TPI or CARB?
10-02-2009, 11:58 AM
#1
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TPI or CARB?
annnnd i bet this has been covered a million times, but i cant stand searching forums to find info, its nearly impossible.
350 tuneport, from what im seeing efi parts are pretty steep in price, you think i should just find a nice intake mani and carb and make life simple??
whats involved with the carbed setup, other than replacing the distributer with a manual one? does the throttle cable and trans cable still work the same??
thanks,
matt
350 tuneport, from what im seeing efi parts are pretty steep in price, you think i should just find a nice intake mani and carb and make life simple??
whats involved with the carbed setup, other than replacing the distributer with a manual one? does the throttle cable and trans cable still work the same??
thanks,
matt
10-02-2009, 05:45 PM
#2
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Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: MI
Posts: 2,342
Here's the deal... TPI is nice if you don't mess with it too much. If you start replacing intake parts, it then needs to be re-tuned. It will start adding up $$$$, you'll swear a lot, etc... Going to a carb is the cheap way to make big power along with a good cylinder head/cam/intake combo. The right way is to do a big dollar aftermarket EFI setup like Big Stuff 3, AEM, Accel XFI, etc...
What would I do with that thing? Keep the TPI as is, especially if it runs smooth and good. Do the 3 mods that I suggest EVERYONE DO.
1. Sticky rear tires. Mickey Thompson makes a Street Drag Radial tire 255/50/16. Get it.
2. 2600-2800 stall torque coverter. Tran-Go shift kit. Trans Cooler. New Filter/Fluid.
3. 100 shot of nitrous. Spend about $300 for a used Nitrous Express WET kit and buy a NEW fuel pressure safety switch, Wide open throttle switch, and bottle heater pad, in car digital bottle pressure guage, etc.. Use a 15lb bottle also to make the 100 shot last for MANY stoplight thrashings...haha
These mods will probably take the car from mid 14's to high 12's. Crazy torque down low. It will run the first 330' of the track like an 11 second car does because it will make so much torque.
Normal tuneup stuff is important. Good spark plug wires, new plugs. If you do an ignition box, get a Mallory 685. It is cheap and has tons of features.
Headers, ditch the cats, a good catback exhaust from Hooker... Will only make it faster. Nitrous appreciates a good EXIT strategy from the engine. On the intake side, just use a good K&N filter. DO NOT oil it. The oil can conaminate/coat the Mass Airflow Sensor wire and make the car run bad.
Don't be scared of good clean used parts. My torque converter and nitrous kit were used and have been flawless. Saved $500 on the nitrous kit and probably $700 on the converter.
Goodluck!
What would I do with that thing? Keep the TPI as is, especially if it runs smooth and good. Do the 3 mods that I suggest EVERYONE DO.
1. Sticky rear tires. Mickey Thompson makes a Street Drag Radial tire 255/50/16. Get it.
2. 2600-2800 stall torque coverter. Tran-Go shift kit. Trans Cooler. New Filter/Fluid.
3. 100 shot of nitrous. Spend about $300 for a used Nitrous Express WET kit and buy a NEW fuel pressure safety switch, Wide open throttle switch, and bottle heater pad, in car digital bottle pressure guage, etc.. Use a 15lb bottle also to make the 100 shot last for MANY stoplight thrashings...haha
These mods will probably take the car from mid 14's to high 12's. Crazy torque down low. It will run the first 330' of the track like an 11 second car does because it will make so much torque.
Normal tuneup stuff is important. Good spark plug wires, new plugs. If you do an ignition box, get a Mallory 685. It is cheap and has tons of features.
Headers, ditch the cats, a good catback exhaust from Hooker... Will only make it faster. Nitrous appreciates a good EXIT strategy from the engine. On the intake side, just use a good K&N filter. DO NOT oil it. The oil can conaminate/coat the Mass Airflow Sensor wire and make the car run bad.
Don't be scared of good clean used parts. My torque converter and nitrous kit were used and have been flawless. Saved $500 on the nitrous kit and probably $700 on the converter.
Goodluck!
