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To inject or not to inject? - ditching EFI...carb CFM?

AJs72K5

AJs72K5

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A little history... My plans have always been to put EFI on the big block in my 1st gen. I've got a full Edelbrock ProFlo set up...their 1st generation EFI. I had planned on upgrading to the ProFlo II, but after chatting with my local FI specialists and dyno guys, they highly recommended Accel Thruster for the engine mgmt. The required sensors, computer, etc., would set me back about $3K in parts alone. I figure I'm close to $4.5K in parts, etc, to get an EFI setup running and back on the road.

With all that in mind, I'm seriously considering unloading the ProFlo and going carbed. It'll get me on the road much sooner and with a lot less $$$. EFI can come later. It sounds very much like taking steps backwards but there is very little mechanical that needs to be done on the truck to get it on the road outside of the fuel delivery. <shrugs>

What say the brotherhood?
 
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A running truck > non-running truck with big plans.


Run the carb and get out there! EFI can be added when the budget allows....lots of guys do it that way.


-G
 
Greg72 said:
A running truck > non-running truck with big plans.


Run the carb and get out there! EFI can be added when the budget allows....lots of guys do it that way.


-G
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This.

$5000 for fuel injection is beyond stupid expensive now a days. It can be done way cheaper. Especially if you've got some talent towards taking some stock pieces and making them work together.
 
I say inject but if you read my thread from yesterday you will know why.
My truck will be getting tbi in the very near future. Just picked up a wrecked 91 3/4 ton as a donor for many things.
 
I have a thread on a build I put the efi on and a few seasons later I want it gone. I have had several shops tune and even on a Dyno with no success. Runs great down in the valley but when elevation changes it all goes to hell. I built this to wheel hard and its all up high so it is coming off.
Sell it!! go carb and tbi when funds available
 
If you just want injection put a TBI setup on it for about $1k and be done. I did on my old tired small block and it's flat out incredible compared to messing with the carbs. Fires up great, runs all day long and doesn't miss a beat no matter the elevation.

If you have/want to spend the $4-5k drop in a built 6.0 LS and run circles around everyone.
 
38377k5 said:
So, for $4-5K, what would the fuel injection really get you?
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That's the exact question I'm asking myself right now. I need about $3K to get the EFI up and running if I go with the Accel retrofit to my existing ProFlo. The remaining $$ was for stuff like new exhaust (which I'll need either way), dyno tune(s), and some other misc parts not directly related to EFI.
 
Guess it depends on what you want. Is this a driver, or off road play toy, or both.

I ask because one of the reasons I love my 6.2 is because it's injected, the main reason is because I crawl and never have to worry about the engine cutting off because of steep angles. Wouldn't trade it for the world.

Like others have mentioned, bunch of different ways of going about this. Lots of threads of guys slowly collecting parts doing this for around a grand. Nearly $5k just to retrofit a fuel system is crazy in my eyes. You're not going to get any more enjoyment out of a big fancy expensive aftermarket EFI system. Yank a big block out of a 90s suburban that has a bad trans or destroyed body or something. Spend a grand on it, do the swap, part out or scrap the 'burb, sell your engine, make some of your money back for those little odds and ends that add up because those little things do nickle and dime you.

And bam, done for around a grand :) minimal down time. Easiest thing is to have a whole parts truck... granted you're at a place where you can store one :waytogo:


And I can't agree with this more. :bow:

Greg72 said:
A running truck > non-running truck with big plans.
-G
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Main thing, don't touch your truck until you have all the parts for the swap. Keep driving and enjoying it until you're reading to knock it out all at once. It sucks having a yard ornament. My first three K5s were constant projects, never had fun with them, my current Blazer all I do is maintenance/keep it running, and I run the snot out of it and have had more fun with it the 2-3 months I've had it than the whole time I've had my other K5s.
 
mrschaeferpants said:
Main thing, don't touch your truck until you have all the parts for the swap. Keep driving and enjoying it until you're reading to knock it out all at once. It sucks having a yard ornament. My first three K5s were constant projects, never had fun with them, my current Blazer all I do is maintenance/keep it running, and I run the snot out of it and have had more fun with it the 2-3 months I've had it than the whole time I've had my other K5s.
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This right here is what's prompting a large part of this discussion. Truck has been on jack stands for the better part of 3.5 years now. Started with an engine fire and "Might as well" took over from there. Looking to simplify things to get it back on the road. And yes, that kind of $$ on the EFI is nuts.
 
