TBI to Carburetor Conversion

In the video, we show how to convert a throttle body injection to a carburetor on this squarebody C10. While most people convert to TBI, we take a step back to our roots to eliminate these premative version of fuel injection.

[@SaneCayne]

I got lucky with the TBI on my OG 305 in my '87 swb. It was a fairly rough truck when I bought it a few years back. But after a basic gasket rebuild, and replacing the sloppy distributor with another from a junkyard, she fired right up and ran smooth. I'm usually a carb guy. But I'm diggin' not having to pump the gas and mess with a choke and sit there and baby sit it as it warms up. 😎

[@BestDamnShopAround]

I've had great luck with some TBI units and some that have fought me to the end! When running correctly a TBI is pretty sweet! But on this one I believe the throttle shaft was worn out causing air to leak as well as something funny with the ECU. And to be honest I thought it would make some decent content, potentially helping some other guys wanted to go down this route.

[@SaneCayne]

@@BestDamnShopAround Yeah, that's why I say "lucky" when it comes to my TBI. (Though I expect it'll start giving me issues any day now. 😉) It seems most don't work well and even after you fire the parts cannon at it, it still fights you. So I don't blame anyone for carb-converting it.

[@dennisowen3717]

My 89 is in really good shape. I'm just wanting to stay old school.

[@BestDamnShopAround]

@@dennisowen3717 nothing wrong with old school, I'm a fan of it!

[@MikeBaxterABC]

12:50 I have rigged up a few throttle cable mounts, and THIS is one of the best I've seen!! ... and YES save those odd ball cut outs, it takes forever to make them by hand!

[@BestDamnShopAround]

Thank you! I'm a borderline hoarder so I save all kind of trinkets like that hah

[@SaneCayne]

Dang! That's one clean engine inside! 😯

[@BestDamnShopAround]

I was happily surprised!

[@RolandTerry-yg7it]

Like the video friend! No b.s. good stuff

[@BestDamnShopAround]

Thank you sir!

[@karrpilot7092]

Instead of dealing with a malfunctioning OEM throttle body, it might have been a better choice for a Holly sniper.

[@BestDamnShopAround]

Holly sniper is a great unit but out of my budget at this time. To be honest I don't know how long this drivetrain will be in this truck as well 😊

[@bobbysanders6231]

I am in the same process, thanks for ideas!!

[@BestDamnShopAround]

Thanks for watching and subscribing!

[@chevyteske5394]

Did you figure out what was wrong with yours or did you just carb swap aswell I can't get mine to run right and have changed everything besides putting a carb on

[@bobbysanders6231]

I changed intake ,distributor, and carb.. it started right up.. I took computer and all out of vehicle.? Customer was very happy and still driving truck..

[@chevyteske5394]

@bobbysanders6231 ok that's what I'm going to do today

[@bobbysanders6231]

@@chevyteske5394 ok 1 more thing to add, if u have the fuel pump in ur fuel tank, get a return fuel reg.. a carb only takes bout 6 pound

[@chrisconnelly4207]

Awesome vid. Answered all questions I had about my build. Only thing I'm concerned about is, will the stock fuel pump keep up with a 375 hp 350 with a 750 carb?

[@madmanmechanic8847]

I am old school die hard Carb guy but the TBI system when running good is bullet proof and will run a long time. Watched the video No Nonsense that travels all over the United states with his Girl Freind picked up a 2500 Suburban I think it was a 89 in Vegas it sat for years had TBI Chris got it running did basic over haul to get it running drove it from Vegas to Penn and averaged 18 miles to the gallon . What full size Suburban gets freaking 18 miles to the gallon with old dirty injectors and probably a worn out throttle body? I was blown away I figured 12 would be max. If you did a bushing kit and rebuilt the throttle body and put in new injectors it would run good and never let you down . Love TBI good cold starts and excellent MPG and simple cant ask for anything better than that

[@BestDamnShopAround]

You're right, when they work correctly they're great! This particular one didn't run well and instead of investing time and money and rebuilding it I decided to go with a carburetor with the future plans of removing this drive train and putting it in an older style hot rod which would make it even harder to have TBI. 18 MPG and a 2500 suburban is very impressive!

[@madmanmechanic8847]

@@BestDamnShopAround . Chris was blown away too with the 18 MPG it was jaw dropping for me. If you wanted to you could jerk the harness and install the ECM go through the TBI and have that 18 mpg with your hot rod. But I get the jest of Old School and go carb

[@hiddenangel1244]

Yeah I had started to get issue with my tbi and timing retarted so fixed the timing replace ignition coil and new cap and rotor and also put English flush to clear up and clean up and wtv else it could do to clean the injectiors seems to done the trick for my truck still has lil something I can tell but last thing I know of needing to replace is my lifters and cams and likely push rods and all those components

[@BestDamnShopAround]

They're hard to diagnose!

[@monkeymangonewild]

It was the Pickup in the distributor. They go bad and give funky symptoms. They idle, but surge when you rev. Then dies completely. Intermittent miss.

[@BestDamnShopAround]

That's pretty much what it was doing!

[@cyberdude721]

@@BestDamnShopAround had issues with my 92 k1500 changed every sensor, dizzy, coil, fuel pump couldnt get it running good for nothing so I did the swap had a tough time making it run turned out to be the oil pressure sensor it is also a safety switch for fuel pump once I changed it fuel pump runs as it should, my issue I was following other peoples wiring for distributor all I used is the coil wires white and red white for tach. I tried the purple wire didnt work

[@BestDamnShopAround]

@@cyberdude721 good to know!

