs, with minor harness differences. The PCM is more sophisticated, but would require a new PROM if used in a manual trans app, or if using an older auto trans.

Look for posts by "Bill usn-1" Try http://www.binderplanet.com

Has anyone bookmarked a good TBI (or FI in general) Bible thread around here? ...............It would be nice to have tips like how to mod/simplify the wiring harness, cheep O2 sensors that work, cheep fuel pumps that work, where to get the TBI/Carb adaptor, what cam people are running and what they had to do to make it work.


Search the Chevy forum for tbi conversions. There's a guy who use to post regularly regarding set-up and trouble-shooting of tbi conversions. He also had his own web-site (Scouts) with lots of "FAQ's". I think his moniker was "BillUSN-1", or similar.........
Look for posts by "Bill usn-1" Try http://www.binderplanet.com

Here's (http://www.binderplanet.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=75)
the forum with the best do it yourself TBI info on the web.:smokin:

No you don't need to mess with the cam. (or the heads) If you go TBI use the system from a '87 to '89 GM. Sure it's an older system, but it is also the most well understood and tunable system around.

TPI is good up to about 4500 rpm as I understand. I've got a 305 TPI in and running, but my rig isn't driving yet so I can't comment on how it runs. (I'm using a 7747 ecm)

I hope you're using a 7730, or 7727 with a 305 TPI???? The 7747 is for the TBI.

Side note: TPI, and TBI are actually very similar in function. Both are batch fire injection systems. The real difference is having the injectors at the intake port VS at the throttlebody. TPI is consider a dry injection, because the fuel is introduced at the port. TBI is considered wet because of the throttlebody.
My stock TPI unit on my modified SBC will pull hard to 5500. The stock L98's cam ran out of power at 4500.