Question for Chevy gurus - swapping a GM TBI setup on my 80 tbird December 24, 2013, 10:55:41 AM Call me biased, but I just have no luck with carb setups. They never run right for me.I am getting sick of the terrible cold-weather performance of my '80 tbird. I was thinking of going fuel-injected. I want to do it as cheap and easy as possible, so I have been considering doing the chevy TBI swap. I have read many success stories, and it seems easy enough. This is not for the purpose of going fast; this is my daily driver, and I just want good economy and driveability.My question is this- I have the 4.2L 255 v8. The smallest TBI V8 setup is from a 305, I believe. But they did make the TBI setup for the 4.3 v6 Astro vans. I wonder, could I get the small-injector Astro setup, and use the 305 ECM? I know the 255 is very flow-restricted, so I think even a base 305 TBI setup would drown it. I just wonder would a V8 ECM fire the smaller Astro V6 injectors? Or should I get the 305 setup and trust that the 02 sensor could trim the mixture?I know this is probably a chevy forum question, but I know a lot of you guys know chevy too. I wouldn't normally consider a chevy setup, but the 255 has no other intakes available than the 2bbl. The motor is in great shape with only 75k miles, so I don't want to swap another motor in either. Plus I just had the rear main seal replaced, along with a preventative replacement of the oil pump, rod and main bearings. So I am keeping the 255, heh. Quote Selected
Question for Chevy gurus - swapping a GM TBI setup on my 80 tbird Reply #1 – December 24, 2013, 12:00:27 PM you need,,,5.0 cfi 85 and down3.8L CFI 87 and down~~swap in your 5.0 injectors over to the 3.8L CFI~~swap in the lower half of the 5.0 CFI onto the 3.8L CFI~~keep the Idle control motor setup on your final results.~~~~basically you want a **1987 looking CFI with blue top injectors~~~!!! you do not **repeat** do not want to build a 5.0 looking CFI setup,, they are poluted with over complicated vacuum pieces parts that are a pain in the butt to deal with.just hacksaw off the thingy on the 5.0cfi base pass side that looks like an automatic choke pull off, remove the thingy on the driver side lower half of the CFI that looks like a vac operated idle speed controller.again,, you want a 3.8L cfi looking setup with the larger 5.0 butterflies and blue top injectors (54Lb),, dont use the green 34lb v6 ones on your V8.5.0 eec from 85 and down~~~study the eec pin outs comparing the 3.8L cfi to the 5.0L cfi,, they both should be nearly if not identical********ford trucks run the same eec wiring scheme where they fire 4 injectors off pin 58 and the other 4 off pin 59.. essentially being the same as the all the V6 systems from 88 and down.you will end up with a tps and an *oem adjustable* fuel pres reg on your newly built CFIyou will need the fuel lines from the CFI on back to the tank for your newly built CFIYou will need a fuel pump, cut off switch, chassis wiring all the way back to the trunk for the associated relayyou will need an ACT and ECT sensor hole drilled in your intake if you dont have them alreadyyou will need a 5.0L dizzy from any of the cfi or sefi models as i suspect they all will work fine.you will need a 5.0L map sensorim pretty sure i coverd a large part of what you need,,, essentially it would be a good idea to have a doner car in a JY to carry over the major parts from. Quote Selected
Question for Chevy gurus - swapping a GM TBI setup on my 80 tbird Reply #2 – December 24, 2013, 12:07:35 PM where the heck did tom Renzo go?thought he'd be all over this ...........??? Quote Selected
Question for Chevy gurus - swapping a GM TBI setup on my 80 tbird Reply #3 – December 24, 2013, 01:31:44 PM Quote from: jcassity;426174where the heck did tom Renzo go?thought he'd be all over this ...........???:shakehead Quote Selected
Question for Chevy gurus - swapping a GM TBI setup on my 80 tbird Reply #4 – December 24, 2013, 07:08:40 PM Thanks jcassity for taking the time to type all of that. I had thought about a ford setup, but there are just about no ford fuel injection parts in my local yards. I can find truck EFI setups, but that won't help. I can find GM TBI parts out the ying-yang.I honestly haven't decided what to do. I just got a new job, and it's on a busy highway, and I have to wait forever before the ol' bird is warmed up enough to not stall when I have to punch it out into traffic, heh. It's getting old. At the end of the day, I wanna go home, lol. Quote Selected
