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jekquistk5

jekquistk5

Weld nekid
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I was on another forum and seems the trend over there is to do an LS swap, but get rid of the fuel injection for a carb!

I can not for the life of me think of why someone would do such a thing. So I'll ask you guys. Why?
 
Excessive inbreeding ??? :haha: :haha:

I'm with you, as someone who recently did an EFI conversion, I can honestly say I will never own a carb'd rig again, let alone purposely swapping TO a carb :doah:
 
I was thinking cost. But then I thought about it. Probably 300 for intake, 500 or so for a carb, and a decent ignition to control each coil pack another 300. Just doesn't make any sense.
 
There is a "grass is always greener" mentality sometimes. People have some kind of problem with EFI and they don't bother to learn about it or troubleshoot it logically. So they imagine dumping the whole setup will eliminate all their problems. Of course the carb will come with a different set of problems that they just don't see until it's on there.

Some see EFI as limiting to engine mods, but the truth is either carb or injection has to be tuned when you change the setup. The tuning software and tools can be several hundred dollars, but like you said a new intake, carb, etc. will also cost that much. And in the real world a carb is harder to tune - much harder if you care about both performance and MPG. People say they "tune" it by changing weights in the dizzy and moving a jet size or two, but that's so coarse and general that you can't really compare it with what you can do with O2 feedback, knock sensors and detailed spark & fuel tables.
 
It really grinds my gears because it's already hard enough finding a complete running 5.3 with harness and these tards are cutting them up !
 
with todays info on internet and how easy it is to get codes and good info from obd2 systems I just don't get it .

powerblock tv just showed a 4.8 build with 2 carbs and a holley aftermarket 4 barrel injection system . dyno showed efi system got over 20 more hp over carbs and also better fuel mileage in the end over carb .

now some have gone to carb intake modified to take stock or aftermarket injectors and then run stock tb unit on adaptor to 4 barrel intake for the carb look with filter clamped to it .
 
The only things that come to mind are keeping under the hood looking more "period" correct or to simplify wiring?

Is this a trick question?
 
Carcinogen said:
The only things that come to mind are keeping under the hood looking more "period" correct or to simplify wiring?

Is this a trick question?
Click to expand...

No not a trick. I am just trying to understand it. Most of the engines I have seen have serpentine belts so it can't be period specific
 
From a technical standpoint, doing a high pressure fuel system and the wiring properly, adds a significant amount of time and expense, especially if you can use/re-use the stuff you already have...fuel pump, tank, fuel lines, fuse block, etc.

Anyone even considering a carbed LS-swap probably has carbs laying around or available that wouldn't be additional cost. Having looked at some of the higher-end carbs, I was very surprised at how expensive they are.

I too wouldn't carb an LS-motor, as far as I'm concerned its a waste of time, but to each their own. The way things are going, eventually a carbed retrofit is going to be unique compared to an injected setup lol.
 
Carcinogen said:
Sorry, the last part was a joke. I don't get it either. Good point on the belts though
Click to expand...


No biggie. To me it would be easier to plump the high pressure fuel system with return and program the ECM than to remove all the wiring and wire it up from scratch.
 
I'm not on the Ls bandwagon (at least not yet), but I've got a few ideas.

Moving to the Ls platform, no matter what size, gets you into a more modern design. Namely a better set of heads. Which...IMO is where the power is at. They also have strong bottom ends. And according to some (especially if you are member on YellowBullet) they can be had for nothing and make 2000hp with a cheap eBay turbo. Now in reality...that doesn't happen. Around here if you can find a running 5.3 with all the parts that doesn't have 200,000 miles and cost $1200 you're doing good.

I think the cheapest way to get an Ls running on carb is and intake and an HEI (I think DUI makes has a SBF one that drops in). You don't need COP to run an Ls motor. Quick google search brought up a Chevy High Performance article, http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/0508ch_chevrolet_ls1_carburetor_power_increase/
 
toomany said:
I'm not on the Ls bandwagon (at least not yet), but I've got a few ideas.

Moving to the Ls platform, no matter what size, gets you into a more modern design. Namely a better set of heads. Which...IMO is where the power is at. They also have strong bottom ends. And according to some (especially if you are member on YellowBullet) they can be had for nothing and make 2000hp with a cheap eBay turbo. Now in reality...that doesn't happen. Around here if you can find a running 5.3 with all the parts that doesn't have 200,000 miles and cost $1200 you're doing good.

I think the cheapest way to get an Ls running on carb is and intake and an HEI (I think DUI makes has a SBF one that drops in). You don't need COP to run an Ls motor. Quick google search brought up a Chevy High Performance article, http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/0508ch_chevrolet_ls1_carburetor_power_increase/
Click to expand...

That is impressive but they did CNC port the heads. Do that to the fuel injection motor and id bet you have the better results. The difference is 492 for fuel injected vs 510 for carb. I'll take the 492 for the drivability, easy starting and reliability.
 
and whats the price for the dist kit AND labor time to install it ?

I bet its cheeper to just use the msd box with the intake and plug/play if going carb .

to each his own I say . :popcorn:
 
My 1980 K5 Blazer started out with a tired 350 with a quadrajet carb. The carb worked alright after I added an in line fuel pump but it still hated altitude and stalled at the most inopportune times.

I swapped everything out with a bored and stroked 383 and converted it to a stock TBI. I found a stock 90's gas tank out of the junk yard with the fuel lines and the fuel pump (inside the stock gas tank) for $100. I found a 90's TBI, ECM, air intake and wiring harness from another junk yard for $150. The TBI intake requires the newer style heads but I used a trick where you oval out the intake mounting bolt holes with a drill bit, thoroughly clean the intake and you can bolt it to the old heads. I kept everything stock parts for the simplicity of being able to buy replacement parts in every auto parts store across the states. The wiring harness was the most complicated part of the conversion. After the conversion was up and running I decided to purchase the painless wiring harness made for the conversion just to eliminate the possibility of any future electrical issues that could leave me stranded. It was $230.

After the motor swap from 190HP-350 to 400HP-383 and the fuel injection conversion my MPG went from 5 MPG (carb) to 11 MPG (fuel injection) even with 38.5 boggers and one ton axles. Besides the obvious horsepower gain the performance on the off camber crawling and high altitude wheeling was a significant improvement.

Fuel injection, in my opinion and experience, is far more superior than carburetors if you using your truck for anything more than driving to go camping, moderate trails and hitting mud bog pits.
 
EMP Foo! Haha just kidding yeah other then being unique I think lack of knowledge and fear are the reason why those who carb and LS engine.
 
I completely get it, its all about simplicity...My FAST system is much too confusing to me, I wish I never would have installed it and kept the quad even though it did stall at the most inopportune time...in fact I wish I would have went with a 305 instead of the 454 in the Maiden....






































I have said NEVER! It took me a long time to convince myself I could wrap my head around the electronics of fuel injection...perhaps there are some out there that haven't had the experience of FI yet?
 
Because some people arent willing to learn and adapt. I find the excuse of replumbing to be a bad one. This is hotrodding, you dont wanna go all the way then dont swap your small/big block out for an LS. You dont even have to learn to tune or get stuff tuned anymore. Holley and other companies sell aftermarket harnesses and ECUs that are self learning on the stock injection system for not much more than a stripped factory harness and reflashed ECU costs.
 
76zimmer said:
I completely get it, its all about simplicity...My FAST system is much too confusing to me, I wish I never would have installed it and kept the quad even though it did stall at the most inopportune time...in fact I wish I would have went with a 305 instead of the 454 in the Maiden....
Click to expand...

You and I could have hung out half way up the dune together burnout
 
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