3rd Gen / L98 Engine Tech 1982 - 1992 Engine Related

TPI to Carb swap, fuel pump?

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Old Dec 15, 2003 | 07:10 AM
  #1  
OrangeIROC's Avatar
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TPI to Carb swap, fuel pump?

Guyz, i have an 88 iroc and a new motor built for it, i dont wanna get into too much detail about the motor right now but basically its a , 600hp 383ci and i need to know how to get fuel to it. I was told i can use the same fuel tank and pump and to run a Mallory regulator to it, this person said he did it and it worked fine. I have purchased a Holley Blue pump already so i was wondering should i go the route this other kid did, OR buy a 82-84 gas tank (external pump) and replace the tank and use the Holley Blue pump OR is there another way?

Mike
Old Dec 15, 2003 | 04:36 PM
  #2  
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I'd go with the Holley Pump and the carb pickup.
No need to change the gas tank, just get a carb sender/pickup or modify yours with some rubber tube where the intank pump would be.

Here is a pic of a carb sender I have sitting around in my garage,




I'll probably sell the pickup/sender I have for $55-60 shipped if you can't find one locally.

Last edited by Zepher; Dec 15, 2003 at 04:38 PM.
Old Dec 15, 2003 | 04:51 PM
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im gettin ready to do the same swap and i bought a Mallory regulator and im goin that route. but if u already have that fuel pump,then i would buy Zephers or modify ur own b/c a new sending unit from a early 3rd gen is like over a $100 i think from the chevy dealership around here...we checked. then my dad wanted to modify what was in there into just a sending unit but i told him that i wanted a Mallory regulator and go that route.
Old Dec 15, 2003 | 05:11 PM
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Actually, the sending unit from the dealer was almost $300.
It was outrageous.

My car was carbed so when I went EFI, I just installed an inline Holley Fuel Pump so I wouldn't have to mess with the tank.
The sender I have pictured came from my friends T/A. We put an LT1 in his car and he bought an EFI sender and we used a Walbro 255lph intank pump for his setup.
Old Dec 20, 2003 | 03:03 PM
  #5  
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TPI to Carb Swap made easy

1. Sell your TPI car to someone who appreciates TPI and is willing to make it work for him.

2. Buy older carb thirdgen or newer TBI thirdgen and convert that.

Please dont hack up a good TPI car and make it use antique induction technology.
Old Dec 20, 2003 | 06:32 PM
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dont feel bad OrangeIROC, kevin91Z posted the SAME in my thread about going to a carb...
Old Dec 22, 2003 | 07:03 AM
  #7  
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Kevin,

No worries, this is just a temporary thing, i have alot of plans for this car. Yes my car is considered a Perfect Specimine of an IROC, but i need to get rid of this 305 TPI, it is terribly slow. I am heavily into drag racing and i wanna play around with my car for a few years till i'm done with college, so i've built this 650hp 383ci. engine +150 shot of nitrous to toss in it and goof around with, the car will not be ruined, trust me. When i finihs college and i buy a house i plan on ripping this motor out and building an injected (stealth ram); procharged motor and also swapping in a 6 speed transmission (it will become a G-machine eventually) and the carb'd motor will be put in a tube frame drag car. This car will never leave me, i will never give it up, its rare (medium orange metallic color) and i love it.. So in the long run I won't let you down

Thanks for all your replies, i am buying an older styel tank, welding a sump on it and using the blue pump.
Old Dec 23, 2003 | 12:01 AM
  #8  
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Originally posted by OrangeIROC
Kevin,

No worries, this is just a temporary thing, i have alot of plans for this car. Yes my car is considered a Perfect Specimine of an IROC, but i need to get rid of this 305 TPI, it is terribly slow. I am heavily into drag racing and i wanna play around with my car for a few years till i'm done with college, so i've built this 650hp 383ci. engine +150 shot of nitrous to toss in it and goof around with, the car will not be ruined, trust me. When i finihs college and i buy a house i plan on ripping this motor out and building an injected (stealth ram); procharged motor and also swapping in a 6 speed transmission (it will become a G-machine eventually) and the carb'd motor will be put in a tube frame drag car. This car will never leave me, i will never give it up, its rare (medium orange metallic color) and i love it.. So in the long run I won't let you down

Thanks for all your replies, i am buying an older styel tank, welding a sump on it and using the blue pump.
Why rip out a 383 making 650 hp? Fuel injection is one way to go and is in fact the way I'm going in January (upgrading my L69 to an L98 TPI). But to face the fact's, Fuel injection has a h.p. limit, where as carburation does not. I'm not sure what, exactly the limit is but there is a reason Pro draggers use carbs. Now F/I has a high H.P. rating, I've seen systems up to 1350 h.p. on heavily modded TPI's. But I would keep the 383 and just add the Ram and procharger.
Old Dec 23, 2003 | 06:10 PM
  #9  
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Good for you Mike!!
Carb IS THE WAY TO GO for a serious ride on a budget. I now know this.
Why dump thousands just to say you have FI? And please go aftermarket- if GM TBI, or carbs were that great, everyone would be using them.

