Hello fellow inliners,
During a recent and fairly exhausting search for replacement carburetors for my Mustang with a 250 engine, I came to a realization that there are fairly few options. (I know some may think otherwise, but this is my opinion on the matter)
Before I get flamed for even contemplating this, please stick with me as I am thinking about putting a GM TBI on my Ford 250 inline 6. I know, blasphemy, but there it is.
So why am I even thinking about this? My experience with carburetors has been very lackluster. I know they are "easy" but for me they have been anything but. Another issue with carbs (especially for our 6's) is that availability is shrinking every day. The prices on the autolite 1100s and holley 1940s are definitely not cheap. Going with a TBI system permits the use of widely available parts that can be had from the junkyard for cheap, or even from parts stores if so inclined. But mainly that is not really the reason. I am quite fascinated with fuel injection and TBI seems to be the simplest way to go. I really want to see if I can do this. Some people have done TBI swaps on our 6's already (the tempo tbi comes to mind). I would like to go with a GM 4.3 V6 TBI setup, using the complete setup from an Astro van or S10. I am also looking to keep the cost of this swap down (yes, I know fuel injection and budget should not even appear in the same sentence), so I want to try and stay with a GM (read junkyard) sourced computer and not with MS type system or more expensive alternatives like Howell, AFI, or Holley.
The overall goal for this build is nothing crazy. My main goal is driveability, smooth power delivery and maybe a little bit more performance. I honestly dont even care is the gas mileage improves (as long as it doesnt drop drastically). I mainly want a dependable fuel system that has easily/cheaply replaceable parts.
So far I have been doing research and found a wealth of info for converting carb'd cars to TBI. One of the best overall links I have found is this
http://www.binderplanet.com/forums/show ... hp?t=45292.
I have found a good amount of information for people converting their chevy 250 inline 6s to TBI, and that has been a good point of inspiration so far.
Anyways, the plan is to
- hit the junkyard and source as many of the parts (TBI, harness, most sensors, computer, etc). These parts should be still plentiful and cheap.
- fabricate an adapter for the throttlebody using ~1" Aluminum plate that would allow me to put the TBI unit on my stock big log manifold. (The long term plan is to take a spare head and mill it to install an adapter plate similar to the "modified head" for 2 bbl carb swaps.
- Modify my current DUI distributor to go from the 4 pin module, to the 7 pin (or maybe 8 pin if I go with external module). This is a good link to a similar procedure. If you have any advice on this please let me know. http://www.binderplanet.com/forums/show ... hp?t=46961
- plumb up an electric fuel pump like the airtex E8248 and also the corresponding return line (so the fuel sending unit needs to be modified a little bit to have a return line barb).
- Also include a inertia shutoff switch for safety.
I am just starting out on all of this, so any constructive input would be greatly appreciated. Please let me know if I am forgetting something, anything to stay away from, anything else I should consider. I am currently wading through tons of threads on TBI conversions in various settings from old v8s, to more recent jeeps, etc. As I progress with this build, I will update this post and let you know how everything is going.
During a recent and fairly exhausting search for replacement carburetors for my Mustang with a 250 engine, I came to a realization that there are fairly few options. (I know some may think otherwise, but this is my opinion on the matter)
Before I get flamed for even contemplating this, please stick with me as I am thinking about putting a GM TBI on my Ford 250 inline 6. I know, blasphemy, but there it is.
So why am I even thinking about this? My experience with carburetors has been very lackluster. I know they are "easy" but for me they have been anything but. Another issue with carbs (especially for our 6's) is that availability is shrinking every day. The prices on the autolite 1100s and holley 1940s are definitely not cheap. Going with a TBI system permits the use of widely available parts that can be had from the junkyard for cheap, or even from parts stores if so inclined. But mainly that is not really the reason. I am quite fascinated with fuel injection and TBI seems to be the simplest way to go. I really want to see if I can do this. Some people have done TBI swaps on our 6's already (the tempo tbi comes to mind). I would like to go with a GM 4.3 V6 TBI setup, using the complete setup from an Astro van or S10. I am also looking to keep the cost of this swap down (yes, I know fuel injection and budget should not even appear in the same sentence), so I want to try and stay with a GM (read junkyard) sourced computer and not with MS type system or more expensive alternatives like Howell, AFI, or Holley.
The overall goal for this build is nothing crazy. My main goal is driveability, smooth power delivery and maybe a little bit more performance. I honestly dont even care is the gas mileage improves (as long as it doesnt drop drastically). I mainly want a dependable fuel system that has easily/cheaply replaceable parts.
So far I have been doing research and found a wealth of info for converting carb'd cars to TBI. One of the best overall links I have found is this
http://www.binderplanet.com/forums/show ... hp?t=45292.
I have found a good amount of information for people converting their chevy 250 inline 6s to TBI, and that has been a good point of inspiration so far.
Anyways, the plan is to
- hit the junkyard and source as many of the parts (TBI, harness, most sensors, computer, etc). These parts should be still plentiful and cheap.
- fabricate an adapter for the throttlebody using ~1" Aluminum plate that would allow me to put the TBI unit on my stock big log manifold. (The long term plan is to take a spare head and mill it to install an adapter plate similar to the "modified head" for 2 bbl carb swaps.
- Modify my current DUI distributor to go from the 4 pin module, to the 7 pin (or maybe 8 pin if I go with external module). This is a good link to a similar procedure. If you have any advice on this please let me know. http://www.binderplanet.com/forums/show ... hp?t=46961
- plumb up an electric fuel pump like the airtex E8248 and also the corresponding return line (so the fuel sending unit needs to be modified a little bit to have a return line barb).
- Also include a inertia shutoff switch for safety.
I am just starting out on all of this, so any constructive input would be greatly appreciated. Please let me know if I am forgetting something, anything to stay away from, anything else I should consider. I am currently wading through tons of threads on TBI conversions in various settings from old v8s, to more recent jeeps, etc. As I progress with this build, I will update this post and let you know how everything is going.