Looking to motor swap this winter and found a motor at summit racing and I haven't decided which would be less expensive.... Going carb, trying to put the CFI equipment back on the crate motor, or trying to update wiring and ecm to accomodate a different intake system. Please chime in with useful advice taking into consideration that cost is a factor.

 

Why? Carburetors are old technology. Go to TPI or some other form of injection.

 

Becuse i'm not going to rewire the whole car and swap ecm's and everything else to make the new electronics work. It is very expensive and costly to do so. Or at least i think it is. Guy's Ive never done anything like this and had not intended on having to do this with my car so I'm trying to fix my current problem as inexpensively as possible.

 

Here are some great reads on the CFI. Hope it helps ya.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...solutions.html

 

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/nal-10067353 will this motor work with factory CFI equipment?

 

Maintaining the stock CFI system is by far, the least expensive option. It should bolt right on to your new crate motor, so what could be less expensive than that? To go carb, you're going to need:
*Intake
*Carb
*FPR
*Linkage/cable
*Some kind of converter control
*Plumbing
*Distributor
*Filter assembly

I'm seeing at least $500 to make the swap.

 

I have no problem keeping the CFI. I just want to know it will bolt on to that motor i posted. I know it wont bolt on to my other option. OR if you know of a motor it will bolt on to for sure and it's $3000.00 or less Post it.

 

machine shop here quoted me 4 to 5k to rebuild the current engine and I just cant see spending that kind of money on a 200 HP motor. Like i said I did not intend on doing a rebuild with this car and I'm just trying to get out of this w/o spending 5g's rebuilding it.

 

It will bolt directly to that motor. No issues at all.

It will also bolt to any Gen I motor w/some drilling/tapping/grinding. I've put a CFI intake on a Vortec long block. It was a bit tricky, but possible.

 

So now the next question. Will I be losing any performance with that motor due to the lower compression? It's a small amount lower but it is lower. Are there any crate motors in the 1.5 to 3k range u would reccomend over this motor that will bolt on the CFI? Sorry to be such a pain but this is such a major decision and I only want to make it once and I would like to be satisfied with my choice.

 

I doubt that the power difference will be noticeable unless you've put objective numbers to the car (drag track or dyno). I'd guess that engine would be w/in 10hp of your old one -with your old one, running right. I feel you could probably about make up for any deficit (if there is any) with more timing and optimizing fuel pressure.

 

Questions that come to mind in addition are that this is rated at a 195 HP with up to 260 HP depending on intake and injection set up. At a base of 195 does that mean that the CFI setup will not provide more than 10 HP to this motor? I had really hoped i could gain something on swapping motors, 50 HP ....something. I cant find any GEN 1 motors that are not rated a truck motor. If you could link a motor that you found that would be an increase of HP that would also utilize all the stock CFI without modification I would forever be in your debt. Or if there isnt one than I thank you for all you have helped with thus far.

 

Alright....

First, how are they making that hp claim w/a 65 hp spread? NO intake is going to "make" 65 hp...not on that engine. I'd guess that it's rated at "~195hp" as installed in a period correct, smogger car; an '80 Caprice, for example. In your 'Vette, you'd probably end up w/~200ish hp with the 'Vette's better exhaust, electric fan, serp belt and the CFI. ~10hp better than the "Caprice" example...so about what your stock engine made in your car. The 260HP? That would be the same engine, on a dyno, LT headers, no exhaust, decent dual plane intake, 4 bbl, no accessories, no air filter, optimized jetting and timing. There is your "260hp". It's there...but not in real life.

SO, second, I doubt the CFI would "provide" 10hp over their base claim; it's the install (the "VETTE" part) that would get you ~10hp over their claim.


Third, the BEST value for your "50hp" is straight up a "VORTEC (LINK)" 350 long block, your CFI intake w/massive porting, then feeding it what it wants. That is going to require more fuel pressure (possibly a new pump), a 1 pc ream main seal flywheel/flex plate, fussy, but doable drilling/tapping of the heads for the intake bolts. But it will work, it's cheap, those engines last forever, and that combo should get you into the 250hp range.


Fourth; don't worry about a "truck motor"...ALL 'Vettes have "truck motors", essentially. The TPI is the best gas truck motor ever made...that never went into a truck, unfortunately.

Last, You aren't going to get more power economically with any engine that "would also utilize all the stock CFI without modification". W/o modification, the CFI intake is just too restrictive. You might coax 220-230 chp out of something, but spending more $$$ on "more engine" to get your 50 hp goal...and then keeping the stock intake (unported/modified) is going to be money wasted. If you want 50 more HP (on a budget), you're going to have to port your intake, or change it.


.

 

Tom the only thing you missed was the torque you can get out of CFI motor

 

There are other good engine builders out there. Here's one that I have used, and they built it to my specs, at a very reasonable price.

http://www.larrysengine.com/index.html

If you're on a budget, the only thing you really need is to open up the ports on that CFI intake manifold! That's a MUST! Just like Tom said!

Keeping the CFI will save you all that potential conversion money! You've already got all the right stuff!

 

Stock CFI intake next to ported.