I figured after 14 years of having different TBI trucks and Camaros, I'd share some of my experiences. The stickies are great, but sometimes people only having one TBI to gauge from, isn't much of a control.
In no way am I a TBI expert, this is just in my personal experiences:
Free Mods (or at least very inexpensive)
1. Get rid of the air cleaner spacer ring (plenty of threads on this)
2. SeaFoam (or GM Top Engine cleaner) the engine, both through the booster hose, and letting soak through the TBI. People don't believe how much difference a dirty intake and combustion chamber make restoring power and MPG.
3. Full tune up (not free but needs to be done). Cap, rotor, wires, plugs, fuel filter, and if the coil and o2 sensor look old or have a ton of miles. Mods are pointless if you don't have good solid base line.
4. Set base timing to 4* (some will argue this, but I've seen a dyno run showing it did something)
5. Open Element cleaner (or take the heat flapper out of the stock one if you prefer the snorkel set up)
6. Shave the horns of the TBI unit (sticky up top), injector pod spacer or double stack 2 gaskets and spend $1 at the hardware store for longer screws (M5 .80 pitch 20 length)
7. TBI Spacer
8. If for some reason you need to take the intake off, gasket match it, the heads (or at least the HD tbi heads I have) match up pretty good, but the intake didn't.
I have seen (a long time ago) were these "free" mods are worth about 10 hp on a dyno. They'll feel like a lot more if you are in need of some maintenance.
Next would be mods that cost a little more, results and cost based on what you want:
1. Exhaust. I have never swapped to headers on a TBI truck, but on my Camaro they helped a lot. Probably not the same on a truck.
2. Carb dual plane intake with adapter (which will act as a spacer)
3. Cam, personally I like the LT1 cam and swapping to roller lifters (all junk yard parts) or you could do 1.6 Roller Rocks as a way to get a little more out of the stock cam.
4. Heads
5. Gears
Obviously you'll have to change more if you go farther (bigger TBI, etc)
Depending where you stop on the list, I spent $400 about 8 years ago to do all my own data logging and chip burning, not sure of prices today. I've seen some good chips being worth 10-25 hp depending on set up.
If you are looking to get more than 300 hp out of the TBI for cheap, you should look past it and go LS swap. My 88 V2500 has about 330 hp and the swap was $2000 (prices will vary depending on your deals)
In no way am I a TBI expert, this is just in my personal experiences:
Free Mods (or at least very inexpensive)
1. Get rid of the air cleaner spacer ring (plenty of threads on this)
2. SeaFoam (or GM Top Engine cleaner) the engine, both through the booster hose, and letting soak through the TBI. People don't believe how much difference a dirty intake and combustion chamber make restoring power and MPG.
3. Full tune up (not free but needs to be done). Cap, rotor, wires, plugs, fuel filter, and if the coil and o2 sensor look old or have a ton of miles. Mods are pointless if you don't have good solid base line.
4. Set base timing to 4* (some will argue this, but I've seen a dyno run showing it did something)
5. Open Element cleaner (or take the heat flapper out of the stock one if you prefer the snorkel set up)
6. Shave the horns of the TBI unit (sticky up top), injector pod spacer or double stack 2 gaskets and spend $1 at the hardware store for longer screws (M5 .80 pitch 20 length)
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7. TBI Spacer
8. If for some reason you need to take the intake off, gasket match it, the heads (or at least the HD tbi heads I have) match up pretty good, but the intake didn't.
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
I have seen (a long time ago) were these "free" mods are worth about 10 hp on a dyno. They'll feel like a lot more if you are in need of some maintenance.
Next would be mods that cost a little more, results and cost based on what you want:
1. Exhaust. I have never swapped to headers on a TBI truck, but on my Camaro they helped a lot. Probably not the same on a truck.
2. Carb dual plane intake with adapter (which will act as a spacer)
3. Cam, personally I like the LT1 cam and swapping to roller lifters (all junk yard parts) or you could do 1.6 Roller Rocks as a way to get a little more out of the stock cam.
4. Heads
5. Gears
Obviously you'll have to change more if you go farther (bigger TBI, etc)
Depending where you stop on the list, I spent $400 about 8 years ago to do all my own data logging and chip burning, not sure of prices today. I've seen some good chips being worth 10-25 hp depending on set up.
If you are looking to get more than 300 hp out of the TBI for cheap, you should look past it and go LS swap. My 88 V2500 has about 330 hp and the swap was $2000 (prices will vary depending on your deals)
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
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