454 TBI HP ratings

[dstang97]

It says that a 1990 454 TBI has 230 hp 385 torque. Is that a turd or what? I would have thought it would have at leat 350hp. If I was to slap a carb and block off egr crap would it be a lot better?

 

[rdn2blazer]

I just bought an 89' 454 with the same hp & tq rating. Thats a decent amount of torque actually. HP is weak but for a 4x4 that plenty of tq.

 

[82355]

It says that a 1990 454 TBI has 230 hp 385 torque. Is that a turd or what? I would have thought it would have at leat 350hp. If I was to slap a carb and block off egr crap would it be a lot better?

No, you would be worse off.

Martin

 

[desertrat67]

Had no problem with my 88 tbi 454 CrewCab. It pushed the truck around pretty well on 38s. Off road I loved it. Idled over just about everything and moved it quick when I stepped on it.

 

[Thunder]

If I was to slap a carb and block off egr crap would it be a lot better?

Nope. Carb 454 truck engines had exactly the same HP as TBI. But the carb 454 engines had 25 less ft lbs torque than TBI.

 

[6.2Blazer]

The throttle body fuel injection is not what dictates the power levels of these factory engines, so slapping on carb won't do anything (well, could possibly lose driveability).

I agree that those power ratings are pretty crappy BY TODAY'S STANDARDS, but at the time it was a strong engine compared to other offerings. A TBI 350 was only rated around 200 HP/ 300 TQ during that time, and a few years earlier the factory carbed 350's in trucks were only rated at 160 HP. I remember when GM first started offering the TBI engines and they were a dramatic improvement in power and driveability as compared to the previous generation carbed engines.

 

[blazinzuk]

Headers a computer friendly cam a good exhaust a new chip with all those mods in mind and you will really be surprised, more so if you add some other little things like a adjustable fuel regulator, TBI spacer etc.

 

[dhcomp]

The throttle body fuel injection is not what dictates the power levels of these factory engines, so slapping on carb won't do anything (well, could possibly lose driveability).

I agree that those power ratings are pretty crappy BY TODAY'S STANDARDS, but at the time it was a strong engine compared to other offerings. A TBI 350 was only rated around 200 HP/ 300 TQ during that time, and a few years earlier the factory carbed 350's in trucks were only rated at 160 HP. I remember when GM first started offering the TBI engines and they were a dramatic improvement in power and driveability as compared to the previous generation carbed engines.

Don't think the TBI 350's were even rated at that, i think 180-190hp.

 

[jtrapani]

So its basically all the internals that make the difference in the lower hp? I thought it would have been all the smog stuff. The block itself could be built to higher output though correct?