10-02-2009, 09:59 PM
#4
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hah well, heres what i have planned, first off.
exhaust. it sucks, its all mickey moused together. my buddy has 2 hi flow cats off his mustang. some shorty headers, down to 2 exhaust cutouts, possibly an x pipe and then sidepipes, ill find a spot for the cats and mufflers.
the cars not running great, bad exhaust leaks and it only runs right, or well, good, when theres a bottle of injector cleaner in there...
eventually ill build up a motor, or that motor.. either way, i dont really want to mess with the EFI. im thinking a carbed setup with an alchol kit and some nitrous, mabye even a procharger if i can get ahold of one cheap.
exhaust. it sucks, its all mickey moused together. my buddy has 2 hi flow cats off his mustang. some shorty headers, down to 2 exhaust cutouts, possibly an x pipe and then sidepipes, ill find a spot for the cats and mufflers.
the cars not running great, bad exhaust leaks and it only runs right, or well, good, when theres a bottle of injector cleaner in there...
eventually ill build up a motor, or that motor.. either way, i dont really want to mess with the EFI. im thinking a carbed setup with an alchol kit and some nitrous, mabye even a procharger if i can get ahold of one cheap.
10-04-2009, 07:29 PM
#5
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Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: MI
Posts: 2,342
I'm done listening..hahaha cats, cutouts, x pipe, and sidepipes? ?? What the hell? These cars have LITTLE ground clearance. You are making things hard for yourself. You don't just FIND a spot for cats and mufflers. You can make room by cutting the floor or raising the car off the ground another 4"... 
Both are not great options. It was designed to run a single 3-4" pipe along the driveshaft and over the axle. 4" over the axle gets snug but it can be done.
Shortys/y-pipe, no cats, Hooker 3" cat back over the axle. If you dislike the muffler, you can change it.
Goodluck!
Both are not great options. It was designed to run a single 3-4" pipe along the driveshaft and over the axle. 4" over the axle gets snug but it can be done.Shortys/y-pipe, no cats, Hooker 3" cat back over the axle. If you dislike the muffler, you can change it.
Goodluck!
10-04-2009, 10:53 PM
#6
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hah okay yea i didnt know how much room i was really going to be looking at, but hell that sounds like a good idea! i really just hate the idea of a non true dual exhaust, but if thats what needs done, than so be it! ha cool cool ill look into the catback and shortys here soon
10-07-2009, 02:22 AM
#7
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Location: Seattle
Posts: 839
TPi is troublesome, but when it's running, nothing beats them across an intersection. Like Autoroc said, exhaust, stall, and sticky tires. I'm not a fan of nitrous, but it is the best bang for the buck.
A guy on TGO named GTA MATT, took his 1988 GTA 350 to 12.2@108 with a CC305 cam, stock AFR195 heads, STOCK UNTOUCHED TPI and factory TUNE. Obviously he had full exhaust, stall and gears, but you will need that for whatever motor you mod anyway.
He swapped to a Miniram intake, got a tune, and then dropped a couple tenths and gained over 7mph.
TPI with the right mods, can move and retain good street manners, and don't forget the torque.
A guy on TGO named GTA MATT, took his 1988 GTA 350 to 12.2@108 with a CC305 cam, stock AFR195 heads, STOCK UNTOUCHED TPI and factory TUNE. Obviously he had full exhaust, stall and gears, but you will need that for whatever motor you mod anyway.
He swapped to a Miniram intake, got a tune, and then dropped a couple tenths and gained over 7mph.
TPI with the right mods, can move and retain good street manners, and don't forget the torque.
10-11-2009, 10:49 PM
#8
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okay, well ive decided to go with the carbed setup... now i just need a little help. i want an intake manifold thats going to flow more than i need, just for future needs. edelbrock RPM?? not really sure of many good names and what to buy for a completely stock motor.... im looking into a 750 carb, with some type of aftermarket intake mani, and then ill also pick up a mechanical distributer. lemme know whats going to mate up well with my setup, and how it can be done! thanks,
matt
matt
10-13-2009, 08:33 PM
#9
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You will be happier with a 650 on a dual plane intake
Use any GM HEI dist with vac advance
10-13-2009, 09:13 PM
#10
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Location: culleoka, tn. 38451
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edelbrock performer is a dual plane intake. it an air gap nowadays. it will work the best with a cam and exhaust. short of the optimum setup just a performer should work great. if you already are set up with a carbureted throttle cable-it will work fine. a tbi cable will work ok too. get a hei with adjustable vacuum advance and work with your initial timing and weights and springs till you see what works with your trans, rear gears. you will need a kit to adapt to your existing tranny t.v. cable.
