tbi motor questions

[85burbanator]

the truck i just bought is and 87 and i just happen to have another motor out of an 87. both are tbi. im thinking of building the spare motor for more power and then putting it in the new truck. the new truck will be used to tow my wheeler (88 chevy short bed). here is what i plan on and then ill ask my question. the motor is already .030 over.

edelbrock:
intake manifold
cam
possibly heads
possibly the mpfi kit that uses the stock tbi less injectors

headers of some sort, prolly thorleys since ive had them on a previous vehicle and liked them. single exit 3 inch exhaust

also thinking of some stuff from cfm tech and maybe a few other performance peices as well. i dont have a laptop or good computer so i cant tune the motor to how i want without taking it in to a shop. what else can i do to give me alittle more power. not looking to build a dragster, just looking to up the power alittle to help with towing but i dont what to throw the ecm out of whack.

does this sound like a good start? the motor in the truck is kind of tired and needs minor work. i dont want to go to over board and i dont want to spend a whole lot (i know heads and mpfi are pricy). what else can or should i do with this motor to make it reliable and have decent power?

 

[dyeager535]

There are tons of TBI posts out there for this very same topic.

To paraphrase what just about every one of them is going to say, changing any hard parts is BEST complemented by tuning the PROM. Typically you can one-up the factory doing just that alone.

ANY changes you do to the engine swing it away from the factory calibration and can/will cause undesirable side effects. Change the heads, timing and fuel requirements change. Same with cam, intake, headers, you name it.

 

[Thunder]

With what you are doing(heads, Cam, Intake,) you will definatly need a new chip. If you go with the edelbrock MPFI a chip is included with the kit.
If you want to build a good running TBI engine. Call CFM-tech or other chip burner of your choice and see what Performance mods work best with their chips. I know CFM-Tech has a chip that will make a 350 HO work with a TBI. You could build similar to 350 HO and use their chip.
Dont just throw a bunch of mismatched parts together and expect it to work. Get the parts and a chip that are designed to work together. You will get the most bang for your buck that way with less headaches.
If you want to keep the stock chip
You can get the stock chip to support around 280 HP. An adjustable Fuel pressure regulator, Intake, Headers, mild computer frendly cam, and some TBI performance stuff from CFM-Tech

 

[85burbanator]

i know edelbrock makes a kit (cam, intake, heads) that are matched. ill give cfm tech a call and see what they have to offer in ways of chips.

 

[beastofablaze]

100 bucks a laptop on ebay. With those parts and a bigger tbi you will be able to get 375-400 hp(tweak fuel pressure and tune it) out of it. But it you go that route you mide as well get the mpfi. Like said before if you want results you'll need a chip.

But it can be done without computer mods if you use a computer cam... just don't expect anything over 300 hp.

 

[85burbanator]

i think im going to save for the mpfi system. anybody ever use it?

 

[85burbanator]

i think ive decided to go with a 383 stroker for the tow rig to give enough power. here are a few kits ive picked out and since im not familiar with alot of manufactures in this field i would like some input as to what kit(s) would suit my needs.

from summit:
#ESP-B13004L030
#ESP-B13051L030
#

from jegs: http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10002&storeId=10001&categoryId=19411&parentCategoryId=10759&langId=-1

#356-B13004L
#356-B13005L+040
#356-B13004E
#356-B13005E

those are a few that i was just looking at. i plan on upgrading the cylinder heads and fuel system along with a new chip set up for my application. any body here run a 383 tbi motor? any helpfull info is appreciated. i also email strokermotors.com to see if there kits could be used with tbi systems.