94 w/ 4L80E shift w/ carb?

[bowtie_slim]

if i put a carbureted motor in my 94 will my tranny still shift?

[ChevLoRay]

Don't know. I suspect your computer will be wierded-out, looking for inputs from the engine. Without that data, my guess is a simple, No.

I'm thinking you'll need a 700R4 with the TV cable adjusted to make the transmission shift right, if you're using a carburetor.

Somebody, help me on this....

[Boog]

Don from what I've gathered lately the carb will have to have a throttle position sensor on it to operate that 60E trans. The sensors, brackets and harnesses are available from folks like Bowtie Overdrives and others. Whether that is all he needs I do not know.

[BigBlocksRule]

Nope, it won't shift.

[ChevLoRay]

I guess the next question is, "Why do you want to run a carburetor? What's up with your fuel injection system?"

[von guido]

nope, you would have to run a tci trans controller..


@ ChevLoRay, tbi motors in the 88-98 trucks are absolute DOGS! I have personally seen an 93 model gain 80hp by swapping out the cam,intake and going carbed. Tbi is outdated, Very finicky andlacking in the power department. I can make a carb'd motor be as reliable and smooth as a tbi and get the same if not better mileage so why not?

[BigBlocksRule]

Cam, intake AND carb for that HP gain? You seem to be awfully quick to credit the carb swap for the power gain even though the other swapped components were probably more responsible for the gain. How much tuning was done to the TBI before it was junked in favor of the carb? If you're really going to do a comparison, put the carb on a 2bbl intake like the factory's TBI unit and try that, then put a throttle body on a 4-bbl piece with a good adapter. A big block TBI with an adapted intake can make great power on even a 406, but it IS definitely the restriction when you're trying to make big power on a big block.
Finicky? I can stick my hand thru the window and start my TBI engine every time, sure can't say that for ANY carb'd engine I've ever owned. A TBI engine is a lot easier to get warmed up in cold climates, the sensors take care of the fuel curve where an electric or manual choke can't quite get it done. I've torn down dozens of injected engines with 150K and more on the engines that still had the factory hone marks in the bores. I've never torn a carb'd engine down with that kind of mileage that didn't have a big ridge at the top of the bore, wear caused by the carb's bad habit of washing cylinder walls down from too much fuel.
I'm not a huge fan of TBI, I like MPFI much better, but to call the TBI "antiquated" as related to a carburetor isn't really a fair statement. It may be a primitive form of injection, but it's still better than the carb, especially on this size engine. GM went to 'em exclusively in '87 and stuck with 'em until MPFI came through in 1996. Other than reliability, I suspect part of the reason is that they're hard to screw with, sure can't say that for carbs. I understand you're probably a good tuner, but how many carbs have you seen that shadetree mechanics screwed up to the point that they needed to be rebuilt back to factory specs just to get 'em to work correctly? Most folks look at carbs just like a woman - who knows how they work, but when you get a good one, hang on!!!
Now when we start talking higher performance - NOT daily driver types - the carb will come out on top due to it's ability to flow a good bit more air.
The carb vs efi debate will go on for years, sure don't want to start a pi$$ing match here, just stating what I've done and seen.

Off Topic: von guido, have you seen the SV-1 that ProSystems is building now? It's a huge single-barrel carb, really a trick looking piece, a lot of guys are picking up tenths over a conventional dominator.

[bowtie_slim]

Thanx for the input guys. First off the truck has ran fine for a while now and all of a sudden it just started going nuts. the map tp egr all check out good. it will idle fine and as soon as u go to drive off it starts backing through the tbi shooting flames. it may be in the wiring because when i move wires around by the map sensor it will make the idle racy and then clean up. i was considering the carb idea to be the lazy way of fixing all the uneccessary wiring probs. i guess ill have to figure something else out. thanx again

[von guido]

the camshaft that was installed made the huge difference in power. I personally have a 95 with the Holly tbi setup and a custom chip for it. Its not bad but it doesnt perform any better than ANY of my carb'd motors. My mild 454 (cam,intake,750 holley and headers) starts up as easy as my Z71. Granted i live in Ga and the climate has something to do with that but I have only had bad experiences with Demon Carbs. While i worked at Summit I took well over 100 in return where people tried to tune them and completely F***ed them up. Tbi has its place, but for my needs I am fine with carbs and get the same reliability out of them as the tbi. Granted i grew up around racecars and started wrenching on em when i was 14 so i got a bit of experience that alot of people dont. I've seen those SV-1's and would love to get my hands on one.. If its worth the hype i would put my 4500 on the chopping block!

