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Budget TBI recipe?

tRustyK5

tRustyK5

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I have an '87 TBI 350 from a R30 Crew Cab sitting here. I'm thinking being out of a one ton it's likely a 4 bolt block. It ran very good, great oil pressure and decent power and has about 120,000 miles on it.

I'm wondering if there was a bit of a recipe for better power out of a TBI engine on a budget. Basically I'm looking to maybe swap to better heads, possibly aftermarket intake, cam, headers. I'm also assuming a chip burn afterwards. I have the 7747 in the K5, and a different ECM in the R30 I could use if it's better? I'll pull the number off that and edit later.

So, what say you guys...

Oh yeah, thinking Vortec heads maybe. The budget is modest. Would the '87 block be roller ready?

Rene
 
The ECM from the 87 will be the same type but probably a differant chip.

Vortec heads would be an upgrade with roller cam of course but I've never done it so not sure of the fit to a TBI engine.

Cams are all noted wheather they are computer freindly.

Good stuff for TBI performance upgrades here: http://www.cfm-tech.com/

If you get into spending to much money, going to TPI or MPFI is better.

Once it's all said and done dialing in a chip is key. If you or anyone has a performance .bin file for the cam engine specs you end up with I can burn a chip for you. Or we can go the old route and record data and burn chip several times. In the end a wide band O2 sensor is the ticket for all the HP you can get out of the EFI engine. First time I did a dyno run on an engine I thought was tuned perfect I added 30 HP. Then went wide band O2 sensor and gained another 35HP...

If your close to Coeur d'Alene Idaho stop by and we can use my emulater to tune while driving around! :D
 
Some pretty country there...

I'm a ways away from doing any of this...I'm officially starting the resreach part though. I'm not a big fan of using used parts, especially cams and stuff.

I'm looking at maybe some World SR torquer heads, and a new roller cam within the TBI capable parameters. Don't want to get too carried away on the cam anyways as it just robs low end grunt and replaces it with top end power which makes the power less useful for me. Decent full length headers, probably a 454 TBI unit and upgraded pump running 18 psi or so to the injectors. Undecided on the intake route...the adaptor on a 4 barrel intake looks less than ideal.

Also waffling on the tranny choice a bit. I have the NV4500, but lets be honest a 700R-4 would get the power down a lot easier.

Oh well, lots to read, lots to learn yet. Keep the ideas and tips and links coming!

Rene
 
eagle mark said:
In the end a wide band O2 sensor is the ticket for all the HP you can get out of the EFI engine. First time I did a dyno run on an engine I thought was tuned perfect I added 30 HP. Then went wide band O2 sensor and gained another 35HP...
Click to expand...

Whats a wide band o2 from? or is that a aftermarket part?
 
Here's a good thread for TBI buildups : http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/tbi/391406-budget-tbi-buildup.html

You'll need a chip if you go very far (heads, cam) get it from CPE in Littleton, Co. :
David C. Johnson
Engineering Program Manager

[FONT=&quot]C[/FONT][FONT=&quot]ommand[/FONT][FONT=&quot]P[/FONT][FONT=&quot]erformance[/FONT][FONT=&quot]E[/FONT][FONT=&quot]ngineering[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Inc[/FONT][FONT=&quot].[/FONT]
Littleton, Colorado, USA
[email protected]
http://www.CommandPerformanceEngineering.com
http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Command.Performance.Engineering.Inc..303-794-6701

[FONT=&quot] Don't order a chip from North Carolina, unless you live there and can take it to him?
[/FONT]
 
Lots of options to improve TBI performance. The short answer to better performance is let the engine breathe. With my 1993 K1500 5.7 that's what I did, let the engine breathe better. I upgraded to a TPI roller camshaft, 1.6 roller tip rocker arms, modified factory TBI intake, 454 throttle body, with 65 lb Police car injectors, short headers flowing into a 3" single exhaust. I programmed my own chip. I use DataMaster, which has a Dynamometer.

dave w

Dynamometer.jpg
 
I'll slowly be collecting various parts. Just recieved a 454 throttle body. Probably go aftermarket roller cam and roller rockers with better heads, good headers etc. When I have it all and am ready I will probably bug you through PM's :D

For now it runs good stock, and I have many other things to dink around with.

Rene
 
Yeah it arrived...but it's still sitting at the post office. :crazy:

Got pretty busy this weekend and haven't gotten around to actually getting into my hands.

Thanks again!

Rene
 
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