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4.3 CPI to carb????

6K views 12 replies 10 participants last post by  Andy West 
#1 · (Edited)
Well, looks like the CPI 4.3 swap is dead for a while, just got off the phone w/ my brother and apparently some fawker hacked up the harness in the donor blazer:mad3: :mad3: I don't have the cash for a replacement/ swap harness, and need to get the junk together soon (July 2 at the latest) It looks like the only posability as of now is to try set it up w/ a HEI and carb. Does anyone know if the intake and HEI from a Chev car 229 (aprox, not sure exact disp, 90degree chev v6, not to be confused w/ buick 3.8, somewhere in the early eighties, odd fire????? ) I need to try to get this goin, has any one ever done this, :rolleyes: (why in the fuck anyone would want to is beyond me):rolleyes: I have heard that yo can also get spreadbore intakes thru GM, but as far as I know there were no carbed 4.3's (rumored to be some in a 85, never seen one) Also does anyone know if the heads are the same (carb??? TBI, and CPI)? If this post doesnt make sense it is because I want to:nuke: the fawker that hacked the harness,
Thanks
dan
Edit: maybe i'm bein to drastik, it kant be as badly tore up as I think it is..........................i'll wake up, and it will be all good............
 
#2 ·
how much u got to spend? i know u can buy a 4 barrel gm performance manifold. someone may have a harness to sell u cheap but not likely. as far as bolting up, look at the applications for stuff and compare it to the 4.3. i think all SBC v8 manifolds are the same so the v6 ones might be too.
 
#3 ·
I think for the money to buy a manifold, carb, ignition parts, and rewire everything....you should be able to find a harness from someone...


SBC V8 manifolds come in 2 styles.... the angle on the edges where they bolt to the heads are different, depending on if they are early or late model heads...



:usa:
 
#4 ·
Yellowsub1962 said:
I think for the money to buy a manifold, carb, ignition parts, and rewire everything....you should be able to find a harness from someone...


SBC V8 manifolds come in 2 styles.... the angle on the edges where they bolt to the heads are different, depending on if they are early or late model heads...



:usa:
The intake port angles kinda scare me, I hope they did not do the same thing as they did with the SBC heads, but I kinda think they did. The site for GM performace is down right now (kant get to the catalog) so I guess that will have to wait. I tried to crossreference the heads between the 229 and the 4.3, but no luck (delco reman's not avalialble for CPI 4.3) as far as fitting the large cap HEI dist , I think I may be outa luck there, but maybe a small cap HEI from a TBI??? Damn, this supposedly quick temporary fix may be more expencive/pain in the ballz than just coughin up da green for a harness......
As far as the gm perf intake, that would prob be ouat my budeget, since I was hoping te only cost would be a gakset set.... :)smokin: da goo shiat on that one I guess...)

New idea, what if I used the heads from the 229 on the 4.3, raised CR, easy swapmaybe...............................NO

thanks
dan
 
#5 ·
Klasick68 said:

Damn, this supposedly quick temporary fix may be more expencive/pain in the ballz than just coughin up da green for a harness......
What year 4.3? A CPI harness will cost you about $350.00 from Howell. Figure the cost of manifold and carb, then make your decision. Do you have the ECM already? Call Howell, make sure it'll work with their harness. If not, add another $125.00 to above for the ECM.

I have a 4.3CPI in my 7 and used the Howell harness. I've been happy with it so far, and installation was a snap.
 
#7 · (Edited)
I second that on the howell harness. It made everything a breeze. If you can scrape up the money go for it. You shouldnt have any trouble with the heads if you do decide to go with the carb set up. If anything it will be better. In 94 I believe they made three different cast number heads for the CPI(all basically being the same), the only thing that vareyed between the heads from the CPI and the TBI was that the size of the intake. The CPI intake ports were far superior over the TBI ones. My buddy just got a 92 4.3 CPI vortec motor and if you want I will see if he wants to sell his harness because I think he was planning on going with the howell set up. Were you planning on using your motor with the 4l60E? Because I dont know if his harness was set up for the auto or not.
 
#8 ·
I was planing on usind the 4l60e,but now I am not so sure, depending on how bad the harness is and shiat . If I do go for the replacement harness or carb setup, I will prob use a 465 instead (wanted to anyways) I hope the the ECU didnt grow legs, cause that would just blow. Now I am thinkin that the howell harness or something like it may be the way to go anyways, since it would make shit hella easy.
Thanks
Dan
 
#11 ·
Kinda funny that this was brought up tonight. I was talking to a friend of mine while we were working on my truck and he was telling me about a boat he's thinking of buying. It has a 4.3 CPI Mercruiser (read Chevy) engine and this lighbulb went off.
A 4.3 injected boat motor doesn't have a cat or any of the emissions crap on it (by law) but it's STILL CPI.
Anyone ever thought of using one of these?
 
#13 ·
BlueJeep said:
I have an '85 4.3 with a factory 4bbl manifold, carb, and HEI. I'd be willing to trade it for a TBI intake/TBI, and distributor.
I have a Lunati camn for this motor if you sell it and some one needs to rebuild it. Have cam, lifter, springs and retainers. Make a better deal than generic parts store stuff. Andy
 
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