Inliners International Forums General Discussion Hi Performance Bonneville.... TBI conversion - installation demo

We didn't lose any posts when the board went down. You can do a search from each forum main page back a year, or you can do a manual search all the way back. The Hi Performance forum has 91 pages available, starting in 2002.

'Manual Search'? As in one page at a time?

If you are looking for a specific article as Marc is, and know the approximate date it should be rather easy. Otherwise, yep, it would be 'one page at a time'.

I figured, had to check though.

Thanks.

In a thread I started almost a year ago there is a lot of information Marc shared. There are also links to more info from Marc and Tom( tlowe ). I don't know how to post a link but the heading was," 4 piles into 1". I need to up date that thread because it is progressing slowly, and that is where I'm putting what I'm learning from Marc to work.

The easiest way to make a topic accessible is to keep it active. Just find it,make a post, and it will bump to the front.

OK

Here is a link to what I've done so far on pictures for the conversion. I'm not so good at this. I can tell I'll have to redo some. I'm going to hook it all up again to take pictures because that night I wasn't able to get the shots we need. I took pictures today under the hood of my '89 GMC so we'll know what they look like in the wrecking yard. I'll get more detailed shots of the harness we used and I'll trim down the one from the '90 Suburban to just what is needed. There will be lots of pix but you'll just have to look at what you need.

http://picasaweb.google.com/sixpics/TBIConversionPix?authkey=qLVUS4w3RaE#

I pulled the ECM and harness from the Suburban today and will begin the cutting soon. It's sort of a mess because someone put a carb on it and they messed with some of the wires. I'll use the one I got from Marc and a diagram from a book to sort it out so we have just enough to run fuel and spark with a MS.

Looks nice so far, who made your tank?

I borrowed that from a friend just for the conversion. He has two of them. He is still a friend because I returned it. I don't know where He got them but they are nice and he is proud of them. I'm not quite ready to lose him as a friend yet,not until I can get ahold of both of them!

Hi all, I wuz gone for a month, come back, and all these posts I missed!

I wasn't screwin' off though -- I got the Howell 258ci TBI conversion kit stuffed into my 1963 Rambler Classic wagon. I got the kit for very cheap from a generous fellow AMCer who bought it for a project two years ago that never materialized.

Project is here, with photos:

http://wps.com/AMC/1963-Rambler-Classic-550-Cross-Country/Howell-TBI/index.html


The wagon has a 1970 AMC 232ci in it, which had been 100% LPG until July this year. Built it in 1988. Rings are still excellent, but the valves were recessed, a bit burned and leaking. 20 years, can't complain!

This spring/summer I switched "back" to gasoline and stuck an old Carter YF over the hole where the Impco CA125 was (original iron manifold.)

In August I pulled the head and had the local shop do a stock valve job. I'd collected the "modern" parts that the Howell kit wants (and any sensible AMC six wants :-) the 81-up aluminum intake and exhaust, etc. It's got a BBD base...

With the new head I jumped into the TBI kit. It all bolted on without hacking at it (since the engine determines the harness layout it was fine.

It started right up with one problem (return line hose bend had pinched over time) and for now, I'm driving it with the totally wrong (rich) maps for the Jeep 258.

I made an "adjustable MAP" jobbie and that helped a lot, though of course it's a crock. 2mpg is 2mpg though and plugs are beige not chocolate!

I'm buying Moates' AutoPROM kit and will tune this sucker up ASAP.

Next I plan on doing my 63 Rambler AMerican (with the old Nash-can 195.6 OHV motor) out of junkyard parts.

Both of these motors, mileage is the goal, they're my daily drivers and the wagon is the work horse (trekked up to Burning Man in the Nevada desert with it, hauling three people and a trailer load of crap for a week, 1300 miles).

I'm working up to having the knowledge to built up the Navarro turbo Rambler six, which will be port injection and all custom and performance, not mileage!

Anyone have any experience with the Moates AutoPROM? This is for a GM ECM 1227747, a pre-OBD1 TBI computer....

Looks pretty good! How's it going now? (The rest of the wiring etc in your truck is pretty neat, I'm sure the TBI will end up as neat as possible).

One photo is labelled "megasquirt" though that looks like a GM ECM... ?