Question for Chevy gurus - swapping a GM TBI setup on my 80 tbird Reply #5 – December 24, 2013, 07:56:08 PM In my experience with gm tbi, my dd is a 89 k1500 with a tbi350. I had a 83 cougar with efi, they both truly suck. But the hook ups should be about the same. In theory they could coincide. I have issues with mine on coldstart, it runs pig rich also after it wars up a bit it evens out. Its a catch 22 Quote Selected
Question for Chevy gurus - swapping a GM TBI setup on my 80 tbird Reply #6 – December 24, 2013, 10:27:44 PM I just got a lead on a really cheap ford setup from an 85 5.0. EEC, TBI and harness. If I can get it, maybe I will do the ford deal. We'll see... Quote Selected
Question for Chevy gurus - swapping a GM TBI setup on my 80 tbird Reply #7 – December 25, 2013, 01:23:10 AM Wow i do not want to spoil my immage with you 302. Short base GTO they have no cold idle issues. Quote Selected
Question for Chevy gurus - swapping a GM TBI setup on my 80 tbird Reply #8 – December 25, 2013, 03:27:41 AM Quote from: TOM Renzo;426200Wow i do not want to spoil my immage with you 302. Short base GTO they have no cold idle issues.Not to worry, you never will spoil my image of anything.Posting a pic of a $50,000.00 (at least that, I'm sure, but I wouldn't know, and honestly, don't give a fat rat's ass) car in this thread has about as much to with OP's question as a picture of a round rock does at a space vehicle's architect table...You have great advice, but a very forceful opinion. You post pics of fancy cars like a proud, money-spending buffoon. When confronted on your arrogant attitude, you delete your posts like a petulant spoiled child. Why? It's not that I'm against learning from the "old skool"...hell, if it wasn't for you old farts, us younger folks wouldn't know shiznit from fudge on a friday night.Yeah, I baited the post a teeny bit, and I'll apologize. But...for the matter at hand, trading the Ford design for a GM design of the same exact nature is simply no better than g on an electric fence than sticking a wet finger in a light socket.I understand the OP has a low mile block...is it worth the money/time to put on parts that may/may not be as good, not knowing how well (if at all) they'll work, while having only a little chance of tuning it to work properly after the fact, or simply upgrading the whole engine and wiring to at least that of '88 Thunderbird SO layout, gaining mileage, power, and easy peasy startup behavior (that you know WILL work with all factory, and/or parts store sensors), in exchange for a decent weekend's worth of work?My vote is to go the route of at least an SO swap. Pull a 5.0 from a truck, and you'll already have the better E7 heads. Oil pan, pick-up and sump, an HO intake, plus either 19# pound injectors, an HO cam, and some Mustang stock headers (will require the use of a Mustang H pipe though)Or else keep the HO intake, but grab 14# pound injectors and use the cam from a Tbird 5.0 SO engine. You WILL need an '87-8 5.0 Thunderbird harness and the proper EEC to run the engine, however. The CFI system is the biggest bottleneck....I hate carbs, but I'd rather have a carb I have to tune once a week than a ed CFI system.Sorry if I pissed folks off, but then again I wasn't the one posting a pic of a pepperoni car with an obscure comparison. Merry Christmas. :) Quote Selected
Question for Chevy gurus - swapping a GM TBI setup on my 80 tbird Reply #9 – December 25, 2013, 04:14:37 AM Why not try a hand choke on it. It's cheap to try, and may make it cold start friendly? You will be able to control the amount of air it gets till it's warm. Quote Selected