You should email spraytheway. He is a carb'd F-body guru.

See you around.

Steve
Old Jan 3, 2004 | 02:46 AM
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Originally posted by BOZS89IROC
Why rip out a 383 making 650 hp? Fuel injection is one way to go and is in fact the way I'm going in January (upgrading my L69 to an L98 TPI). But to face the fact's, Fuel injection has a h.p. limit, where as carburation does not. I'm not sure what, exactly the limit is but there is a reason Pro draggers use carbs. Now F/I has a high H.P. rating, I've seen systems up to 1350 h.p. on heavily modded TPI's. But I would keep the 383 and just add the Ram and procharger.
Why you ask? I do have a full time drag car right now (67 Camaro) which i race but it is owned by my father, eventually (when i grow up ) when i move out and finish school i will want my own "full time drag car" and the motor which i have built is the perfect canidate for it, the IROC will only and always be a part time street/strip car, or "Sunday cruiser" if u will, i dont want to backhalf and front half it.

Why do u say Fuel injection is the way to go? Becuase your doing it? Fuel Injection if u take a step back really doesn't have any HP limits, its just that when u hit a certain point it can only deliver so much air into the motor, however you can upgrade it (your intake). So basically once u've hit your "HP limit" its time to drop a few grand to make it run right

Steve, Thanks for the compliments.. See you around
Old Jan 4, 2004 | 03:47 AM
  #11  
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Originally posted by OrangeIROC
Why you ask? I do have a full time drag car right now (67 Camaro) which i race but it is owned by my father, eventually (when i grow up ) when i move out and finish school i will want my own "full time drag car" and the motor which i have built is the perfect canidate for it, the IROC will only and always be a part time street/strip car, or "Sunday cruiser" if u will, i dont want to backhalf and front half it.

Why do u say Fuel injection is the way to go? Becuase your doing it? Fuel Injection if u take a step back really doesn't have any HP limits, its just that when u hit a certain point it can only deliver so much air into the motor, however you can upgrade it (your intake). So basically once u've hit your "HP limit" its time to drop a few grand to make it run right

Steve, Thanks for the compliments.. See you around
I didn't say F/I is THE way to go. I said it is one way to go. As for the limits, Yes air restriction is a factor in H.P. limitation, but there are other limitations as well. The multiple calculations the computer goes through each second to determine the stoichmetric air/fuel ratio...etc. That is why N-Alpha Fuel injection was made. It is kinda like speed density but, I think it only uses 2 calculations. engine speed and MAP. I could be wrong. I will get back to you later on that. Speed density alone pretty much takes care of the air reastriction part though...no MAF sensor. Then your only lrestriction can be in your plenum, runners, manifold, or heads. But F/I will be more expensive in the long road for a high H.P. car, such as the one you're building.
Old Jan 4, 2004 | 03:49 AM
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Originally posted by steve10358
Good for you Mike!!
Carb IS THE WAY TO GO for a serious ride on a budget. I now know this.
Why dump thousands just to say you have FI? And please go aftermarket- if GM TBI, or carbs were that great, everyone would be using them.

You should email spraytheway. He is a carb'd F-body guru.

See you around.

Steve
Precisely my point.
Old Jan 4, 2004 | 12:26 PM
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Heres what I`ve done to mine my car was a tpi originally, I used the factory pump in the tank, hooked a 4 port mallory regulator to the feed line, 1 port the the return line, 1 port to primary bowl and 1 to the secodary bowl. the fuel pump relay was modified to turn on the pump when ign on and ign start. It has been on my car this way for at least five years. my car runs 11.27 with no fuel delivery problems, just traction problems.



http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/487725
Old Jan 4, 2004 | 12:32 PM
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Sorry for the confusion there BOSZ89IROC, i guess i mis-read what you wrote.

I do have a question though, you say the MAF is bad which i have also been told by many others, but how come GM went back to the MAF on the LT1's and LS1's i never understood this, or is it just the TPI style computer that is limiting when it comes to this?

I did look heavily into injection but when i see guyz with practically the same setup i have and then they put some sort of injection on it and they make absolutly no power, it turns me off bigtime. I mean i see alot of TPI cars and LT1 cars with power adders that are putting down the same power i am naturally aspirated, do u know what my cars gonna do when i add a blower or nitrous i can't wait .

All in all I do think FI is cool but everytime i look at peoples results i just dont feel like being bothered and especially with my plans of drag racing it just doesnt work out, like i said when it becomes a full time street car i'll mess around with it i'm sure.

Thanks for the reply greasemonkey, cool car!

Last edited by OrangeIROC; Jan 4, 2004 at 12:35 PM.
Old Jan 4, 2004 | 06:45 PM
  #15  
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Talking Rock on.......

there is nothing wrong with doing a TPI to carb swap it will work awsome........

Me i would have done a TPI ot After market TBI....

witch i did..... .

Coming out awsome.......

Good luck on your swap 650hp sound's like a screamer have and take care of it.........




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