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Thread: Mazda B2200 TBI Conversion?

  1. #1
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    Mazda B2200 TBI Conversion?

    Anybody have any experiece adapting TBI from a GM 4cyl, such as an S10 or Cavalier to a non-GM 4cyl?

    My son recently bought a super clean 90 Mazda B2200 for his first truck. They are cool little trucks, and I owned a few as a teenager and early 20something. The rush of nostalgia is fun, but I'm starting to have nighmarish flashbacks of the finicky electronic carb that these little rigs came with.

    It's been 20 years since I messed with these trucks and a lot has changed since then. I've been doing some reading and it seems like FE3 (2.0l Kia Sportage) swaps, 1.8l Miata swaps, and rotory engine swaps are all fairly common. Even the old Weber 32/36 is still a popular mod.

    I got to thinking, how hard would it be to adapt GM TBI to the venerable K3 2.2l Mazda? Fuel delivery and management seems like it would be relatively straightforward, but what about the timing aspect? Mod a GM 4 banger distributor to a Mazda dist shaft, or run a fuel only swap and rely on the factory Mazda vacuum-operated advance to handle ignition and timing?

    Curious to see what others have done or learned throughout the years.

  2. #2
    Super Moderator dave w's Avatar
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    Some of the early non-GM EFI conversions were fuel only.

    GM TBI can be triggered by using a MSD 6A Ignition Control Box (square wave Tachometer signal) https://www.ebay.com/p/1222074102?ii...SABEgIVK_D_BwE

    Many of the Mid 80's GM 2.5 Liter / 151 cubic inch 4 cylinder engines were single barrel Throttle Bodies. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Throttle-Bo...4AAOSwwfFd-jXW

    dave w

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    LT1 specialist steveo's Avatar
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    if you dont need to tune it and you just want injection without a ton of trouble, there is a fuel injected 2.2 that mazda made in later trucks. at one point i had both engines and they were damn similar

    i wouldn’t put much effort into that thing as it struggles to make 100hp on a good day

    the stock carb runs surprisingly well with everything unhooked and all vacuum ports capped off if you want to try that.

    my truck ended up getting the weber carb and i ripped like 50 pounds of hoses, wiring, and sensors crap out of that engine bay

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    Quote Originally Posted by dave w View Post
    Some of the early non-GM EFI conversions were fuel only.

    GM TBI can be triggered by using a MSD 6A Ignition Control Box (square wave Tachometer signal)

    Many of the Mid 80's GM 2.5 Liter / 151 cubic inch 4 cylinder engines were single barrel Throttle Bodies.

    dave w
    Thanks Dave. I think I can make this work. The coolant temp sensor might be sorta tricky. The GM unit being 3/8” NPT, whereas the Mazda uses M12x1.5 thread size. I could run a stock Mazda CTS if it operates under the same general parameters as the GM unit.

    I’d love to explore this with you further one of these days.

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    Quote Originally Posted by steveo View Post
    if you dont need to tune it and you just want injection without a ton of trouble, there is a fuel injected 2.2 that mazda made in later trucks. at one point i had both engines and they were damn similar

    i wouldn’t put much effort into that thing as it struggles to make 100hp on a good day
    I’m aware of the 2.2l EFI engines. There are a few reasons I’m not considering that conversion. One being Mazda B-series EFI parts are hard to come by in the JY and relatively expensive to buy new. Secondly, the aftermarket support for GM TBI exists…Mazda, not as much. Third, I’m familiar and comfortable with GM TBI.

    Yes, at 85 HP, the 2.2l is not a massive powerhouse. This conversion is simply for improved reliability and drivability. I’m not a giant fan of carbs in general, and feedback carbs I find particularly annoying. That being said, I did consider a Weber 32/36…and it’s still a possibility…but I’d much rather run EFI.

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    LT1 specialist steveo's Avatar
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    definitely go for it then!

    if you score a 2.2 efi distributor that might make a better trigger? and run proper ecm controlled spark

    things like the coolant temp sensor will be the least of your issues; maybe you can grab an npt brass pipe plug, then drill and tap that to make an adapter

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    You know...I didnt even consider adapting the stock FI Mazda distributor.

    Good call.

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    Super Moderator dave w's Avatar
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    Maybe the original Mazda distributor (for a carburetor) has a magnetic pickup to trigger a GM Ignition Module?

    See attached pic.

    dave w
    Attached Images Attached Images

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    is this similar to what eagle mark was working on?

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    Not sure who that is. Here's the link:

    http://www.mazdatrucking.com/forum/s...EFI-Conversion

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    Looking into the resistance values of the Mazda vs. GM CTS. They look close on the upper end, but get a little further apart down low. Anybody have any thoughts/comments on the compatibility of these values?
    Mazda CTS.jpg
    GM CTS.JPG

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    Super Moderator dave w's Avatar
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    The mazdatrucking.com link is a Fuel Only control. The TBI computer does not control spark advance.

    Using the GM Ignition Module allows the GM computer to control spark advance.

    Good - carburetor
    Better - TBI Fuel Only
    Best - 100% TBI functionality ( computer controlled fuel and spark advance)

    dave w

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    Quote Originally Posted by dave w View Post
    Maybe the original Mazda distributor (for a carburetor) has a magnetic pickup to trigger a GM Ignition Module?
    This looks promising. Apparently the earlier b2000s (2.0l) have a magnetic pickup in the distributor.

    https://www.streetsource.com/threads...msd-box-89-b22

    Dave...I'm a little foggy in this area. Does this mean I could modify the early Mazda dist, bypass the vac advance and run full TBI ECM timing control? If so, how? Because that would be awesome.

  14. #14
    Super Moderator dave w's Avatar
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    I'm not familiar with Mazda's.

    The functional description is as follows: the magnetic pickup will make an Alternating Current (AC) signal when the distributor shaft starts spinning. The AC signal is very low voltage, but the AC frequency will change as the distributor shafts spins faster and faster. The GM Ignition Module converts the AC signal from the pickup coil into a square wave that the TBI computer reads as a distributor reference pulse (aka Engine RPM).

    The GM Ignition Module is very universal, it will accept magnetic pickup AC signals from all automotive pickup coils manufactured / imported to the United States after 1975, including the pickup coils manufactured by Mazda after 1975.

    For an EFI conversion, a distributor with a vacuum advance will need the vacuum advance mechanism welded.

    dave w

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    @Dave w
    "For an EFI conversion, a distributor with a vacuum advance will need the vacuum advance mechanism welded."
    I guess you mean the flywheel (centrifugual) advance mechanism.

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