1970-Cloned

iTrader: (1)

May have this in the wrong section. This is my home area since I am doing a swap in a non original LSX car. Want to hear from my home room guys.

What do you think about LSX engines that have been changed to run a carburetor?

What are the pros and cons of either induction?

Why did you pick the carb/efi setup you run in your car?

I have formulated my own opinions on this but am interested to see what others think.

ls1nova71

iTrader: (4)

Personally I don't see why someone would go through the trouble of the install and then not fuel inject it. Just my $0.02, I'm not one to tell anybody what to do. I mean after all, I've done some weird **** in my time!

chris-m

i bought an engine without any efi bits on, no plenum/throttle body etc or injectors. it was very easy /cheap to get a GM manifold, demon carb and msd 6010 box to run the lot. its in a retro type car and suits the install better than efi would have! drives great also.

DCx

iTrader: (12)

it was cheap for me also. i bought a complete long block take out with upgrades. i ended up selling the ls6 intake, slp maf, throttle body, f body oil pan, tr224 cam, fuel rail, racetronix injectors, and 241 casting heads with upgraded springs.

all i kept was the existing roll master double timing chain, short block, and rocker arms. i already had a mighty demon carb so with the money i made i got a victor jr, and msd ignition. my swap was a 69 camaro so i naturally had to buy all the high dollar ATS 6 speed parts for it along with hooker headers, autokraft oil pan, and other swap parts.

another cheap side for me was the fuel system. i bought a sumpped factory tank and run an external fuel pump. no need for a return.

i could not see paying $700 or more for a reworked harness, thats more than my carb intake and ignition. i have no idea what the plus side of things are for the FI guys, im just glad i didnt have to make 1000 posts about my vats not working, pink wires, or my injectors not firing.

i got my swap running in no time. plus, its always fun to see peoples reaction to a carb ls1.

Sheephead

iTrader: (13)

I think going carburetor and msd 6010 is cheaper and easier on conversion's msd comes with it,s own software for tuning.You don,t have to buy Hptuners or rely on someone else to tune.Going carb. may be old school but still gets the job done.

forcd ind

iTrader: (7)

my choice was easy-i am pretty much computer stupid-i wanted to try the ls motor in my chevelle, but like the others i have owned, i wanted to run a procharger, and i wanted to use the vette setup-the thought of being able to just plug in the msd box, and fire it up was the best solution, since i knew how to set up a carb for the boost-i was collecting parts for fi, but the price of getting it up and running, plus having to count on someone else to tune it, was too much for now-i may switch over later, as i can use the same fuel pump with a reg change, and the msd box sup. can support fi also with a wiring harness(prob in a closed loop) one day i would like to change over to mod'ed factory harness, computer, and add a 4l80e, as i learn more
poor guy from msd had to spend an hour with me just to train me on the msd box, got that down good(except that map stuff, lol)
right now the car runs perfect, couldnt ask for more, but maybe over the winter??????????????????

Horsepwraddict

iTrader: (12)

price was a big thing for me. I had already put a carburated SBC in my s10 so when i went to put my 5.3 in it was really easy to stay carbed. My fuel system was already done, I got to keep my pump rather than buy a good $400 pump to work with my fuel cell. I sold my intake, throttle body and some other random stuff that just about paid off the cost of my engine. I bought my intake and timing controller used too so that was another big plus.

SMAX

iTrader: (11)

I have had both efi and now carbed ls1's and I can tell you the lsx engine responds very well to a carb. My current set up has much better throttle response and revs quicker than my efi ever thought about. Also changing the tune with a carb and msd 6010 is alot easier than with efi, not to mention how much cleaner the install is.

efi will get you better gas mileage probably and is probably more dd friendly, but if I wanted a dd with an lsx I would by another 4th gen or something else.

bluethunder364

iTrader: (5)

I agree with the other responders, For me it was ease of installation with a carb set-up. I'm sure fuel distribution is a little better with EFI, and better fuel economy. But those are secondary issues to cost for me.

Cam72aro

iTrader: (28)

Imo it is just laziness and the easier install to do a carb. I like a little bit of a challenge and people go wow when you say its injected. Why go a lsx motor if you arent going to inject it. I like being able to bump the key in the morning without pumping the throttle and choking it on a cold morning. When its hot it idle faster, ac on it idle differently, etc, etc, etc. Its not much harder to go fuel injection and can be done for about the same price. Just my 2 cents, Josh

SMAX

iTrader: (11)

Wow, I would think if laziness had anything to do with it none of us would have even considered doing an lsx swap. For me the choice to go carb had nothing to do with cost or laziness. I made that choice based on how the vehicle is going to be used. If it was going to be a street only car with a manual trans I would have gone efi, but it is not. My car will be driven on the street, but I will have it at the track as much as possible so I wanted an easy to tune and maintain system. I am also going to install a wide band O2 so that I can make sure the tune is where it needs to be. So just because someone doesn't want to go the same route as you I don't think that makes them lazy in any way.

