Carb? EFI? What to choose.

[Mutant Pony]

You don't ALWAYS need a code reader to diagnose EFI problems but, sometimes you need even more sophisticated equipment. You never need any expensive equipment to solve a carb problem. Carbs also give you a lot more H.P. per dollar.
If I were building a street truck, I would use a carb.
Carburetors just plain don't belong on 4x4s. At least not on one of mine.
Efi systems do NOT provide better performance or fuel mileage. The only real benefit is driveability.

 

[BigBlockRanger]

Prior to yanking the 5.0L out of my Ranger in preparation for the big motor, my ranger had been sitting in the same place, unstarted for 4 months. Went out, put the battery back in, hit the key and it started on the first try. Try that with a carb! LOL

For me, a guy building a drag truck, EFI just makes it that much easier to tune the motor and make it run like I want it to. I can datalog my info, see where it needs improvement and make the necessary changes relatively easy and quickly.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Our 1967 International 1100 light half ton pickup with a 304 sat for 4 years without being started. Dumped a little gas in the carb, it turned over about three times before roaring to life without a fight. Couldn't ask for better, we were expecting a tooth and nail fight to get it going.

I have never had an issue with carbs on my offroader, but I don't too much of the off camber stuff that gives them fits either.

 

[Mutant Pony]

I had a lot of problems with the carb on the Mutant pony. When I made the sheetmetal intake that is on it now, I tilted the carb forward a little extra. That solved the hill climbing problem but, I still had issues with rough surfaces at speed.
My offroad Ranger has none of those problems as it is Efi. Both are extremly dependable and have sat for many months at a time without issue.
My mud truck is carburated and sits from aug to june every year. It fires right up and runs fine every summer. I would rather have Efi on the mud truck but, simply cannot afford an Efi system that will work on a 351c in a mud truck.

 

[Iron Ranger]

I had the block checked out by a local rebuild/machine shop and, to my luck, she had been bored out 040 already. Only $60 to boil and magnaflux the block and check the crankshaft. Now I need aluminum heads for this beast. EFI all the way baby!!!

 

[red85]

The only issue I can see is the height of the upper plenum on the truck EFI setup.

There's an early image from my swap. I was still using truck mounts at this point and the upper plenum would contact the hood. I ended up running a carb, but I'm still looking to run a GM TBI setup on my motor. That must be pretty similar to the electronic carb you were talking about.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I ended up running a carb, but I'm still looking to run a GM TBI setup on my motor. That must be pretty similar to the electronic carb you were talking about.

I always wondered how well that would work on a Ford engine. You would get the best of both worlds, the nice clean look of a carburated engine and the versatility of EFI. I don't really know what all makes them work, but judging by the look of the 350 in my dad's '92 GMC it doesn't take a whole lot.

It is probably completely different but the feedback carburator system that came on my 2.8 really turned me off on any electronics on a carburator aside from the choke.

 

[red85]

I've done a fair bit of research on this mod and I'm confident that it can be done with factory GM parts for far less than Holley is charging for their Pro Jection kits. Best bet is to find an early 90's Chevy truck with a V8. The computer need to do this is GM# 1227747. As long as you have that, the wiring harness and a few sensors (O2, TPS, IAT, ECT), you're golden. The fuel requirement on these systems is only 15-19 psi so finding a fuel pump shouldn't be too expensive.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

What engine does that computer come with? I was thinking a setup off of a 305 should be pretty close for a 302, which is nice because those trucks don't hold their value all that well compared to a 350 truck.

 

[red85]

That computer came on everything from a 4.3 to 7.4 engines in CK series trucks, vans, Astro/Safari vans, and S trucks. Ideally if you get one, the 305 will have a PROM in it that will closely match our blue oval powerplants. Just make sure you get all the sensors with it.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Sorry to hyjack this a little, but how well do you suppose all this would work on my 289? Are TB's different between engines or are they the same like the computers? I wouldn't think they would be the same but then I wouldn't have guessed the computers were either.

What is a PROM? That is one Acronym I have never came across

 

[red85]

No problem. It would likely work just fine on a 289. Just need to make an adapter plate to mount your TBI unit on the carb intake. A PROM is a programmable read only memory. GM computers were often updated with different PROM chips. These chips are pressed into a socket on the PCM's board much the same way as a RAM module is installed on a computer motherboard.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I did some poking around and found this, I notice they mention more sensors on it: the MAP, which doesn't sound all that hard to retrofit, the knock senser which could be tough, and the ESC or the electronic spark control, which means if the ignition is tied into this thing too we could have a problem there. Or are these not an issue with the one computer you specified?

http://www.goingfaster.com/spo/tbi.html


Best line in the whole site, and I barely know what a PROM chip is.

Your factory PROM chip is a brainwashed tree hugging hippy.

 

[baddad457]

Prior to yanking the 5.0L out of my Ranger in preparation for the big motor, my ranger had been sitting in the same place, unstarted for 4 months. Went out, put the battery back in, hit the key and it started on the first try. Try that with a carb! LOL.

I do it all the time with the 5.0 in my Ranger. Sits for weeks at a time in the yard. Go out, bump the starter and it fires right up. It's all in the cam choice and carb selection and tuning.

 

[BigBlockRanger]

EFI doods.

Looky:

http://www.affordable-fuel-injection.com/index.php?id=28&title=Ford+Throttle+Body+Fuel+Injection