TBI 350 cam/intake install

[brokenparts]

Didnt have any luck with responses over on Pirate maybe you guys can steer me...

I'm not ready to dig into the motor too much nor do I wanna screw up anything before Moab but I wouldnt mind adding a little poop too my poor little TBI 1995 5.7L TBI. I've been searching and seems I could get some reasonable gains by changing out my intake, cam, rockers, springs, and modding by throttle body. Sounds like this guy TBI CHIPS TRUCK MODS can reburn or set up a new chip for the upgrades. I dont see anything too hard about doing any of that but just wanted see if anyone has any insights/recommendations about swapping out the junk as I've never really torn into a motor before....

The plan is to run that set-up for a while and then freshen up (hot tank/bore) the current motor with a balanced 383 kit after Moab sometime.... the end goal is to be in the 350hp neighborhood after the stroker kit.

[Gumby]

I would not get into to it.


You'll be pulling your heads to swap your valve springs. I know you don't have to, but changing all the springs with the heads on is a major PIA. Are you gonna send the heads out while they're off?

Chip burners are notorious for taking forever. You could work a lot of late nights swapping your cam, timing chain, intake and such just to be waiting on a chip.


Then when you get it find out that it won't run right. They might burn another one for you, but it might take another couple of weeks.

YMMV, but worse case scenario and you're riding bitch for CM


With a TBI 350 on a running trail truck I would just buy another motor and build it on the bench, then drop it in and be done with it.


JMHO here, but all those horsepower mods at the expense of low end ain't worth it on a trail truck anyway.

[brokenparts]

Originally Posted by Gumby

I would not get into to it.


You'll be pulling your heads to swap your valve springs. I know you don't have to, but changing all the springs with the heads on is a major PIA. Are you gonna send the heads out while they're off?

Chip burners are notorious for taking forever. You could work a lot of late nights swapping your cam, timing chain, intake and such just to be waiting on a chip.


Then when you get it find out that it won't run right. They might burn another one for you, but it might take another couple of weeks.

YMMV, but worse case scenario and you're riding bitch for CM


With a TBI 350 on a running trail truck I would just buy another motor and build it on the bench, then drop it in and be done with it.


JMHO here, but all those horsepower mods at the expense of low end ain't worth it on a trail truck anyway.

Good info.. thanks. The last thing I wanna do is screw up my trip especially for 40hp...

[bustanutley]

You are concerned about horsepower? in moab? Don’t be

[brokenparts]

Originally Posted by bustanutley

You are concerned about horsepower? in moab? Don’t be

not really for Moab... just wanna more ponies in general. a 5400lbs rig running a pretty stock 1995 tbi with 4.56s and 39.5s gets old after a while. Kinda feels like a beached whale driving up hills on the way to the trail.


I wanna do what a wise man once said...

"just get drunk and peel out"

[sixty]

Broken,

There is tons of info on modifying TBI's on this forum: TBI - Third Generation F-Body Message Boards

Mail order chips are usually pretty crappy & leave alot of power sitting on the table. The best way is to learn to tune yourself & the sky is the limit.

By doing the ultimate TBI mod, freeing up your exhaust and adding an open element (if you don't already have one, you could see a 40hp gain with a decent tune otherwise it would be good for aropund 20hp. learn to tune on that setup, then swap in a cam, ported or aftermarket heads, headers & square bore manifold, with a BB or bored TBI and you could pretty easily get into the 300-350hp range.

In my opinion the stroker is not really worth it, unless you can find a good deal on one. You could easily spend $3k on building one and get a 350 in the same HP range for 1/2 of that.

Spend the money on tuning equipment (around $600 incuding a Wide band O2 sensor) first and do the above mods and build a good tune. That will easily gain you 40hp.

[sixty]

Do you still have the computer (PCM) for the 95 TBI? If so, it is alot better than the 87-93 ECM and has alot of great features.

[bustanutley]

Originally Posted by brokenparts

not really for Moab... just wanna more ponies in general. a 5400lbs rig running a pretty stock 1995 tbi with 4.56s and 39.5s gets old after a while. Kinda feels like a beached whale driving up hills on the way to the trail.


I wanna do what a wise man once said...

"just get drunk and peel out"

I know an easy solution for that, it goes up and down and has a serrated edge

Just playin

[brokenparts]

Originally Posted by sixty

Broken,

There is tons of info on modifying TBI's on this forum: TBI - Third Generation F-Body Message Boards

Mail order chips are usually pretty crappy & leave alot of power sitting on the table. The best way is to learn to tune yourself & the sky is the limit.

By doing the ultimate TBI mod, freeing up your exhaust and adding an open element (if you don't already have one, you could see a 40hp gain with a decent tune otherwise it would be good for aropund 20hp. learn to tune on that setup, then swap in a cam, ported or aftermarket heads, headers & square bore manifold, with a BB or bored TBI and you could pretty easily get into the 300-350hp range.

In my opinion the stroker is not really worth it, unless you can find a good deal on one. You could easily spend $3k on building one and get a 350 in the same HP range for 1/2 of that.

Spend the money on tuning equipment (around $600 incuding a Wide band O2 sensor) first and do the above mods and build a good tune. That will easily gain you 40hp.

