I can really use some help... should I go carb or stick with TBI?

I have been poking around for a while asking questions and picking up parts since my last used motor turned out to be a lemon (darn e-bay scammers)

I finally have some time to work on this so I want to make sure I do it right and do it once.

My major concerns for this project are passing NY State inspection, cold weather drivability and of course performance. In that order. The car is an 88 by the way. Also I don't think I can afford everything needed to get into chip tuneing.

Here is what I have a 50k 85 carbed 305 in good shape to start with.

If I go TBI I have, all new sensors (on my old shot LO3) a rebuilt stock TBI, A rebuilt TBI with injector spacers, shaved lips off bores,a 1" tbi spacer a new fuel pump already installed, a summit K1102 cam and a TBI chips.com stage 1 chip, and a hyperteck cooler temp thermostat and stock tbi intakemanifold.(could use the carb one with a spacer but it has no egr)

If I go carb I have, and edlebrock non egr performer intake, and Edlbrock 1406 carb (needs a rebuild) a summit performance distributor and a comp cam X4250 rv cam ( probably not the best choice but came with lifters and it was free!)

I also have a set of good LO3 heads, a set of rebuild 85 heads (casting 4334 I think) and a set of clean world products 305 S/R torker heads. I also have a set of shorty headers with an o2 but no air provisions and an MSD ignition that will work with either set up, I also have a summit econo performance cat back exhaust setup.

So what do you think how should I throw this stuff together? and should I use the carb or the TBI?

Either way what should I do with the EGR and the air injection especialy since the headers have no air tubes?

 

chances are you'd need EFI for the smogging, I may be wrong on that; check your regs. is it a visual inspection, sniffer or both? If you have an 88 I'd probably give up the notion of the carb, it's probably not gonna fly unless you've got a buddy to give an E-check sticker.
If I could the combo I'd use is the 1102 cam (depending on what the comp one was, couldn't find specs) the S/R heads Performer intake with an adapter plate along with the modded TBI.
You'd have to step up to tuning it yourself, but you'd be able to get the most power, the best emissions and drivability. You may want to use the stock manifold with EGR to pass the E-check and put the Performer back on. If it's a sniffer I've heard of plenty of people passing W/O the EGR, just good catalytic converters.

 

I'm not sure what they would check on an 88 for inspection. Does anyome know? I had my 95 done and it was a visual. My wifes 98 was inspected at the same place and they did a visual and a tailpipe sniffer and they looked for computer trouble codes. They failed it cause the check engine light was on, but thats another story. So it seems different years get different checks.

What does getting rid of the EGR do to the computer? if I use the 4bbl intake.

also what should I do about headers and my air pump and such. I don't have air/smog fittings on the headers.

What does it cost to get the equipment to tune proms?

I do have an old laptop that runs window 95 and I made the aldl cable and downloaded winaldl but thats all I have.

 

oh yeah the comp cam is

Xtreme 4x4 X4250H Hydraulic Flat Tappet Camshaft Only
Lift: .432''/.453''
Duration: 250°/258°
RPM Range: 600-4600
249-12-231-2
*Note: In order to use these camshafts in 1955-57 265ci blocks, it is necessary to machine a small groove in the rear main journal of the cam to allow oil flow to the top of the engine.

Very strong torque, smooth idle, excellent mileage.

Operating Range: 600-4600 RPM
Duration Advertised: 250° Intake / 258° Exhaust
Duration @ .050'' Lift: 206° Intake / 214° Exhaust
Valve Lift w/1.5 Rockers: .432'' Intake / .453'' Exhaust
Lobe Separation Angle: 111°

I like the fact that this cam has lots of torque down low and in the middle were I can use it since 305's are weak on torque I'll take any boost I can get. I am not a racer or a go fast guy so I am not real concerned about the top end, as long as it is OK.

I just don't know if this will work with the computer, unless the computer can be tuned to use this cam?

If the computer can be made to work with this what would be better? This comp cam or the summit one?

 

Stay with TBI and go with the Comp cam.

 

what will i need to do to make it work (run properly)?

as far as the prom and tuning.

As far at the EGR and Air/smog what should I do with that?

 

Hook everything back up the way it was. You shouldn't have PROM tuning problems with that cam.

 

what if I use the world heads, edlebrock manifold and headers with that cam?

 

What I meant was would it run OK with all of the above?

What kind of power would I get out of it?

And if it will run OK would I need to prom tune it to get it running better? or will it be good enough where that won't be a factor?

 

I agree totally with five7.

Use the World heads, the Comp cam, and the headers. DO NOT use the L03 heads or the 434 heads or the Summit cam, they are garbage.

That combo will run fine with the stock tune. In fact that's not a bad cam choice for the application at hand; you could do a great deal worse. It won't have just a whole lot more power or anything, some maybe, but not dramatic.

The motor will run better with PROM tuning, as always.

I would STRONGLY recommend against the carb swapover. You run the risk of not passing smog, not getting the car running for however long it takes to get all the parts you'll need to swap it over, you'll have a hacked-up car forever, it'll use more gas, and it won't really make THE CAR run any better, especially with the crappy stock L03 gears and the tight converter. In other words, you'll be taking extra time, doing extra work, spending extra money, raising the cost of operating the car, and taking extra risk; in exchange for a finished product (if I may use the term loosely) that won't be any better than what you've got now, and that you might not even be able to use. Altogether a bad idea.

Sell whatever other parts you end up with left over (not that you'll get much... I'd almost pay you NOT to give me that stuff, if that's what I had to do to keep it from littering my property). Just use the TBI intake (you'll have to slot the center 2 bolt holes on each side). Leave the AIR pump and all that stuff off the car, and don't forget to put a SHORT bolt in the upper of the 2 bolt holes for the pump bracket, because that bolt hole goes RIGHT DIRECTLY INTO the crankcase and will leak like the Exxon Valdez at cruising range engine RPMs. None of that has anything to do with the EGR.

Incidentally, you'll need a different flex plate; your TBI motor has a 1-piece rear main seal, but the 85 has a 2-piece rear main seal. The bolt pattern on the back of the crank is different. The flex plate you need is for 83-85 Camaro/Firebird V8. It will be 12.8" diameter and have 153 teeth.

 

Thanks for the info.

So I would not need to have air tubes on the headers? That good cause then like you said I could get rid of the air pump.

If I can find a 4bbl performance manifold with EGR could I use that with an adapter plate? It should be better than stock right? (plus it won't start leaking in the corner after a few months like the one on my car does now)
What would be a good one to look for?

 

I would go with tbi for throttle response but the tbi to me is harder than the carb to work on