[BigBlocksRule]

Too bad Barry Grant had so many problems, when he was on his own his stuff was some of the best on the market. He was plagued with production issues, I think if he'd paid a bit more attention to business, he might still be in business.
I hope to get to see an SV1 on the dyno on a 572 soon, I'll let you know how it turns out against an HP Ultra Dom.

[von guido]

Originally Posted by BigBlocksRule

Too bad Barry Grant had so many problems, when he was on his own his stuff was some of the best on the market. He was plagued with production issues, I think if he'd paid a bit more attention to business, he might still be in business.
I hope to get to see an SV1 on the dyno on a 572 soon, I'll let you know how it turns out against an HP Ultra Dom.

very true.. I ran a reworked speed demon on a sbc and it was pretty good. My pops runs 2 king demons on his blown540 in his '55 gasser. I think the guy had alot of personal problems and carried them over to his work. Sucks cause he is actually a pretty nice guy. in for Dyno # !!

[BigBlocksRule]

King Demons still sell for a premium price - if you can find one!

[AirAssault3187]

Originally Posted by bowtie_slim

if i put a carbureted motor in my 94 will my tranny still shift?

Yes, you’ll need a TPS on the carb and then just take the purple and white wire from the plug that used to go into the stock distributor , attach a female plug and plug it into the tach slot on the HEI distributor. Trans will shift fine.
Posted via Mobile Device

[90OBS]

I’m new to the site. I was just reading the posts about this subject and I am at the same crossroad. I recently bought a 90 C1500 with a 305 and she is a dog. I have a 1997 K1500 with a 350 it’s kind of a dog also. Before I bought the 97 I had a 95 K1500 with a 350 that looked stock and that truck had some ass. So my question is: I want to put a 350 in the C1500 with a cam and some head work and headers. I want more power but I want to keep it reliable. I want to keep the TBI , but will it handle the upgrades to the 350? I don’t really want to go to a carb and sacrifice an easy start and smooth running.

[AirAssault3187]

Originally Posted by 90OBS

I’m new to the site. I was just reading the posts about this subject and I am at the same crossroad. I recently bought a 90 C1500 with a 305 and she is a dog. I have a 1997 K1500 with a 350 it’s kind of a dog also. Before I bought the 97 I had a 95 K1500 with a 350 that looked stock and that truck had some ass. So my question is: I want to put a 350 in the C1500 with a cam and some head work and headers. I want more power but I want to keep it reliable. I want to keep the TBI , but will it handle the upgrades to the 350? I don’t really want to go to a carb and sacrifice an easy start and smooth running.

I just put a 350 in my ‘94, carb small can etc . Starts great, better than with my old tbi actually. From what I hear the tbi won’t handle those upgrades. At least not the stock one.
Posted via Mobile Device

[AirAssault3187]

Originally Posted by ChevLoRay

Don't know. I suspect your computer will be wierded-out, looking for inputs from the engine. Without that data, my guess is a simple, No.

I'm thinking you'll need a 700R4 with the TV cable adjusted to make the transmission shift right, if you're using a carburetor.

Somebody, help me on this....

I just did and it’s fairly simple. The purple and white wire that used to plug into the distributor.... cut it, plug in into the tach position on the HEI distributor. Boom, shifts great .
Posted via Mobile Device

[90OBS]

Originally Posted by AirAssault3187

I just put a 350 in my ‘94, carb small can etc . Starts great, better than with my old tbi actually. From what I hear the tbi won’t handle those upgrades. At least not the stock one.
Posted via Mobile Device

How hard was it to tune the carb in . If you would share , can you tell us your set up (cam,carb,etc) .
Thanks