I dont have to have a monster motor or anything I just need something that'll push my rig around better than it does now. 350hp seems to be the magic number in my head. Right now I'm running the 14" round style air filters with a K&N, scummit headers into a 50 series flowmaster.... the cat somehow fell off.

That looks like a great link...I have a feelin I'm not going to get a whole lot accomplished at work today. I've thought about saying screw it and going for a crate motor but I think building one up would be more satisfying and I love learning new things...saving a couple bucks along the way is nice too.

[brokenparts]

Originally Posted by sixty

Do you still have the computer (PCM) for the 95 TBI? If so, it is alot better than the 87-93 ECM and has alot of great features.

yep, 1995 pcm.

[brokenparts]

Originally Posted by bustanutley

I know an easy solution for that, it goes up and down and has a serrated edge

Just playin

Lol, dont even tempt me.... I'm just lookin for an excuse to get rid of the 60 big arse.

[Moby]

Call W and ask him who they like for chassis tuning/chip mods. There is someone in the Portland area that both he and PER recommended to me but I can't recall the name. W said he helped Jack Rice out with some tuning at one point and it was a pretty good experience. No first hand knowledge, just passing along what W mentioned to me at one point.

[brokenparts]

I bet it was Wong's performance in the couve... I just rattled W's cage yesterday too. Have you seen his 55 lately... or I should lack there of a 55 lately? I just read Eric D Lux winter mods thread on pirate... seems like he just went through this although he went the ls route. He's about 10 mins down the road, maybe I'll give him a shout too.

[sixty]

sounds like you have a great setup already that could use some tuning. The PCM you have is a great tuning platform & there is even code available to ditch the speed density system and go with MAF.

If I had your setup I'd get the WB02 kit from Moates.net as well as the ostrich emulator. That will be the best bang for your buck. With a cam, heads and 454 or 50mm TBI with an adjustible fuel pressure regulator you could get 350hp if your bottom end is still in good condition. That would be very healthy TBI engine.

Hiring someone to tune is tempting but they cannot spend enough time to get the best tune & most don't deal with TBI all that often. With speed density systems you need to adjust your tune periodically thru-out the year to compensate for the different air temps.

Keep your eyes out for a set of ported, aftermarket or vortec heads. The other option is to look for a used ZZ4 or other good crate engine. New crate engines are expensive and not totally necessary

[brokenparts]

holy moly that Moates site is enough to make my head spin.... Wow, I didnt even know there was a TBI aftermarket world to this extent.

[sixty]

They have some cool stuff. Theyre stuff is compatible with TBI as well as TPI, Vortec etc.. (Most GM ECM's/PCM's of that vintage). the emulation systems are great & the WBO2's are well worth the price.

There are tons of good things out for TBI in the last few years that make anyone using a carb just plain lazy! TBI is a great system that can be built for cheap deliver up to 500hp. There are guys right now pioneering dual TBI's that will deliver well past 700hp.

I'll be happy with 350hp & 425lbs of torque.

Originally Posted by brokenparts

holy moly that Moates site is enough to make my head spin.... Wow, I didnt even know there was a TBI aftermarket world to this extent.

[brokenparts]

I found a bored 46mm tbi unit here locally on craig's list for about $175... is that worth just picking up and just throwing on my motor now? We'll it throw my chip outta wack?

[brokenparts]

side note... I've got exactly zero done at work today but I've learned alot of web wheeler knowledge on TBI stuff.

[Moby]

Originally Posted by brokenparts

I bet it was Wong's performance in the couve... I just rattled W's cage yesterday too. Have you seen his 55 lately... or I should lack there of a 55 lately? I just read Eric D Lux winter mods thread on pirate... seems like he just went through this although he went the ls route. He's about 10 mins down the road, maybe I'll give him a shout too.

Yeah, it was Wong's. I haven't seen his ex-55 recently, last time I saw it was when I picked up my 62 last year.

[brokenparts]

I took a bunch of cell phone pics lemme see if I can figure out how to them onto photobucket....

[brokenparts]

I also found this about a mile away from my house and talked the guy down to $425. Think this is a good "base"? I figure I could play around and build this one up and transplant it into the 60 after its built or save it if I do the buggy.

94 TBI 350 complete

[sixty]

You want atleast a 50mm throttle body (650-700cfm). This can be a bored 5.7 tbi or a 454 tbi. I picked up a 454TBI locally with 90lb injectors for $60 & it was rebuilt. I then got a 50mm TB with 75lb injectors 2 adjustible regulators & a bunch of other parts for $200. Keep your eyes out & there are deals out there.

Unless you need the other parts I don't think that engine is worth it. I just gave away my 2 bolt main last night for free. You can use any 350 block to build, so if you find a good deal on a early small block, you could build that. The pre-87 performance intakes are cheap & all you need is an adapter to bolt your TBI on. The only advantage the post 87 blocks have is the more reliable 1 piece rear main seal.

[brokenparts]

you're my new hero sixty...

[sixty]

just paying it forward

[FF LC FREAK]

Just build the buggy already! You keep talking about it. You know you won't be happy until you have a rig you can scratch up and dent! That's my vote.



Oh, and put that built up TBI into said buggy.

[baxter650]

Edelbrock has a EFI system that uses your computor & throttle body less the injectors on a new manifold with injectors to convert to multiport EFI PN 3501 They claim more horspower and better mileage.