Simplest fuel injected V8 install..?

SWAPPING IN A 305, 350 OR ANY OTHER SMALL BLOCK, POST THEM HERE.
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Triple
I am merely driving my van
I am merely driving my van
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Joined: Sat Oct 01, 2016 8:57 am

Simplest fuel injected V8 install..?

Post by Triple »

I'm about to spend a winter in my hometown of Flint, MI (I've been living in GA since 2005), so I recently purchased a 95 AWD Safari to get me through the next six months of snow and slush. If I keep the van beyond the next year or so, I would like to swap in a smallblock of some sort backed by an NV4500 manual transmission.

My original plan was to find a 6.0L with the NV4500 already attached, but low-mile 5.3L's are everywhere for a fraction of the cost and I assume the NV can be made to fit relatively easily. For example, there is a local 2009 5.3L with 60K miles available for $1200, complete top to bottom, front to back, with all accessories, ecm, and harness.

HOWEVER... I might be about to start a Cummins 6BT swap into an 89-91 Suburban 2500, which will leave me with a complete TBI 350 and 4L80E combo. The power potential between the TBI and LS-series really isn't comparable, but the older smallblock is far cheaper to replace with a brand new longblock (should that become necessary) and they get pretty decent fuel mileage. I don't need tire-roasting power anyway, I just want a reliable torque upgrade from the current 4.3L.

So my question is this: is swapping in the old TBI arrangement a simpler affair than the newer LS/Vortec engines? I'm speaking mostly in terms of wiring; is my Safari's existing ECM/harness/etc more compatible with one system or the other?
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mdmead
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Re: Simplest fuel injected V8 install..?

Post by mdmead »

Triple wrote:I'm about to spend a winter in my hometown of Flint, MI (I've been living in GA since 2005), so I recently purchased a 95 AWD Safari to get me through the next six months of snow and slush. If I keep the van beyond the next year or so, I would like to swap in a smallblock of some sort backed by an NV4500 manual transmission.

My original plan was to find a 6.0L with the NV4500 already attached, but low-mile 5.3L's are everywhere for a fraction of the cost and I assume the NV can be made to fit relatively easily. For example, there is a local 2009 5.3L with 60K miles available for $1200, complete top to bottom, front to back, with all accessories, ecm, and harness.

HOWEVER... I might be about to start a Cummins 6BT swap into an 89-91 Suburban 2500, which will leave me with a complete TBI 350 and 4L80E combo. The power potential between the TBI and LS-series really isn't comparable, but the older smallblock is far cheaper to replace with a brand new longblock (should that become necessary) and they get pretty decent fuel mileage. I don't need tire-roasting power anyway, I just want a reliable torque upgrade from the current 4.3L.

So my question is this: is swapping in the old TBI arrangement a simpler affair than the newer LS/Vortec engines? I'm speaking mostly in terms of wiring; is my Safari's existing ECM/harness/etc more compatible with one system or the other?
Skip the LS if you want simple. There is another recent posting talking LS swaps and I have a lot of info in it. If emissions aren't a concern, the TBI swap would be pretty simple as you'd just need to run it as a stand-alone or figure how to wire it into the '95 harness. (Somebody else would know better about wiring harness/ECM compatibility.) A Vortec 350 would also be a pretty easy swap and I'm guessing just a few wires and the proper ECM would make that work. (Again, others can chime in who know or have done.) I just want to reiterate an LS is not an easy choice. (A 6.0 or 6.2 would make for an awesome van. I figure after I get my 5.3 running, I'll start searching for a 6.2 to replace it with!)
Matt
Selah, WA
-96 GMC Safari AWD Hi-Top Conversion -->Stalled 5.3L swap & 5" lift
-74 Ford Bronco -->Far from perfect but mine!
-99 V-10 Ford Super Duty Super Cab 4x4 -->Stock with 285 Cooper ATs
-00 Ford Focus Wagon -->The Red Turd
-95 Ford 24' Class C Motorhome -->My big block sleeper
-07 Can-Am Outlander XT -->My yellow 4x4 quad for work & play
-04 Ski Doo REV Summit -->Still several chassis behind!


No new projects until the current ones are done!
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