TBI SWAP

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Red 94

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I have a 94 350 with a stock TBI configuration. I want a little more performance. Has anyone here swapped out the stock TBI with one of the newer EFI systems?



What were your results? What are the pitfalls? Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.







 

Erik the Awful

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I stuck a big cam in my engine and the TBI couldn't keep up, so I went with a Holley Sniper. If you're not changing cams, a fuel injection swap isn't going to make you any more power.

The results? The Sniper works as advertised. It fired right up and self-tuned pretty well. It runs nearly like stock, except that you have to wait two seconds after turning the key on before you crank to give it time to boot.

Pitfalls? Holley's going to nickel and dime you for everything. You absolutely must get the throttle arm extension on our trucks. If you want the ignition timing to be plug-and-play compatible with the Sniper's timing control, you'll end up spending another grand on the Hyperspark distributor, and the coil, and the stupid-big control box. Holley's TPS and O2 sensor aren't the best quality. My TPS went out almost immediately, but fortunately it's the same TPS that's factory on our trucks, and I had a couple spares. The O2 sensor is the wide-band from a Dodge truck and readily available for about $60.

Most importantly, if you have drivability issues, swapping to a Holley Sniper isn't a fix. You can't have any vacuum leaks and you can't have any exhaust leaks. Way too many people have drivability issues that they can't diagnose and they think throwing a whole new system on there will fix it. If you can't diagnose and fix the stock system, putting an aftermarket system on there won't make it easier.

My truck's an '89, so the transmission runs just fine without the TBI. On a '94 you're likely going to have to find a way to get TPS signal to your computer.
 

PlayingWithTBI

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You want noticeable gains out of a TBI engine you'll need to change cam, heads, intake, and tuning to match those changes. Spending big coin on an aftermarket EFI alone isn't gonna get you a good return on your investment, IMO.
^^^This. Why swap one computer controlled toilet bowl for another? Stick with the TBI and spend your money on better performance parts.
 
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