Question for Chevy gurus - swapping a GM TBI setup on my 80 tbird Reply #10 – December 25, 2013, 05:58:44 AM Posting a pic of a $50,000.00 NOPE 1.1 MILLION but who cares!!! And i only posted it because you busted my butt. You were the one posting that i was a RICH BRAT and once again did it. And that may be true. But all i wanted to do was help people and i think i have numerous times. So i as a person that never looks down at anyone in my life do not deserve where you are coming from. PM me and lay it on me i am a grown up and leave it off the board. My reputation as a car builder is beyond your comprehension and i know you do not give a rats ass. But i was just visiting the site and reading the posts as i enjoy it. Do i learn from it YES and i admit that. No one knows everything. I am the first to admit that. And i read your post and give you the credit of being very knowledgeable on FORDS and you are. So i went on the site and what do you know it only took you 2 weeks to bash me again and you baited me and pissed me off and i should have ignored it but it really hurts me. Not because you dont have the right but i was minding my own business. But that is life. You just could not leave it alone!!Oh yes Have a MERRY CHRISTMAS 302 and a great New Year. And also to everyone on the site. It is in fact CHRISTMAS DAY. God Bless Jay thanks for thinking about me i really appreciate that. You can actually use an S10 setup. The 1995 S10 has exactly what is needed to do the conversion. It is simple and the idle system is tried and true CHEVY STYLE. It will replace the ford system and work real good. Thank you Jay once again and Merry Christmas to ALL. TOM RENZO!! Quote Selected
Question for Chevy gurus - swapping a GM TBI setup on my 80 tbird Reply #11 – December 25, 2013, 06:06:00 AM COOGER a carb can be made to run perfectly. I do not know why you are having issues with a carb. Other than a FORD VVT But carbs have been around since day one and they work excellent. Post the issues and maybe the other posters can guide you through your issues. Heck carbs are what were the only induction systems way back and they are not complicated and tried and true. Good luck.Just curious which carb do you have on that engine?? I would like to know. And maybe someone can guide you through your issues. I just threw out all my carbs and carb parts because i do not really do them any more. If i would have known the carb you have i just might have had parts or even a replacement i would have sent you. Man i just cleaned all that out 2 weeks ago, Thank You and Happy Holidays TOM!! Quote Selected
Question for Chevy gurus - swapping a GM TBI setup on my 80 tbird Reply #12 – December 25, 2013, 10:03:06 AM You 2 guy's need to stop airing your differences out on other peoples post, It's getting old. Quote Selected
Question for Chevy gurus - swapping a GM TBI setup on my 80 tbird Reply #13 – December 25, 2013, 10:27:14 AM I'll see what happens after I do a basic tune up. I am finally off work for a few days. I plan on working on it tomorrow or friday. The carb is stock. The previous owner told me he just bought a reman carb (it looks new, has a reman tag on it). According to Advance Auto part search, it's a Motorcraft 2150. I haven't verified that yet. It's too cold, and I'm too lazy today, lol.It seems to run ok once it's warmed up. The only problem that remains once it's warmed up is a very stumbly downshift. It accelerates fine, and gets average mileage (about 18mpg). But while rolling along at average speed, when you approach a hill or any other reason to do a gentle downshift, it pauses, just about stalls, then downshifts and continues like nothing happened. It has decent power when passing somebody, high RPM driveability seems fine.Cold starting actually isn't too bad. One half-pump of the pedal first thing in the morning, hit the key and it fires right up. BUT! if you put it in gear it stalls. You have to wait several minutes before it will handle a load. I guess if I had to sum it up, it stumbles under load at low RPM at any temperature, and stalls under load at low RPM when cold. High RPM seems fine in either condition. Quote Selected
Question for Chevy gurus - swapping a GM TBI setup on my 80 tbird Reply #14 – December 25, 2013, 10:29:28 AM That is good advice KITZ so help the guy out with his carb issues. I am not to receptive on this site. Even though you do not like my posts as you so posted a while back. What was the exact words oh yes useless posts!! Quote Selected
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