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anybody give up and switch to carb?

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Old 06-18-2003 | 11:26 AM
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anybody give up and switch to carb?

I have a 89 Formula that I put a mini ram, 58mm tb, and Paxton s/c on along with other mods. I do not want to start burning chips or getting involved with switching ECMs. Has anybody else out there just given up, sold everything, and switched to a carburator?? I think thats where I'm heading. JImmy
Old 06-18-2003 | 01:11 PM
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Let me tell you, I certainly feel like switching to a carb. TPI has given me so many problems as of late, and I know I can get alot of money for the TPI setup, fuel rails, and wiring harness on ebay. People pay alot for these setups especially when it is complete. I'm not sure what to do yet.
Old 06-18-2003 | 01:17 PM
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I've decided. I'm selling my new (less than 30 miles) Mini-ram, 58mm throttle body, Paxton supercharger and the old TPI set up. I'll give somebody a gooddeal if they buy it all. Jmmy
Old 06-30-2003 | 09:25 PM
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Look in classified. I have everything for sale. New MiniRam COMPLETE, Edelbrock 58mm tb, and Paxton s/c with all books and manuals for 2500.00
Old 07-02-2003 | 01:02 AM
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From: Miami
Car: 240sx
Engine: whatever works
Transmission: 4l80e this year
Axle/Gears: 3.512
YEAH I GAVE UP...

gave up on carb and switched to TPI that is.

I had TPI, switched to carb and sold everything, now a year later I really realized what it was that i did! big mistake for me, I daily drive my car and i could never get it tuned perfect with the carb.

Yeah it ran great and it was cheap but in the end... I prefer the TPI and the fuel economy and the torque. the tunability is there too, I run the commander 950 so i dont have silly chips to burn and play with, so maybe you should look there if your sick of chips and factory wiring. burning your own chips is easy and somwhat fun, and you have more options with that than any aftermarket system, but you have to face the facts... It took me 55 chips to get my combo tuned in right... almost 5 months of tuning for the factory computer...

with the commander 950 it took me 2 days.
Old 07-02-2003 | 07:03 AM
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From: Readsboro, VT
Car: 85 IROC-Z / 88 GTA
Engine: 403 LSx (Pending) / 355 Tuned Port
Transmission: T56 Magnum (Pending) / T5
Axle/Gears: 3.42 / ?
When I got to the point where I was ready to start burning chips, I thought about it for a couple tenths of a second until I realized that going through all that work and expense to switch to a carb, then spending months figuring out how to tune a carb, all because I didn't want to burn a chip or two was silly. I bought the burning equipment and I'm enjoying my "carb tuning" without getting dirty and full of gas.

And at least with TPI, you can plug in a scan tool and get real-time data for what's going on. This makes diagnostics a hell of a lot easier than in the carb days when you had to erect a voodoo worship stand and pray to the Venturi gods for answers.
Old 07-04-2003 | 09:28 AM
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From: San Antonio, TX
Car: 1988 IROC-Z
Engine: L98 (350 TPI)
Transmission: MD8 (700 R4) + 3.42 LS1 Rear
Originally posted by Jim85IROC
This makes diagnostics a hell of a lot easier than in the carb days when you had to erect a voodoo worship stand and pray to the Venturi gods for answers.

:hail: Venturi Gods

:sillylol:

Man i hate carbs........... FI all the way
Old 07-05-2003 | 07:31 AM
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From: New Boston, IL, USA
Car: '90 Formula 350
Engine: 383 SBC
Transmission: ProBuilt S/S 700-R4 & ACT 9" Stall
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt 3.23
I'm gonna switch from TPI to carb. I've been collecting parts for a new 383 for a while now. I'm just gonna take the 350 out with the tpi still on it and put the new 383 in it's place with the victor jr and speed demon. I guess if I decide I wanna do something different I can build the 350 up and swap it back in place.
Old 07-07-2003 | 07:06 PM
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From: Kitchener ont
Car: 92 TA vert
Engine: LS1
jdaniel

is your stuff still for sale? if so pm or eamil me
Old 07-08-2003 | 08:30 PM
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just switched from carb to TPI.

after 1 day of tuning the TPI runs better than the carb ever did. More power, smoother, better throttle response, faster starts. I'm sure it will get better as I dial it in.
Old 07-08-2003 | 10:19 PM
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Everything except the S/c is still for sell. I'll sell the MiniRam w/rails and regulator, Edelbrock 58mm TB, the MAF and the stock TPI setup for 1300.00. Thats everything for the price of the MiniRam. I also have the EXTRA fittings and stuff that you need for the MiniRam installation. JImmy
Old 07-28-2003 | 08:46 PM
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how do i get to classified
Old 07-28-2003 | 09:23 PM
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From: San Antonio, TX
Car: 1988 IROC-Z
Engine: L98 (350 TPI)
Transmission: MD8 (700 R4) + 3.42 LS1 Rear
https://www.thirdgen.org/classifieds/

