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Thread: New to the Zoo

  1. #1
    Carb and Points!
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    New to the Zoo

    Hi everyone, My name is Ron,

    This looks like a good forum to join, and I have some projects that I need to move forward on, so here I go.

    My first priority is my '95 K2500 Suburban 5.7 TBI with a 4L80E, 4.10 gears and 180,000 miles. I have had it a couple of years and done some improvements like a electric locker for the rear axle and lots of maintenance. It runs "good" but is tired, and cylinder #1 is down to 100 psi compression from what I suspect is a worn cam, So a couple of months ago I bought a new L31R long block from Karl Chevrolet, completely disassembled it, cleaned and inspected every part, cleaned up the ports, installed screw in studs and added chevy beehive valve springs, comp cam retainers and a 14097395 cam, and put it all back together with an Edelbrock manifold, new GM distributor and all new Delco sensors. I am in the process of machining a TBI adapter plate and then I will be about ready to swap in the new engine. I also have Hooker long tube headers to install, and I have already upgraded the fuel pump.

    Reliability and a modest increase in towing ability and performance are my goals.

    it looks like at least a couple others are doing almost exactly what I am here, so it will be cool to compare notes and share info.



    Second project is a '92 B4C 1LE Camaro that I have had for about 10 years. This one is in the process of a mild performance upgrade to the 5.7 TPI with a new Scat crank, PM rods, KB pistons, balanced, LT4 Hot cam, Brodix IK 180 heads and a Holley Stealth Ram. The engine is out, and I have all the parts, and the machine work is done, I just need to put it together and tune it. Then I can address the other weaknesses in the drive train (all of it, really).
    it's a cool car though, it was originally an Oregon State Police car, and they installed a roll cage in it, which combined with the sound of the 3" Flowmaster exhaust, seem to be amusingly intimidating to the Honda fanboys. One downside is that I tend to put my perfect driving record at risk whenever I drive it. Don't get me wrong, I am almost 57 years old and I don't have any desire to street race, but quiet backroads and canyons are pretty boring at the posted speed limit with the 1LE suspension!



    Project 3 is a '65 GMC 1500 pickup, currently 305 V6, but I intend to put a 350 in it for more performance, and better parts availability. The V6 is a really cool engine, and I have a Holley 500 2 barrel carb and HEI distributor machined from a Buick even fire V6 unit, so it runs really good. But it has about 142 horsepower and really won't pull my RV trailer well. I have a complete Howell / GM EFI system that will live on this truck, and of course need to be tuned.

    I also have an '85 Toyota 4WD pickup with a 22r that works pretty good carbureted, but we all know it really needs EFI. Maybe Megasquirt with stock 22RE fuel / intake system.



    I worked as a mechanic for many years, independent shops, dealers, truck shops and owned my own repair business. Careers evolve however, and I let my ASE Master Auto and Master Medium / Heavy truck certifications lapse in about 2008. I now own a business that cleans, reconditions and recertifies industrial bulk containers. I design and fabricate the cleaning and automated testing equipment, and only have to work on cars for friends family and hobby. I also like motorcycles, and have 6 of them currently.

    Thanks for listening to my ramblings on, and I look forward to hearing about anyone else with similar projects. Oh yeah, I do have an AutoProm and stuff, I just haven't played with it since the Camaro was running a few years ago though. Time to get back up to speed!

  2. #2
    Super Moderator dave w's Avatar
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    I've have great success tuning 93 - 95 TBI systems (with automatic transmission) using a Wide Band O2 Sensor (WBO2). I posted an Excel spreadsheet in a thread with instructions: http://www.gearhead-efi.com/Fuel-Inj...g)-Spreadsheet The original O2 sensor is still needed. The WBO2 sensor is for information only, similar to other vital tuning information like RPM, MAP, Spark Advance (SA), Injector Pulse Width, and Knock Counts.

    I use a different spreadsheet for tuning 90 - 92 TPI's "Log File Analyzer" found in this tread: http://www.gearhead-efi.com/Fuel-Inj...Information-8D

    With some additional homework, the TPI 90 - 92 TPI system can be configured for WBO2 tuning also.

