Injecting a Chev 350
- Thread starter Bart
- Start date
I have done it twice. The intake manifold of the tbi must be put on which is the hardest part although its not hard. The new manifold will be made out of aluminium and will have bolt holes that go straight down instead of at an angle (or vice versa) and the new intake holes must be angle to get the bolts to go into the angle head. Its not hard just time consuming to get them to all match up. I used a painless harness both times.
Twisted
NEEDAMONEYTREE
- Location
- Evanston WY
What type of TBI system you lookin at? I put a holley pro-jection kit on my 304 Commando. Just needed the adapter to go from the TB to the manifold. Then mount the pump, plumbing, harness & ecm. Wasn't too bad. Do they make a similar kit for the Chev's? Adapter for the 350 manifold?
jdub
Scrambler
- Location
- Provo, Utah.
I'm in the same boat. It does seem like more work than just a whole swap.
Twisted
NEEDAMONEYTREE
- Location
- Evanston WY
Kool. Good luck with whatever direction you take.
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
IIRC, the GM TBI computer needs for the engine to be built within certain specs... cam can't be too wild, etc.
Projection sucks, IMO. Hated the system I had, I'd never suggest that route to anyone.
Projection sucks, IMO. Hated the system I had, I'd never suggest that route to anyone.
Twisted
NEEDAMONEYTREE
- Location
- Evanston WY
Yeah, maybe not the best system out there. But the price was right & it hasn't given me any problems. Definately better than running the carb.
waynehartwig
www.jeeperman.com
- Location
- Mead, WA
My dad has used several Holley setups on his hot rods with no issues. He's now running a setup we bought from Tacoma. There are some basic things that have to be taken care of or you will have problems - the manual tells you this. The biggest mistake people make is with the fuel pump. It's got to have power to it or it won't work right - even a .2 volt drop will cause issues. It doesn't work right, and neither will the setup. Every setup my dad has done has used a relay and full battery voltage. The computer doesn't put out enough current to run it.
The Holley computer is batch firing (all 8 at the same time) some Accel 60 lb? injectors. It's an old school 327 with a monster cam, some trick heads and etc. The 40 lb injectors he had before weren't enough. The 800 cfm? projection kit he took off wasn't enough, either.
I bet if you wanted he would probably sell one of his kits... I think he has 2 or 3 complete setups and he's only using part of one.
The Holley computer is batch firing (all 8 at the same time) some Accel 60 lb? injectors. It's an old school 327 with a monster cam, some trick heads and etc. The 40 lb injectors he had before weren't enough. The 800 cfm? projection kit he took off wasn't enough, either.
I bet if you wanted he would probably sell one of his kits... I think he has 2 or 3 complete setups and he's only using part of one.
Attachments
Tacoma
Et incurventur ante non
- Location
- far enough away
Bart, it's easy: Get all teh stuff from teh donor, dremel out the center intake bolt holes. Depending on the year/emissions package, you may not even need the exhaust manifolds: out of all the TBI 350's I've had in my many work vehicles, about half of them had the O2 sensor in the manifold, the other half had it in the downpipe.
The TBI system is self-contained: there's some sensors, and the ECM harness (and the ECM of course). ERusselle on here can take stuff out of your harness (like the stupid AIR pump), and there is a guy who's never on here that built harnesses for Year One's awesome cars that can also tweak your harness. Or you can run it all stock.
Basically plug and play if you're running stock stuff-- and the stock stuff is easy to get, easy to own, cheap to fix, and works pretty damn well. I love it for the utter transparency of it: Just drive the vehicle and don't worry about it.
The TBI system is self-contained: there's some sensors, and the ECM harness (and the ECM of course). ERusselle on here can take stuff out of your harness (like the stupid AIR pump), and there is a guy who's never on here that built harnesses for Year One's awesome cars that can also tweak your harness.
Or you can run it all stock. Basically plug and play if you're running stock stuff-- and the stock stuff is easy to get, easy to own, cheap to fix, and works pretty damn well. I love it for the utter transparency of it: Just drive the vehicle and don't worry about it.