Tom, I got a bunch of pictures I'm trying to put labels on of my '89 GMC before I tear it apart. They are mainly to help identify what you need from the wrecking yard. My TBi set up will end up in a '68 1 ton flatbed. I'm trying to sort out the wiring from it and the harness I took from a '90 Suburban to see how much I need of each and what can go away. There are several projects going on here now along with getting ready for winter,so it's not moving fast.
Your project is really cool and your post is great! Keep us informed of how it's working. What fuel pump is that? Thanks, Tom Too

Tom,

On your 68 1 ton does the fuel pickup go in through the top of the tank with the gage sender and use a rotating ring to compress the Oring seal? If so find a simular depth tank out of a later model GM - bet it'll bolt in and you got an instant in tank pump conversion with the correct GM fittings to run the line upto the TBI..
Marc

It does have that type of rotating ring. I've been thinking about using either the '89 pickup or the '90 Suburban tank. I haven't done any real measuring yet, but there is quite a bit of room under the flat bed. I'll have all those fuel lines and wires to use. Should I be planning on an in tank or external inline pump? You mentioned using BBC injectors and a 255 LPH pump. The Suburban had a 454 BBC. Would that pump be big enough? Thanks, Tom

Good! I hope to be doing just that in a couple months! I work at a university and the next quarter (through 1 Jan) will be most busy. But I'll be reading and lurking.



I'll have to go dig out the manual, I left it at work! I think it has more info than Howell's webpage, which is at http://www.howellefi.com/shop/customer/product.php?productid=16146&cat=0


Yeah, it was a neat install. I can't even hear it run. No way I'm farting around with in-tank pumps on my old cars.

Though I think I need to look at retrofitting new-fangled filler necks, it's getting really tough to fill my cars from California vapor-collecting nozzles. It's a huge hassle every fillup.

I spent an hour or so this afternoon trying to pare down the '90 Suburban wire harness using the one Marc and I used in Wendover as a guide. They don't exactly match in color and the Burb had been modified for a carb. I'll use the diagrams in the manual tomorrow as well and get it down to just what is needed. The two harnesses took up the whole 8' of the flatbed. I need some good label too. Thanks Marc for marking yours so well. I'd really be lost. I've still got the running '89 pickup to look at too.

Beater....

If you keep the '89 running you will have a known running vehicle to hook up your MS to and try tuning with - just unhook the reference timing connector so the dist. stays at base timing. Maybe set the base timing at 15* BTDC (use your timing light and turn the dist. just like any other non-efi motor) - remember to set it back when you want to control the timing using the GM ECM.

This way you only have the fuel tune up to do.

That is a good idea! You know, I would not have thought of it. The truck has several issues and I won't drive it on the road any more, but it runs well. I could get a lot of practice before I tear it apart. Also reference for the other two harnesses. Thanks, Beater

I spent all day parring down the Suburban harness. I made a few mistakes but they are fixable. I think this harness won't actually be used. Someone had put a carb in place of the TBI. They messed with the the wiring more than I thought. I'm doing a presentation at our chapter meeting Saturday and it will be good enough to give an idea of what to keep. I'm still working on pictures and will post more soon.

Here are pictures I took of my donor '89 GMC to show what you need to get at the junk yard. Marc and I only ran the fuel side at Wendover. I'm not totally sure how much of the ignition stuff would be used in a full conversion. The plan here is to either find an '81 California Distributor or an MSD. Any way here's what I've got to this point. Tom

http://picasaweb.google.com/sixpics/TBIConversion2Donor?authkey=X_GdWbfK4XM#

you can buy the 81 calif dist all day long at any auto parts store. they will have to order it and then turn in any old hei for the core. tom

Tom

You should grab the alternator also, its got enough oomph to keep up with the efi and fuel pump... also ties in nicely via the engine harness

Pretty thourough.

+1 on the alternator.

OK, on the alternator. Too bad I pulled that wiring from the Burb harness but that's no "biggie" I made a couple of mistakes there. I't good to have stuff to practice on. I practiced on my local chapter today with a little show and tell of the Conversion and what I've gathered so far. There is some interest. There will be more when I complete one. Thanks guys for the help.

You'll be the local efi guy soon enough..

I'll be your Northern Nevada Rep. You tha "MAN"!

There is a lot of really good information here, dig around the support link. Check the installation video under GSE ...

They cover all the basics. And their TBI harness is reasonably priced at $265 made to order. If you don't want to mess with a stock GM harness this is a good option.


http://www.affordable-fuel-injection.com/faq.php

I'm bringing this back so I can try to restore the pictures and help me refresh my memory while building the 292 for my flat bed. I'll try to add the demo at Bonneville and the Prep and Donor photos. Thank you Google/Picasa!