With cam and heads, exhaust etc all equal, Will a stealth ram with 58mm tb and 30lb injectors make more power than a performer RPM with Holley 770 street avenger? Ideas? I have the option of either or but I'm not too savy with computers and tuning.

a 58 mm tb is way to much for 99% of applications. When it comes down to efficiency the stealth ram would be the way to go. For power I would say the street avenger

if your not good with computer and tuning..its better to go with the carb setup..not thats its hard to learn...but you'll have about another 450 bucks to get the stuff you need to do your own tuning

engine is 383 forged crank h beam rods srp flat tops. Heads are Afr 195 with 75cc chambers. Cam is 280 xfi with 1.6 roller rockers. Cam is listed to make power to 6500. I am planning on spraying the car. I already have the HSR and 30lb svo`s. for the price of a commander 950 and harness I can convert to carb. I also have the moates stuff but like I said I'm not too computer savy. I have heard that the holley 950 is easier to tune than burning your own chips. Opinions?

The holley 950 is probably easier to tune.

The XFI 280 cam should be reasonable when it comes to tuning, depends though. You could spend months pulling your hair out trying to get it all dialed in, or it could come together in a long weekend.

You can't argue the cost of carb, and for some applications a carb is a better idea. (such as when the camshaft profile is so radical the MAP sensor can't appropriately provide feedback to build a fuel map).

A "good" carb is around $500, give or take. Holley 750 with vac secondaries and an electric choke, and a "good" single plane intake is another $200 or so.. A "good" HEI vac advance distributor is about $175, so figure with gaskets $900 for a bulletproof carb setup.

On the other hand, EFI is around $900 for a good manifold, $300 for a good throttle body, $150 for a fuel pump, $300 for injectors, $100 for a small cap distributor, $125-200 for a donor harness, $75-100 for an ECM with a v8 memcal, $150 for misc sensors (map, tps, iac, iat, coolant, knock).

$2200 or so to "convert" a carb car.

Benefits are efficiency, driveability, and complete control over the whole RPM band. Then again, with a very radical camshaft you could exceed the limits of a MAP sensor (been there).

When I first started tuning I was on Bruce's bandwagon of MAP, and in theory it still is easier to tune for a good majority of applications, however I've recently come to the realization that an aftermarket MAF setup is much more reliable, because like the venturi of a carb, you can more accurately program how much fuel you need based on air where as with MAP you may have a very limited range of measurement.


I'm not 100% sure yet what I'm doing with my Z28.

-- Joe

Car is a 1991 Z28 305 tpi car. I have the original harness and an ecm. I was under the impression that if I used the Holley set up(950-101 for 82-92 camaro) That I could ditch the factory ecm and harness.

welli didnt relize you already had all that...trust me...its alot nicer to tune with a computer than it is swapping jets...as far as ditching the factory harness and all that...the 91 uses all elecronic gauges...so i doubt you'll be able to completely drop it out...even though that would be nice!!!...thats a little bit more cam than i have but its on a 113 lobe sep...which is very computer friendly....got mine tuned in pretty decent within like 4 tries...but if i had it to do over if go with the commmander setup

I planned on ditching the gauges. I have a complete set of Autometer pro-comp ultra-lites. I have an 89 Iroc 5.7, Having all kinds of issues with 20 year old wiring. That's why I wanted to start fresh or am I just opening a can of worms?

no i dont think your opening a can of worms...i had to redo alot of wiring when i swapped from tbi to carb...then to my stealth ram, its not bad..