AJs72K5 said:
This right here is what's prompting a large part of this discussion. Truck has been on jack stands for the better part of 3.5 years now. Started with an engine fire and "Might as well" took over from there. Looking to simplify things to get it back on the road. And yes, that kind of $$ on the EFI is nuts.
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Ahhh, I miss that in this thread? :dunno: Might as well can be good and bad. Well if the engine's ready, toss on a carb, get it running and drive asap. Then collect EFI stuffs if you wanna do it later down the road. So then you could find a motor and parts at your leisure. Get it all 100% ready to drop in. Weekend down time when the time comes.

But ya, slap a carb on that thAng and get rollin!
 
mrschaeferpants said:
Ahhh, I miss that in this thread? :dunno: Might as well can be good and bad. Well if the engine's ready, toss on a carb, get it running and drive asap. Then collect EFI stuffs if you wanna do it later down the road. So then you could find a motor and parts at your leisure. Get it all 100% ready to drop in. Weekend down time when the time comes.

But ya, slap a carb on that thAng and get rollin!
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Yeah, I neglected to mention that. Also didn't mention that I built the motor fresh after the fire. Started with a bare block. Basics:

Block: GM 2 bolt BBC 454 .030 over Mark IV
Rotating assembly: GM cast crank, Speedpro flat top pistons (3cc eyebrows)
Cam: Comp Hydraulic Roller (CL11-412-8.... advertised duration 266 In/276 Ex, lift 485 In/485 Ex, lobe sep 112*), Comp roller lifters
Heads: Edelbrock Performer High Compression aluminum cylinder heads...100cc semi-open combustion chamber
Exhaust: Long tube headers with 2" primaries and 3.5" collectors (have these). Will run into dual 3" exhaust (need this)

Camquest says: 515HP, 580TQ.

For those that haven't seen it:
IMG_4000.sized.jpg


How it sits today, including the block of wood:
IMG_0744.sized.jpg


Haven't even turned this thing over yet. Hence the desire to get it running. I'm thinking an Edelbrock RPM dual plane manifold. But need to figure out how much carb? Can't decide if 800CFM is too much for the heads, cam, and exhaust.
 
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That thing sure is purdy. I'ma push quadrajet, my favorite carb. Vacuum secondaries man, there is no such thing as too big, it'll only take what it needs. Just get the proper needles, jets, metering rods...etc. Your normal Qjet is 750. And rare 800s for motorhomes and those big arse caddy engines. But a 750 with proper parts will supply you just fine.

And you'll already have something as close to FI, without being FI.

Send an email to Cliff @ http://cliffshighperformance.com/ give him your specs. And I wish I still had the number to the guy who rebuilt mine for Nom Nom. Cliff might be on backorder, he usually is. This other guy is just an old fart who does it for the love of Qjets, and his prices are outstanding.
 
Couldn't you just sell your current parts and get enough to almost cover a fast ez efi or something similar, don't really see a need to be able to tune it that much at only around 500 hp
 
AJs72K5 said:
Yeah, I neglected to mention that. Also didn't mention that I built the motor fresh after the fire. Started with a bare block. Basics:

Block: GM 2 bolt BBC 454 .030 over Mark IV
Rotating assembly: GM cast crank, Speedpro flat top pistons (3cc eyebrows)
Cam: Comp Hydraulic Roller (CL11-412-8.... advertised duration 266 In/276 Ex, lift 485 In/485 Ex, lobe sep 112*), Comp roller lifters
Heads: Edelbrock Performer High Compression aluminum cylinder heads...100cc semi-open combustion chamber
Exhaust: Long tube headers with 2" primaries and 3.5" collectors (have these). Will run into dual 3" exhaust (need this)

Camquest says: 515HP, 580TQ.

For those that haven't seen it:
IMG_4000.sized.jpg


How it sits today, including the block of wood:
IMG_0744.sized.jpg


Haven't even turned this thing over yet. Hence the desire to get it running. I'm thinking an Edelbrock RPM dual plane manifold. But need to figure out how much carb? Can't decide if 800CFM is too much for the heads, cam, and exhaust.
Click to expand...
So let me get this straight. The truck is ready, it has EFI and because someone recommended another more expensive system? Your going to put a carb on? :doah:

I have an idea? Run what you have? :dunno:
 
eagle mark said:
So let me get this straight. The truck is ready, it has EFI and because someone recommended another more expensive system? Your going to put a carb on? :doah:

I have an idea? Run what you have? :dunno:
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Yeah I'm not sure about that either, I see the tbi thing and the fuel rails. Maybe he doesn't have the rest of it?
 
I would just get a 750, I don't think that engine is going to make 500hp with a cam that small

I had an 850 on my truck and liked it but I turn 6000rpm on a regular basis
 
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