what is the better of the two. what are the advantages and disadvantages of each.

 

your never gonna get a clear answer to this....

IMO, carbs are better because they're so much cheaper to upgrade, but im sure half the people here will disagree w/ me....

------------------
My 1986 Z28
GM350, T-5, 3.23's, lots of go fast goodies, 4th gen Firebird interior etc...
85 IROC w/ 1364 miles!

You'll always find what you've lost in the last place you look

R.I.P Dale Earnhardt

 

The biggest advantage either one has over the other is that the one you have is better than the one you don't.

Since I have carb, I'm sticking with it (although I have a TPI setup in the garage attic - albeit not quite complete). If I had a TPI car, I would not consider converting it to carb.

------------------
82 Berlinetta, orig V-6 car, now w/86 LG4/TH700R4. 2.93 limited slip. Cat-back from '91 GTA, Accel HEI SuperCoil. AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Daily driver, work-in-progress (LG4 w/'87 LB9 block, ZZ3 cam and intake, World 305 heads, Hooker headers & y-pipe, 3" Catco cat & 3" cat-back).
57 Bel Air, my 1st car. 0.030 over 396, 9.7 CR forged TRWs, Weiand Action+, Edelbrock 1901 Q-Jet, GK 270 cam, Magnum rockers, Jacobs Omnipack, 1-3/4" Hedders & 3" Warlock header mufflers, TH400 w/TCI Sat Night Special conv & Trans-Scat shift kit, LT MegaShifter, 3.08 8.2" 10-bolt w/Powertrax, AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Best 15.1/95.5 @ 5800' Bandimere.

 

Carbs are great if you know how to tune them-they're finicky. I don't have a computer, so mine is even worse. On a cool night, I can roast the tires and snap my neck back against the seat. If it's warm, my car bogs and performs differently. I'd like a TPI setup, but I'll stick with what I've got. For now.

 

Carbs - very cheap, very tunable. Put out good amounts of power at higher rpm's. Again, very cheap. But they have a tendency to get less gas mileage.

TPI - Very epensive, usually a new TPI system is 10 times that of a new carb system. The advantages are good low-end torque, however they're not always the best on the upper rpm's. The benefits are better gas mileage (generally speaking), lower emissions (assuming everything's in tune), etc. But they are much more complicated, and therefor have a lot more things that can break.

TBI - oh, the untapped potential...

------------------
89 iroc-z 305 tbi
k&n filtercharger, open element air filter. nuffin' else

 

ok this is easy if you NOW have tpi ....why in gods name would you want to convert to carb?? i converted from tbi to carb because of tbi very touchy computer programinng.but tpi is very workable T.P.I. PROS:= great low end tourque,great fuel economy, and decent hp! easier to maintain and the timing is easier to get right. can add a turbo or supercharger without a big thing sticking out of the hood! nos is much easier on tpi!
consT.P.I.= parts more expensive,never know what "sensor" to replace computers are very expensive to get "chips" for., top end hp is strangling...unless mods are made and they mods are really expensive also!!....basically its expensive if something ever goes wrong!

carb pros:= unlimited top end hp potentail!!tuning of carbis just a matter of the right timing and jets!,no comptuer or"sensors to fail!"much much easier to take aprt and fix, can use any cam you want without expensive computer mods!parts are much less expensive when they fail.

carb:cons= very bad fuel milage with big moded engine!, there is no computer to fix a timing mess,there is no knock sensor to keep you out of detonation trouble. the conversion process is very very expensive and time consuming!!


all in all if you have tpi.....keep it you'll thank yourself later down the road and you'll get worlds more fuel mileage!!

------------------
89 firebird formula


360 10:1compression (350 .060 over)/fully balnced and blueprinted
comp cams xe262 cam
performer rpm intake/port matched to heads
#1405edlebrock 600
sportsman 2 heads 64cc 2.02/1.60 valves 200cc intake runner/cnc pocket ported
msd 6al/msd8.5 super condutor wires
h.e.i. proform 50,000 volt vac. advance ditributor
700r-4 with 3.08 first gear and 3.23 posi 7 5/8 rear end.
b trans shift kit(will kill shifts...suck dong!!)
shorty heddman hedders with custom 3" pipe y-pipe back(no damn cat!) with 40 series flowmaster!
griffin daul1" core rad.cutom fabrication to fit(but no cutting )


future mods: 406 roller REALLY REALLY REALLY RADICAL!!!!!

 

I have a TPI and I would love to have my carb back! I know you guys are going to call me crazy but I have had a lot of problems with my set up. I know alot more about carbs and I find it is easier for a novice like myself to upgrade the motor. I am scared to touch anything on the TPI because of the wrath that usually follows. NEVER wash under the hood of one. It coat me over $1000 bucks to get the car running again. I have to say that the TPI makes a lot of power with my little boat anchor 305. TPI does make the most out of a small motor. This is just my opinion.

------------------
91 Z28 Camaro
305 TPI
Flowmaster 3" exhaust
700R4 with 2000 Stall and shift kit 3.42 rearend
Autometer shiftlight tach and B&M mega shifter
One sweet sounding system

 

My car was TPI when I bought it. After a year of modding, I came to the conclusion that I either needed to upgrade to a Miniram setup ($1200), or switch to carb ($500). There's a no brainer. The L98 TPI is great for driveability, milage, and bottom end torque. Anything above 5000 rpm SUCKS. The switch was easy. The only tricky part was opening up the middle holes on the new intake to line up with the L98 heads. The conversion took around four hours.
Was it worth it? Hell yeah. Best of 13.85 w/ TPI. First pass with carb - 13.40, and it got better from there.

------------------
91 Firebird Formula. Converted to carb. Holley 650 dp. Forged Flat top pistons. ZZ-9 Cam. Sportsman II Heads.
175 shot NOS, 700r4 w/ 3000 rpm converter and 3.73s in the back. Headers w/ full dual exhaust. 27 inch Hoosiers.

 

Can anybody tell me some of the cons of TBI . It must be a short list, lol
Pros: IS EFI so just like TPI pros but without the complexity/parts. All advantages of carb but tuned from fuel pressure and computer!
Cons: Maybe not the best gas milage but DOES use all the same sensors as TPI!!! Not too many TBI intakes to choose from but that is why they have adaptor plates.

------------------
, Jon (350 TBI!)
91 Red My website

 

Your TPI sucks.

Send it to

770 Roble Drive
Morgan Hill
CA, 95037
ATT Ian Moore

I will pay Shipping

------------------
60 Ranchero - Project ( Money Hole )
85 Sport Coupe LG4 - Daily Driver 15.26 @ 87.0
Reader's ride -> My Ride

Just another Hot Rod kid, or thats what they all tell me.
Livin' the Stereotype

 

LOL

 

If you know a LOT about carbs, they are probably better. I say a lot because to equal TPI mileage you'll need to be tuning every now and then. I've had both on the same engine same car - and I don't know much about tuning carbs. The carb definitely had MUCH better top end, but the TPI had MUCH better off the line torque. Since I have TPI and most likely will always have some form of fuel injection that's what I study. Otherwise I'd definitely be into carbs - less money, less to go wrong, but more tuning necessary.

------------------
"Life is pain! Anyone who says differently is selling something."

[This message has been edited by I ROCK (edited June 15, 2001).]

 

Its just my opinion but, preformance/modability (real word, honest!) aside, a carb engine just looks alot better!!

 

i thought that all camaros had computers, be it carbed or TPI.my 84 is carbed and it has a computer.did you guys take your computers out?i thought that it wouldn't pass emissions without a computer.