DaveB
Long Jeep Fan
- Location
- Holladay, Utah
Well I was planning on doing the adapter for the TBI conversion on the Commando, maybe I'll have to machine out the center holes on the TBI manifold I picked up instead. I wonder why the sensors would have issues if the adapter is built correctly ?
Good info, thanks Tacoma.
Bart, it's easy: Get all teh stuff from teh donor, dremel out the center intake bolt holes. Depending on the year/emissions package, you may not even need the exhaust manifolds: out of all the TBI 350's I've had in my many work vehicles, about half of them had the O2 sensor in the manifold, the other half had it in the downpipe.
The TBI system is self-contained: there's some sensors, and the ECM harness (and the ECM of course). ERusselle on here can take stuff out of your harness (like the stupid AIR pump), and there is a guy who's never on here that built harnesses for Year One's awesome cars that can also tweak your harness.
Basically plug and play if you're running stock stuff-- and the stock stuff is easy to get, easy to own, cheap to fix, and works pretty damn well. I love it for the utter transparency of it: Just drive the vehicle and don't worry about it.
jsudar
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Cedar Hills
You can get an adapter to drop a GM TBI unit on a carb manifold. They're like $60 from summit, if you don't want to mess with the stock manifold. This does require ditching the EGR and AIR. You will lose a bit in the MPG if you drop the EGR. This guy's site has tons of info about TBI stuff.
http://www.tbichips.com/truckmods.htm
TBI is a great setup, barely more complex than a carb, but it still runs on the hills. Just carry a spare fuel pump. I cut a hole in the bed of my blazer and can change the pump in 20 minutes.
http://www.tbichips.com/truckmods.htm
TBI is a great setup, barely more complex than a carb, but it still runs on the hills. Just carry a spare fuel pump.
I cut a hole in the bed of my blazer and can change the pump in 20 minutes.
jsudar
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Cedar Hills
In Utah county, they don't check for EGR on 89 and older stuff. They do check for AIR, but not all trucks came with it so there are ways to work around that. Anything 77 or older that was supposed to have cats and AIR, but doesn't will still pass.
waynehartwig
www.jeeperman.com
- Location
- Mead, WA
Just got to thinking... Have you looked at the FAST setups?
http://www.compperformancegroupstor...GY&Store_Code=FS&Category_Code=XFISystemsKits
http://www.compperformancegroupstor...GY&Store_Code=FS&Category_Code=XFISystemsKits
I ran Pro-jection on my cruiser with the closed loop kit and all, and I was never very impressed. I just converted my old chev small block to a stock TBI unit, and I love it. It starts every time, idles great under any condition (especially hot motor in 4 lo off roading), and it runs cleaner than that motor and even my cruiser with the stock six did factory. I used the same adapter plate that I had with my pro-jection system and put a weld in bung on one side of my motor in the exhaust pipe just behind my center dump exhuast manifold for the o2 sensonr. I also had to install the knock sensor, but there is a port on the right side of the motor that it will thread into. I love it! I also don't smell like gas and exhaust when I'm done driving it...like I used to (which my friends named Od' de Ellis).
ELLIS
PS Jim's Performance in Maryland did my harness for $125 or $150 I can't remember. He can also reflash your ECU for speed sensors and different things. www.jim'sperformance.com
ELLIS
PS Jim's Performance in Maryland did my harness for $125 or $150 I can't remember. He can also reflash your ECU for speed sensors and different things. www.jim'sperformance.com
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brokejeep
Registered User
- Location
- Clearfield, Utah
I put a TBI setup on my jeeps 360, I had a chip modified which you wouldnt need (thanks again Eric). I used the adapter plate from holley and it works fine(my only option). I bought a stand alone harness off ebay, not a painless but same idea. Installed the knock sensor, o2 sensor, used a frame rail mounted fuel pump and it runs great. The best thing is you can purchase a "chip" that will allow you to modify the computer and use real time programming with a laptop.