    "Excel" with Excel tuning!

    dave w

  3. #3
    Carb and Points!
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    Thanks for the welcome and response. I will certainly read those threads, they should be very helpful.

    I did buy a WBO2 when I bought the AutoProm several years ago. I think it is a LM-1 or LC-1. I need to gather up all the stuff I have, and see what I have to work with. I messed around with the APU and TunerPro before I pulled the engine out of the Camaro, disabled the EGR and changed the spark tables a bit to get a feel for it. I haven't done anything with the WBO2 yet, and I wouldn't even try tuning without one. i think that I will get the tuning hardware and software hooked up and working on the original L05 before I swap the new engine in. I will be reading as much as I can in the next couple of weeks to make this go as smoothly as possible.

    Ron

  4. #4
    Super Moderator dave w's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RonchyRon View Post
    Project 3 is a '65 GMC 1500 pickup, currently 305 V6, but I intend to put a 350 in it for more performance, and better parts availability. The V6 is a really cool engine, and I have a Holley 500 2 barrel carb and HEI distributor machined from a Buick even fire V6 unit, so it runs really good. But it has about 142 horsepower and really won't pull my RV trailer well. I have a complete Howell / GM EFI system that will live on this truck, and of course need to be tuned.
    The Howell System is good. The computer used in your 95 K2500 Suburban is a SUPERIOR computer! Possibly consider re-pinning the Howell harness to the 95 K2500 Suburban computer wiring diagram and have TWO projects using the same computer part number.

    Quote Originally Posted by RonchyRon View Post
    I also have an '85 Toyota 4WD pickup with a 22r that works pretty good carbureted, but we all know it really needs EFI. Maybe Megasquirt with stock 22RE fuel / intake system.
    Have you considered Dynamic EFI? http://www.dynamicefi.com/ The Dynamic EFI system or a GM EFI system is an option, by converting the Toyota distributor to use a GM 8 Pin HEI Ignition Module. Possibly all three projects using the same computer part number.

    Possibly using an Ostrich 2.0 emulator to make tuning changes while your driving? http://support.moates.net/ostrich-20-overview/

    dave w

  5. #5
    Carb and Points!
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    I think it would be great to upgrade the computer on the Howell system. I know it is the older slow ECU, I can't remember which one. I originally intended to install it on the 305 V6, and I went so far as to make an HEI distributor to fit, with an external 8-pin module, and machine a nice adapter for the throttle body. But i started finding serious downsides to that great old motor, and didn't progress any further.

    As an aside, one problem I had using a Buick V6 distributor was the lack of sufficient centrifugal advance for that old 7.75:1 CR no-quench-combustion-chamber havin' motor. As a happy reality, when the 8-pin module gets no news from an ECU, the built in limp home mode adds about 10° advance at 1500 RPM, problem solved and it starts and runs great. (I really wanted to put EFI and twin turbos on the old beast, but, you know...)

    I like the idea of the Dynamic EFI system, but one of the modifications I have done to the Toyota is a Ford EDIS distributorless ignition system with a Megajolt controller. It works incredibly well on that motor, and I would hate to go back to a distributor. One advantage is the extreme resistance to drowning the ignition system in water. Interestingly, the high swirl, high compression 22R engine had exactly the opposite problem as the GMC V6. When I rebuilt the motor, added a mild cam and headers, and removed the EGR system. The stock dual diaphragm distributor was then totally incompatible with the advance curve that the engine wanted. It ran funny, and made weird noises. I soon figured out that it was actually pinging on deceleration! I didn't even think that was possible. So I installed the digital ignition control an started tuning. It was hard not to assume that I knew more about what the engine wanted than it did. When I was done, I was pretty amazed at how little advance it wanted, based on years of working on V8's. IIRC, it didn't need more than 24° total advance at any RPM or vacuum combination. So that is what it has been running for 10 years and about 80,000 miles now, and it runs extremely well, and gets good mileage too. If it didn't run so damn good, I would have ditched the carb, and put EFI on years ago. EFI certainly would have eliminated the limitations of the distributors on both engines.

    Now on the other hand, maybe I could use the Dynamic EFI with the Howell wiring harness on the GMC. But I do see the goodness in the idea of having all 3 vehicles with the same computer...

    Ron

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