89 4.3 to 350 now want to go vortec 350 with carb

[c&k1500]

hi guys i have an 89 c1500 beater burnout messaround truck ive had for a couple years came with a 4.3 and 5 spd with worn out clutch i part out and scrap these for a living so ive so far swapped to a 350 tbi with 140 000 miles did the intake gaskets and swapped it in with a brand new clutch then swapped the 3.08 rear for a 3.42 and it hauls pretty good for using all stock and mostly free parts in a couple weeks im supposed to be getting a 97or 98 pickup with a good running 350 vortec so i was thinking of ordering a carb intake for it and putting the edelbrock i have off a different motor on this truck and buying or finding a distributor to work with this so im asking would it be worth the swap money and time involed would it run good and be reliable and faster than what i have is it good bang for buck or just stick with what i got till i find a real motor any help is appreciated thanks

[Doober]

If it's just a toy truck that you won't have to worry about emissions & stuff with, I'd just put a carbed intake on with a regulator. You'd just need a standard HEI distributor to run it :)

[cancritter]

would keep the tbi

[Chriscon7]

Im a fan of carbs, but down grading from FI to a carb is not a wise choice IMO. Why would you opt for worse drivability/bogging/economy when you can just leave it the way it is. Doesn't make sense to me

[Doober]

I'm all for TBI too, sounds like a low budget plan though I think... anywhere between another 400-700 for the supporting parts.

[c&k1500]

i dont have to worry about emissions what kind of regulator would i need and do you know how i could wire up the hei also i read i might need to change the shaft on the distributor if i use an older hei any insight on that

[c&k1500]

are you saying leave the motor in there thats in there or make tbi work on the new motor what would be involved doing that i think going the carb route i could do this swap for under 400 tbi would save me money on a regulator and probly a distributor but would i be getting enough fuel being stock i dont think its getting enough fuel now sometimes when i take off like a racer when i slam in 2nd it bogs way down then catches i dont know how to tune carbs or tbi i just think the carb route will be easier to accomplish

[Chriscon7]

Well it'll never run right if you don't adjust the carb. Its not a one size fits all type thing. The settings on the carb may run perfect on a 351 windsor and then if you were to put it on a vortec 350 it could run like ****. (just an example) tuning the carb, even in the slightest amount is a dam near necessity. With the tbi you can set it right and leave it.

[Doober]

The Vortec will be better considering it makes around 50hp more with the roller cam and Vortec heads. You can find a regulator on Summit's site. Yes a carb setup will likely be cheaper given you can find a used 600-650cfm unit to fit the intake you'll be using, but it would still benefit to tune it. There isn't any shaft changing or anything like that with putting an older distributor in... just get one from an older small block, hook up 12v to the "batt" terminal and you're done... if you want to hook up a tach there is a "tach" terminal right next to it - the old HEI system is self-contained and doesn't use a computer or anything else.

[c&k1500]

The Vortec will be better considering it makes around 50hp more with the roller cam and Vortec heads. You can find a regulator on Summit's site. Yes a carb setup will likely be cheaper given you can find a used 600-650cfm unit to fit the intake you'll be using, but it would still benefit to tune it. There isn't any shaft changing or anything like that with putting an older distributor in... just get one from an older small block, hook up 12v to the "batt" terminal and you're done... if you want to hook up a tach there is a "tach" terminal right next to it - the old HEI system is self-contained and doesn't use a computer or anything else.

awesome good info i have an edelbrock 1406 i believe off a 305 not sure on cfm i will look into how to tune it there is two screws on it idle and air fuel mix not sure i will update this when i actualy get the truck as long as the guy dont back out ill be doing it this summer thanks for the info is there any thing else that im missing what psi should i be running for carb should i get an in line pump thats adjustable then pull pump out of tank

[Chriscon7]

just adjust it the best you can with the screws, you shouldn't have to change the jetting if you're in the same alttitude. You could just take it apart and clean er up.
as far as a pump, i do'nt really know, i've only really messed wit hthe mechanical pump ones

[Doober]

I have what I think is just a stock replacement Carter pump on the Malibu, it seems to do just fine with the 350-400hp range of the engine. 1406 is an electric choke, 600cfm squarebore. I have a 1405 (same as the 1406 just manual choke) on the Malibu and it's awesome under power but I have a slight off-idle issue (it's been around 10 years since I got it from the junkyard, never been apart). Tuning it involves a set of needles/seats and springs you get as part of a 'kit' from Edelbrock (around $75 iirc), and they have a tuning guide in the manual you can download directly from their site. The cruise circuit is rich on mine (smell exhaust fumes all the time) but it still runs reasonably good otherwise.