Last edited by grumpygreaseape; 10-13-2009 at 09:15 PM.
10-13-2009, 09:14 PM
#11
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ah okay, yea i dont know what im really looking for yet... but i have a good hookup with parts, ill probably have to take what i can get.
im on a race team, dirt circle track stuff, ill probably end up using the intake mani and carb off our late model, that and the distributer. i have an msd box which im assuming is going to do absolutly nothing with my setup, but itll go on there with an msd coil and then mabye ill switch up the gears to something a bit steeper.
now i know if i say threw in a set of 4:10's in there with the auto it will mess with the computer, what if i end up going carbed and then do some 4:10's????? got me way lost on what that trans is going to think.
thanks,
matt
im on a race team, dirt circle track stuff, ill probably end up using the intake mani and carb off our late model, that and the distributer. i have an msd box which im assuming is going to do absolutly nothing with my setup, but itll go on there with an msd coil and then mabye ill switch up the gears to something a bit steeper.
now i know if i say threw in a set of 4:10's in there with the auto it will mess with the computer, what if i end up going carbed and then do some 4:10's????? got me way lost on what that trans is going to think.
thanks,
matt
10-14-2009, 06:12 PM
#12
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Location: MI
Posts: 2,342
Yours computer does not care what gears you have. 4.10's is a lot for an auto car with 26" tires however...
Your late model 700hp+ intake will run like dog poo on a stock head/cam car...Spark is spark... msd will work fine and the distributor is probably locked at full timing(ie: no timing curve)... race cars don't need a curve. Again...probably not what you need... Don't try running race fuel either..again.. completely useless..
Unless you get a sweet deal on a complete engine, don't swap parts onto your stock camaro.
If you use a race carb...it will run like poooooop.
TPI...Tires...converter...spray...exhaust...enjoy. .
Your late model 700hp+ intake will run like dog poo on a stock head/cam car...Spark is spark... msd will work fine and the distributor is probably locked at full timing(ie: no timing curve)... race cars don't need a curve. Again...probably not what you need... Don't try running race fuel either..again.. completely useless..
Unless you get a sweet deal on a complete engine, don't swap parts onto your stock camaro.
If you use a race carb...it will run like poooooop.
TPI...Tires...converter...spray...exhaust...enjoy. .
10-15-2009, 01:04 AM
#13
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Posts: 14
naw its a crate late, running stock ported heads, aluminum rockers and 13:1 compression... theyre probably making around 400hp, not really sure...
what i want to do is model my motor exactly like the race motors, with less compression. im going to find a stock set of heads, port them with the nice rockers and dual springs, retainers whatnot and rev it to 7500 like we do at the track lol, not really i know these motors only make their power down low.
-matt
what i want to do is model my motor exactly like the race motors, with less compression. im going to find a stock set of heads, port them with the nice rockers and dual springs, retainers whatnot and rev it to 7500 like we do at the track lol, not really i know these motors only make their power down low.
-matt
10-20-2009, 09:40 PM
#14
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 9
I think you should check out thirdgen.org
A couple of guys might be willing to help you out with tuning your computer and who knows you might be able to find someone near your area who can help tune your TPI.
If you know where your looking you can find a program that someone else has tuned and you can get away with using that program.
I got all of my programming tools for under $50 on ebay. Tuning the computer is addictive if you can get into it.
I'd invest in getting it tuned if its going to see the street. If not just throw on a hei and a carb.
If I remember correctly its illegal to run a carb on a car that came with fuel injection. but this is no a problem for a car that will never see the street.
Or look for a lt1 intake manifold instead of the TPI. It flows more air and will make power all across the board instead of cutting out above 4500 rpm like the TPI.
A couple of guys might be willing to help you out with tuning your computer and who knows you might be able to find someone near your area who can help tune your TPI.
If you know where your looking you can find a program that someone else has tuned and you can get away with using that program.
I got all of my programming tools for under $50 on ebay. Tuning the computer is addictive if you can get into it.
I'd invest in getting it tuned if its going to see the street. If not just throw on a hei and a carb.
If I remember correctly its illegal to run a carb on a car that came with fuel injection. but this is no a problem for a car that will never see the street.
Or look for a lt1 intake manifold instead of the TPI. It flows more air and will make power all across the board instead of cutting out above 4500 rpm like the TPI.
Last edited by motohead; 10-20-2009 at 09:45 PM.
