The Rodding Roundtable

Motorhead Message Central => Rodder's Roundtable => Topic started by: chopped on July 30, 2008, 12:14:46 PM

Title: Throttle body engine
Post by: chopped on July 30, 2008, 12:14:46 PM
I hunting an engine for my new ride. Wrecker yard has some for sale right. Would I want to keep the setup, switch to carb or pass it up? What would be involved?  Thanks Skip
Title: Throttle body engine
Post by: enjenjo on July 30, 2008, 12:39:47 PM
I like the TBI engines. Most of them are Vortecs I have done both ways. To be honest, by the time you buy an intake and carb, along with a distributor it's cheaper to buy a Painless harness and keep the TBI.

Performance is on par with a carb, the mileage is better.
Title: Throttle body engine
Post by: chopped on July 30, 2008, 01:34:26 PM
I have a better chance of fixing something with a carb. So, intake-carb- dizzy. Would I need a electric fuel pump in a 64? Anything else?
Title: Throttle body engine
Post by: enjenjo on July 30, 2008, 03:07:43 PM
It depends on the year of the engine. Newer than 87 has no provision for a mechanical pump. So yes, you will have to use an electric pump.

One other issue you may run into. A TBI engine has more compression than  a Carb and conventional distributor can handle on regular gas. So you may have to run premium grade fuel. Even then, you may get spark knock in high gear depending on the gear ratio. You can set the distributor up with a knock sensor that will retard the spark if it starts knocking.
Title: Throttle body engine
Post by: chopped on July 30, 2008, 04:07:07 PM
That's a fair amount to think about. Not always as easy as it sounds. Thanks