there
Old 07-28-2003 | 11:10 PM
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From: Pembroke Pines, FL
Car: 89 Firebird
Engine: 305
Transmission: T5
don't sell it, you'll regret it later.. just throw a carb on there for now to get you going, that way you can work on the FI system little by little
thats what i'm doing
Old 08-08-2003 | 03:04 PM
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From: El Paso, Texas
Car: 1987 IROC Z
Engine: 350 TPI L98 block
Transmission: 700R4
shiyet man, i'll take it off ya hands if you'd take payments. I'm going to stick with TPI, and what you've got is among my ultimate goals for my IROC.
Old 08-09-2003 | 01:22 AM
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From: B'ville, WV
Car: 2002 Formula Firebird
Engine: LS1
Transmission: 4l60e
Axle/Gears: 3.23
I went from TBI to Carb...thats different in my eyes tho. Carb runs WAY WAY better than TBI ever did. Starts easier, idles better...everything. Im really thinking about switching in a TPI setup tho. I might start collecting the parts for the swap soon. I get crappy gas milage...it sucks. I NEED FI AGAIN!
Old 08-09-2003 | 06:51 PM
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I now have a 406, Brodix track 2 heads (220 cc), Eagle crank and rods, JE pistons, Demon carb and solid lifter cam Etc. I'll being cranking soon and trying out. I'll keep you posted. I sold all my TPI stuff.
Old 08-09-2003 | 11:39 PM
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Car: 1987 Monte Carlo SS
Engine: 406 w/TPI
Transmission: 6-speed
Don't forget... a FI motor lasts a LOT longer than a carb simply because the oil is not washed off the cylinder walls... I read that a small block will last something like 200K miles for this same reason.
I just built a 406 and put a TPI on it.. after years of carb tuning I really like the TPI (plus it really looks high tech!!!)
Old 08-10-2003 | 07:45 AM
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From: Pembroke Pines, FL
Car: 89 Firebird
Engine: 305
Transmission: T5
Originally posted by Krag
a FI motor lasts a LOT longer than a carb simply because the oil is not washed off the cylinder walls...
where did you hear that?
Old 08-10-2003 | 07:52 AM
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92 zzz28's Avatar
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From: Jacksonville, NC
Car: Guess
Engine: Crazy 8
Transmission: So close to being a manual I can taste it
Suck it up, burn some chips, learn some things. FI is the way to go....

I used to do a lot of carb tuning on my older cars. It is cheaper, but the gasoline fumes give you a headache, plus the girlies don't like riding around in a car that is running rich with that awful stench lingering around the car...
Old 08-11-2003 | 12:39 AM
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Car: 1987 Monte Carlo SS
Engine: 406 w/TPI
Transmission: 6-speed
Originally posted by Rage13
where did you hear that?

From John Baechtel...He was editor of Hot Rod Magazine and the TPI Swapper's Guide he wrote is a treasure trove of info..
But, it makes sense that if you send a 'metered' amount of fuel into the combustion chamber it should do just that.
The fact that fuel injected motors get better mileage kind proves that there is less fuel getting in there.

Here are some other books he authored:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/se...645472-2124959

Last edited by Krag; 08-11-2003 at 12:42 AM.
Old 08-11-2003 | 06:58 AM
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From: B'ville, WV
Car: 2002 Formula Firebird
Engine: LS1
Transmission: 4l60e
Axle/Gears: 3.23
Do you maybe mean that fuel isnt washed off by oil on the cyclinder walls? Like saying oil becomes saturated in gas?
Old 08-11-2003 | 09:20 AM
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Come on guys....how hard is it to tune aHolley?????? In 4 passes you are done. Set the timing, rejet a fewtimes initially and go.
Old 08-11-2003 | 02:55 PM
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Car: 1987 Monte Carlo SS
Engine: 406 w/TPI
Transmission: 6-speed
Originally posted by 88Camaro350
Do you maybe mean that fuel isnt washed off by oil on the cyclinder walls? Like saying oil becomes saturated in gas?
Not saurated, WASHED OFF and burned! Why do you think if the carb is running rich it smokes? It's the oil being "washed off" the walls and burning... hey, I am just passing on info that he said GM gave him regarding the life of a motor running EFI vs Carbs
Old 08-11-2003 | 04:47 PM
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92 zzz28's Avatar
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From: Jacksonville, NC
Car: Guess
Engine: Crazy 8
Transmission: So close to being a manual I can taste it
Gasoline is a great solvent, just stinks.

I agree though that an engine that runs overly rich is not prone to longevity. I don't mean to say carb motors aren't going to last because they will. Like the guy said, "how hard is it to tune a Holley." Or a Speed Demon, I have used a few of them.

However the nice thing about EFI, provided its all tuned correctly, the injector only sprays the amount of fuel needed. I think its easier, albeit more expensive, to tune EFI engines.

To each his own, EFI or Carbs...
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