[@kooldoozer]

Summit Racing part numbers for those metric tubing to AN6 adapter fittings. ICT Billet F06ANFM1415 - ICT Billet AN to Metric Adapter Fittings Part Number: ICB-F06ANFM1415 ICT Billet F06ANFM1615 - ICT Billet AN to Metric Adapter Fittings Part Number: ICB-F06ANFM1615 --Doozer

[@BestDamnShopAround]

You're the best!

[@peterbogdan9176]

I might be doing this my gmc just started sputtering o n way home.

[@BestDamnShopAround]

It's not too bad!

[@branmanhosmaniac3489]

Curious, when u say ur going to clean up the wiring later, how exactly r u going to do it? Are u going to follow the wires for the tbi stuff back to the ecu and snip em there?

[@BestDamnShopAround]

Exactly what I plan to do, sorry for not specifying!

[@branmanhosmaniac3489]

@@BestDamnShopAround no problem, I'm just trying to figure out what I can eliminate

[@ATCDukes]

I'm about to comvert my 94 Chevy Cheyenne today but what I didn't realize was that my transmission has wiring that goes directly to the electrical computer box... its a 2x2 3500 ... What would be the alternative for transmission wiring?

[@BestDamnShopAround]

I'm not 100% sure, sorry! I'm sure the wiring is throttle position but I'm not positive who makes an adapter.

[@marineswarm]

now to learn how to use an 4l80le

[@BestDamnShopAround]

@@marineswarm I've been told the stand alone trans controllers work well!

[@williammerritt3566]

Did you have to get a special intake to replace the tbi? I hear the bolts are different.

[@BestDamnShopAround]

Yessir!

[@MikeBaxterABC]

Thanks for making his video!! My 1994 Chev Step Van dies ne day, I put it in my mechnica, and they spent some time with it, and let me know it's not going to be economical to get it going, (they know my style and budget) My van is supposed t e throttle body, but they impleud it was full fuel injection. If it IS??? Does anyone know?? If it is full fuel injection can it be converted to carburetor in this same manner???

[@BestDamnShopAround]

Yes, it should be fuel injected. I personally never done a carburetor conversion on a step van but it should be the same basic process as a pickup truck, it should share the same 350 cubic inch small block

[@williammerritt3566]

Great video! I have a 2001 s10 4.3. No one can get it to start. A little either and it runs great from then on. New computer and a bunch of other stuff! Tired of fooling with it

[@BestDamnShopAround]

Thank you! I know that they made a carburetor version of the 4.3 that came in some Marine applications. Might want to look into that, imagine an intake manifold will be the hardest part on that truck

[@scottbankston3377]

Was this truck an automatic and if so what did you do for the throttle position sensor

[@BestDamnShopAround]

Yes it's an automatic. This particular truck has a turbo 400 that does not require throttle position.

[@dennisowen3717]

Which Transmission do you have. If it's the 700R4 like my 89 K2500 is what do I do with the TPS. I know I need to adjust the TV Cable on the Trans but the TPS has me stumped. Do I just not use the TPS or do I have to hook it up to the Carb.

[@BestDamnShopAround]

My truck has a th400. You can use a kit called TV made ez for the 700r4

[@dennisowen3717]

@BestDamnShopAround Thanks but I might just go ahead and get a t400.

[@BestDamnShopAround]

@@dennisowen3717 they're great transmissions, only downside they don't have overdrive.

[@dennisowen3717]

@@BestDamnShopAround I know. They're great. I don't care about the overdrive.

[@BestDamnShopAround]

@@dennisowen3717 should be perfect then!

[@patrickking3489]

What model is the intake I have a 89 k1500 and wanted to swap it

[@BestDamnShopAround]

I tell the part number in the video, about the 4 minutes 55 second mark

[@ryanwilliams6292]

How will all this work if you have a 4l60e

[@BestDamnShopAround]

You'll have to get an independent transmission controller.

[@doncarter3810]

aren't all TBI systems run on 9-13 psi ?

[@BestDamnShopAround]

I talked to several people about the conversation and they all said it's higher. But honestly I didn't check it to be sure

[@blackbuttecruizr]

BDSA

[@BestDamnShopAround]

👍

[@ajaxracing]

I'll take a carb over efi any day

[@BestDamnShopAround]

Back to basics!

[@williammerritt3566]

Sorry didn’t listen long enough.

[@BestDamnShopAround]

No worries!

[@RetroAnachronist]

Going the wrong way. Shoulda gone from TBI to MPFI. Modern gas just doesn’t work with carburetors anymore.

[@BestDamnShopAround]

Multi port is definitely better but out of the budget for this project. I've had pretty good luck with modern fuel in carburetor vehicles, but I love in Georgia and I believe we have pretty good fuel here.

[@troymecey]

Works just fine with carburetors. I'm on my 3rd engine in my 86 GMC and still using the original Qjet.

[@BestDamnShopAround]

@@troymecey haven't had a problem either!

[@thatrebelboy48]

That’s the dumbest thing I’ve read in along time 🤣🤣

[@TY_IS_FAHRENHEIT]

If you have a tbi you can literally only upgrade I don't think you have had as many problems as the rest of us😂