Sheephead

iTrader: (13)

It all comes down to your time,money and your capabilities.You also have to decide what your going to use the vehicle for.Most peaple want go fast,some people want to run ac. when they pick up the mail.So if you live at home with mom, you have time and money you can afford efi in your conversion .I want to go fast on a budget at the track.I,ll drive my fuel efficient vehicle with ac to pickup the mail and kids.Going carb.is half the price of efi and still end up going fast.

Cam72aro

iTrader: (28)

Fuel injection is easier to tune and can make a car go faster. There are more tuning possibilities based on load, rpm, and so on. I agree maybe no laziness is involved, but installing a lsx then not finishing it off right by doing efi is like not finishing the job. Carb is the easy way out.

ChevyChad

iTrader: (50)

EFI is the only way to go IMO. I agree with the others who have this standpoint too. Why would you even consider an LSx engine and NOT do EFI. Thats a lot of trouble to go thru to just run a carb. I don't get why anyone would do such a thing, but then again, whatever floats your boat. Takes all kinds I guess...

SMAX

iTrader: (11)

Ok You have shown me the light.

Cam72aro

iTrader: (28)

Glad i could help, lol.

Rodder

iTrader: (2)

I went with EFI because I'd much rather boot my laptop than remove float bowls and jets! That and I was going for street driveability and fuel economy.

The power gains poeple are seeing for carb vs EFI are mostly the intake manifold I think, not anything inherent to a carb. I'd love to see someone do a dyno test of the Victor Jr EFI manifold and see what they get for these four scenarios:

1) injectors unplugged, Holley 750, MSD 601x
2) 4-bbl style throttle body, speed-density
3) edelbrock elbow, 90MM throttle body, speed-density
4) edelbrock elbow, 90MM throttle body, 92mm MAF

I've been toying with the idea of swapping my intake to a Victor Jr, running a 4-bbl style throttle body, and running a '69 cowl induction air cleaner. The biggest thing holding me back is that I really don't want to run speed density, and I don't think I could run a MAF reliably in that setup (too close to TB and a sharp bend).

Pop N Wood

iTrader: (1)

There are a lot of good reasons to chose a carb over FI.

I swapped the motor into a 1970 car. A carb with a manual choke is just a better match to the era of the car. I didn't have to change the tank and I can keep the manual choke lever in the console. Lets me keep the interior as dead stock looking as possible. In fact, I wish I could have kept the external voltage regulator. I miss watching the ampmeter bounce all over hell at traffic lights.

One other consideration was I didn't want to deal with a used engine. I have read too many stories of people having to redo a swap shortly after getting it done when the used motor or trans went out. I know most people don't have that worry. But once you have decided to go with a crate motor than carb'd crate motors are significantly cheaper than FI ones. Most don't come with a harness or computer. It gets expensive sourcing all the bits and pieces.

As for performance, there have been numerous magazine swaps that show carb motors don't lose performance over FI. My swap vehicle is only 2300 pounds. Since I don't need to worry much about mid range torque, the single plane intake will give me much more growth potential.

One of the biggest reasons for going carb'd is because I have always wanted a car with a Holley double pumper. May sound dumb to some people, but for one reason or another I have never had one. Now I do. Carb'd LS motors look totally bitching. A shiny holley with a 14 inch alumuinum Moroso air cleaner look fantastic on top of that high rise aluminum GMPP intake.

The final reason is because I build computer controled, real time **** for a living. The absolute last thing I want to do when I come home is struggle with a Microsoft product. There is something to be said for keeping things simple. This way my 8 year old will some day learn how to tune a carb.

The one thing I don't understand is why anyone feels it is somehow wrong to carb an LS motor. Keep in mind if it wasn't for the smog ****'s very few vehicles would be fuel injected. The auto makers didn't go to it because it was better, the did it because they were forced to.

Cam72aro

iTrader: (28)

This is your opinion as an old school hotrodder. I respect that. But! Look at my car for example. It had a small block stroker motor with a turbo 350 behind it. Had 15" draglites on it. Got about 8 miles to the gallon. Fast forward a few years. Ls1, heads and cam, injected, 6 speed. Gets 18-20 miles to the gallon. 17" boyd coddingtons. Nothing about what I have done is era correct, and it gets double the attention. So much that I have a photo shoot this weekend. It would have never made it to a magazine with the old setup. Just the other side to you arguement, no bashing intended, just pleading my case, Josh

thunderstruck507

iTrader: (18)

Gonna have to agree on the EFI side, too much trouble to swap just to carb it IMO.

BBC= nostalgia, carbed, badass
LSx= new age, EFI, badass