Carb vs fuel injection LS

[jeffs56]

Hey I guys I'm looking to buy a motor for my 56 Chevy pickup and I can't make up my mind. I have an option to buy a very well build Chevy 350 with vortec heads and edelbrock fuel injection and roller rockers. Also has a 700r4 for $2600 no brackets or belts stuff like that. My other option is I've been really thinking of going the 5.3 route and doing a cam swap and running a intake and carburetor on it. I don't like the way the stock fuel injection looks. I would like to still have the old school look. I've thought of running like a car intake on it but still don't like the look as much. So if I do go the carb route on the 5.3 would it be a lot less fuel mileage compared to the stock injection? Sorry for the long post. It's driving me crazy not being able to choose. Thanks guys. Any advice and ideas are greatly appreciated

[mongocanfly]

if your gonna de-ls an ls you might as well go with the 350...you'd be defeating the purpose of it being a ls...

[Clyde65]

The carb option on the LS would be about $600-800 more than just running the FI.
If you go LS, you won't go back to SBC imo! Good luck!

[jeffs56]

It is $600-800 more to get the intake and carb, but then you have to buy a standalone harness and that's $700. Also a electric fuel pump, fuel injection tank, motor mounts everything else. It really adds up. Going with a carb LS I won't need all that.

[mongocanfly]

well..going carb on a ls you will still need "all that"...your still gonna need motor mount adapters...your still gonna need a fuel pump..and you're still gonna need a harness. .I you really want a ls just go with it as is...there's nothing wrong with good mpgs, easy starting, and lots of power. ..why mess with it by trying to carb it...like said before. .ls as designed or 350 as designed..on a side note fhey do make covers for all that stuff you don't like looking at...oh and you don't need a fuel injection tank..stock tanks work great..just run inline pump and vett filter/reg

[jeffs56]

OK I thought if you ran the carb with the MSD box then you don't need a harness. Do you have any links to the covers?

[mongocanfly]

not necessarily a ls wiring harness but I was mainly getting at that your gonna need a harness to run whatever configuration you chose..edelbrock makes a nice set of coil covers,, then there's the the factory engine covers..on mine I just made a set of covers...

[jeffs56]

I'm trying to get rid of the look of that Vortec cover.. also would like to cover up the wires or somehow put old school style valve covers on it

[Clyde65]

Here is another thing with the LSx swap.

5.3/4l60e, cam, tune, headers and CAI. You have about 375-400 HP and 18mpg.

SBC will be hard pressed to get that.

I run a 4.8/4l60e and I only have about 325hp and get 20mpg regularly.

I have somewhere around $2500 in my swap give/take.
Have had it for 7 years and can run 80mph if I want to. Ac/cruise
Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

[jeffs56]

Wow that is pretty good. My buddies 350 that I can get dynoed at 382hp. It is fuel injected as well wit the edelbrock injection. I'm not sure if that will give me as good of MPG as the stock FI

[mongocanfly]

short answer to will a 382hp smallblock get gas mileage....no
I have a bone stock lq9 6.0 with 120, 000 miles on it in mine.. the engine dynoed around 345hp and torque was 399... (rear wheel is 299/345)...I've got a 5spd and 4.10 gears...I get around 16mpg if I drive right... (although its hard to keep the bugs outta my teeth ever time I lay on it)...it'll hit 85mph very quick..it'll cruise at 100mph with no problem (done on a test track somewhere in a desert in mexico)...I've got about $2500 in the engine swap..

[jeffs56]

That's pretty good mongo. Do you have a build thread. I'm looking at around $5k for a swap with all the parts. I can get that low mileage 5.3 with standalone harness looks really clean for $2500 but it's all the other stuff that gets expensive

[mongocanfly]

sorry no build thread..I built mine before I found this forum. ..I did mine with almost no outside help or advice..it was a learning experience...5k should build a nice truck I would think..depending on what your plans are. .I know different parts of the country have drastic price differences. ..but around here I can get a nice 5.3 with everything for under 1k..2 of my buddies bought a couple of 5.3s the other day for 600 each..all the other stuff just depends on your plans..

[jeffs56]

In my area a 5.3 with transmission is $2,000-2500 a 6.0 is 3,000-3500

[jeffs56]

The 5k swap is what I got quoted for a swap. That's why I'm thinking of not going that route. Very expensive here

[mongocanfly]

I assume your paying to have it installed..so yeah ....that's gonna cost..its crazy the price difference from coast 2 coast

[jeffs56]

Yeah these swaps are pretty popular over here, so price goes up. That's another reason I was going to convert to carb. A lot less involved. No tuning at a shop, no expensive standalone harness

[mongocanfly]

I understand cost being a factor...I've also never delt with a carb ls..someone who has might clear the air...but Im thinking by sticking a carb on it your losing all the benefits of a computer controlled injection system...a carb ls can make lots of power..im just not sure if you get mpgs to go with it...and with what you say they're asking to do a ls install I'm going to stick with it that you'd be better off from a money standpoint to go with the 350..your basically gonna pay a ton of money for a ls just to stick a carb on it when you can stick a carb on that 350 for about half the price..but for me ..I've owned my last carb engine...I used to not want anything to do with a comp controlled engine but I'm a converted believer now...

[LEEVON]

I did a carb'd LS just because of looks and to be different. Yes, it costs more. No, it's not fuel injection. I wound up ditching the carb and going with a FiTech throttle body. Yeah, it's weird. I don't care, it looks cool and runs like a raped ape!

[jeffs56]

That's exactly what I was getting at. You get the updated engine, great power and looks cool. And then you can use aftermarket FI which looks better then the stock in my opinion. I hate the wiring and computer so I'm hesitant to go the stock route

[mongocanfly]

looks good leevon..curious as to what your mpgs are?

also I tried to link to it but it keeps locking down my device..but google "carb ls engine".hotrod mag did a dyno build of one that's pulling aroumd 420 or so hp..

ad up what a fitech and intake along with msd will cost...you may have sticker shock..

[jeffs56]

Yeah I read that article a few times, but your right the horsepower is excellent but not sure on the MPG. With a carb and that much power probably not much MPG lol. Too many decisions

[jeffs56]

Fitech alone is $1,000 lol and the intake kit with carb is another $1,000

[mongocanfly]

read up on dayj1s ls swap...he did a super job of camoflauging his ls...
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...ght=skin+a+cat

well crap...I just realized photosucket killed the pics in his thread...but trust me..he did a excellent job..

short version is he used a carb intake and mounted the throtttle on it and put a breather on top...everythings painted chevy orange...will make you look twice and scratch your head trying to see what he did..still uses fuel rails and comp though..
pm him..I'm sure he'll provide new pics..

[Clyde65]

One more thing, check local DMV rules to make sure it will be all legal and such. Some states won't let you do the LS update unless it has all the smog/cats/etc