OFFROAD SETUP WISDOM??

[Vettepilot]

Hi all,

I've been off-roading for approximately 55 years. One thing I've learned is that in virtually a matter of minutes, you can get farther away from civilization than you'd care to WALK back in case of a problem. Now that I am disabled with a bad back, making walking very far difficult, this is an even greater concern.

Elsewhere in this forum, I've been gathering info on converting my 4x4 pickup from Throttle Body Fuel injection to Tuned Port Fuel Injection. I am now questioning the wisdom of that project.

If I stick with the TBI system, I could throw a carburetor, carb adaptor, and a pressure regulator into the toolbox, and be easily ensured of being able to get home in the event of a catastrophic EFI failure. This would definitely NOT be true if I had the Tuned Port EFI system installed, which would require changing the entire intake to get going again!!

So then, the question would be, is the TPI system so perfectly reliable that it would always bring my daughter and I home, or should I stick with the simpler TBI system??

As I write this, I am wondering if this very question/concern is why GM stuck with the simple TBI system on their trucks for so long... ???

What say you all??

Thanks!
Vettepilot

 

[Schurkey]

TBI was inexpensive, reliable, and relatively easy to fix when it did break.

When Damned Government Regulations required GM to do "more" to improve fuel economy/emissions, GM spent more money on more sophisticated equipment.

And for certain, select markets, GM spent some extra to produce more power ahead of Gummint Regs; simply to compete with the other manufacturers.

Overall, on a vehicle originally equipped with TBI, I'll take TBI, thankyouverymuch.

If you had a "catastrophic EFI failure", how do you know the ignition system would still work? The ignition is as tied to the computer as the fuel system is.

If this were me, I'd leave the TBI in place, carry a charged cell-phone and a credit card that isn't maxed-out, and tell people who care about me where I'm going and when I'll likely be back. Pack a flashlight, some snacks, a canteen, and a first-aid kit.

And make sure the spare tire winch still works, and the tire-changing tools are all still in place.

 

[Vettepilot]

So far, in 55 years, I've been lucky and only walked back twice. All the other times, I either fixed what broke, or dug out.

Regarding the ignition, I carry an extra old style distributor under the seat. Driving GM products though, I've never needed it...

Vettepilot

 

[Vettepilot]

Quote:
If this were me, I'd leave the TBI in place, carry a charged cell-phone and a credit card that isn't maxed-out, and tell people who care about me where I'm going and when I'll likely be back. Pack a flashlight, some snacks, a canteen, and a first-aid kit.

There's two flaws in your logic here. It assumes you'll always have cell phone coverage, which I don't when exploring, and it pre-supposes that there's people that give a dam about me!

;~)

Vettepilot