Rippin92RS

I was looking at a site about converting TBI -> TPI. The shopping list was insane. ECM, Harness, MAF, etc etc. I don't think I have the time or money to do this swap. So that got me thinking of just going carb for a year or two. Then, when I have a beater car, do the FI swap. My reason for not staying with TBI is I've read it won't do too well with even a 350, let alone a modded one. Is that true? Ok, now my questions for all you carb guys:

-Will I be able to pass emissions?
-Have you ever been stranded?
-How is cold starting?
-Long Road Trips (200-600 miles) a bad idea?
-Idling in traffic
-If anyone went TBI -> Carb how much MPG did you lose?
-What kind of gas mileage do you get?
-Year round reliability

Remember, this is my daily driver. The only car I've got. Overall, would this be a wise decision?

Thanks!

-Rippin

NOTE: It'd be on a mild 350

todd200

If you have a visual at emeissions time, no you won't pass. If you don't I really don't know. Maybe someone else can help you more.

I've been stranded before but it had nothing to do with the carb. (I popped a heater hose.) Carbs are mechanical and thats why I like them. To me that means more reliable. A bad sensor won't leave you hitching a ride.

It hasen't gotten very cold here yet, only about 40*F. Even without a choke I never had a problem.

Since I always had a carb I can't tell you a difference in mileage and since my gauge is broken I don't know what my MPG is.

Hopefully that answered some of your questions.

SSC

1. No.
2. Fine, have never had a problem.
3. Millions do it every day with no problems.
4. Same as FI.
5. Most people loose 1 or 2 MPG some gain it.
6. 14MPG city 22 highway.
7. It starts when I need it to, only problem with carbs is dirt in the gas but FI has the same problems.

IMO leave it alone. Durring you next smog check watch to see if they remove the air cleaner to check anything. Holley makes a 670 truck TBI unit probably a direct replacemnt for your your unit. They also make a 4-bbl injection setup that could be snuck under your aircleaner.

Rippin92RS

So I'm better off putting a 350 and bigger TB on rather than 350 and carb? Anyone else have any opinions?

-Rippin

AustinT

I have a holley 750 Vs on a zz430 crate motor

1 I dont know about passing emissions, we dont have to here
2 I have never been stranded
Cold starting is Ok but it takes about a minute during the cold winter before It runs Ok
3 Enjoy your road trips, no problem
4. idles fine in traffic
5. My fuel mileage is great for the motor. I had a 305 tbi and I would get about 26 down the freeway. I more than doubled the horsepower and went with a carb And I still get 22 mpg. Of course the 6 speed helps some
6. Plenty reliable, again my only downfall is it takes a minute or so in the winter for the car to be drivable

Good Luck

MechCD

Personally, I'd stick with the TBI to save up for the TPI conversion. I don't see why you'd want to get a carb to last you until the upgrade, when your current TBI works

f-crazy

iTrader: (-1)

there are many guys that can get DP'ers to not only "pass" but pass by quite a bit...its all in the tuning..instead of PE bins and 02 readings you have power valves and metering rods...

i just went from TPI to carb if your looking for a TPI lol....
still need the harness though

Cronic3rd

My carbed car passes emissions just fine and gets 30mpg. Granted is is a factory carbed car but if you get a q-jet streetability is great.

slammnmini

i have jussssssssst about every part you need to do a TPI swap..interested??

kfoley

Guess I'll put in my 2 cents as well...

1. Can't say, don't have smog checks in Indiana (thank allah )
2. Nope, at least not due to my carb...
3. Just fine, let it warm up a minute or two on cold mornings and you're good to go. I prefer manual chokes though, I do a better job of controling it than the electric chokes do...
4. Just fine
5. Same as TBI/TPI
6. Most are only a mpg or two off, but if it's tuned properly you can actually get better mileage and more power
7. 18mpg city flooring it around, 24mpg highway with my QJet, can't say about my new motor though, hoping for 14 city and 18 highway
8. Very reliabe, starts up everyday and runs well if kept in tune...

Overall, I'd say it's worth it. They perform well and the price is hard to beat.

jpk91rs

The throttle body is good enough for a 350 that is mildly modded. There are many people on this board that swear by both carbs and tbi/tpi. It is just personal preference. I have tbi on my 91 rs and a 670 cfm holley carb on my 72 PU( which will be a HSR when I get the money together.) :rockon:

blackgold84

iTrader: (1)

if the swap to carb isnt technically legal who knows if the swap to tpi is legal?

300hpse

iTrader: (2)

as far as emissions, we have visual here and they dont pop the aircleaner and since carb and tbi use the same air cleaner, you should be good as long as it runs clean. Id worry about the check engine light youll probably get, thats an auto failure some places. It needs to flash on during start up and then go off when its running. Someone mentioned a circuit for this you could wire up.

Gas mileage with carbs blow, but its liveable.

Stranded? Ive had many a carb go bad on me and when they go bad, they still run, only very crappily, it would be catastrophic failure to leave you unable to go anyway.

kfoley

Mileage with a carb isn't that bad, if you have it tuned right. It'll be within a few mpg of a TBI.

fb305svs

- As long as they don't perform a visual, and you run a cat, and have it properly tuned, and only bolt on motor mods, it will no problem.

- Not horrid as long as you don't mind letting it warm up for a min.

- Just like EFI or any other ful system- no difference what so ever.

- Idling in traffic will be fine if it idles out of gear.

- I went TBI to carb, but i dropped a 430hp motor in too with the carb i have on there right now (holley street avenger 670) i avg 18-19 on the highway, and 12-13 around town... take a look at my cam and you'll understand why it sucks lol...

a side note on this tho- my 86 305cu car avg'd 18 around town and 24-25 on the highway, both of my cars used the same drivetrain- t-5 (.63 5thgear) and 3.42 rear)

- Not any less reliable. Only difference is that for about every 20* of temp diff from the main tune your going to want to probably chnage the jets to keep it in proper tune...

A lot of people bring up driveability sucks with a carb too- i'll vouch that it really depends on your setup. a mild setup will drive just as good as an efi car, altho when you start to get a big wild, it becomes a bit touchy and tempermental at smaller part throttle times.

Also, don't go too big on a carb (my stock 670 made almost as much power as a worked 800 dominator carb on the engine dyno) and for daily driving i recommend vacum secondaries.

Steve