Carb to TBI conversion?

[DetroitTurbo]

Going to be getting a carb'd 88 Dakota 2.2 5-speed, Only 59k miles, fresh motor and trans rebuilds. Nice electric seats from a late model Durango. Anyway, I was wondering how hard it would be to convert it to TBI from carb.

Thanks!

[cordes]

Why TBI?

I'm in the middle of converting my carbed GLH to turbo. It'll get better gas mileage than a carb or TBI and make way more power too.

[DetroitTurbo]

Just for the reliability of it. Its going to be my winter/fall dd. It has a big carb on it right now, the holley from the L6s and 318s.

[cordes]

Have you thought about just throwing a Weber on it? They're less than $200 now I think.

[DetroitTurbo]

I've thought about it, also thinking about swapping it to automatic. Also the turbo swap is allot of custom work on the Dakota.

[cordes]

I've thought about it, also thinking about swapping it to automatic. Also the turbo swap is allot of custom work on the Dakota.

Yeah, turbo wouldn't make sense for a DD. I would definitely do the weber before I converted to TBI. I'm in the middle of an EFI swap and I've already done the weber. If I had a new unit and knew more about carbs I would stick with it.

[Vigo]

Well, you can do turbo AND automatic but i would NOT, EVER, do an automatic on a NON turbo 2.2 dakota. It will absolutely ruin it.

Honestly, if you're pretty good with wiring diagrams and a soldering iron a tbi swap would not be hard at all. You'd have to add an electric fuel pump and run some wires for it, but if you can find a stock dakota tbi harness that fuel pump would be about the hardest part of the whole thing!

Im a big fan of the tbi setup so i understand the attraction. I have had lots of turbo cars and i still find myself wanting to find the 'right' tbi project to work on.. Driving fast cars does not make me like the tbi any less!

[DetroitTurbo]

I've been thinking more and more about it. Keeping the 5 speed for sure, TBI swap probably not. Thinking just putting a 32/36 weber on it and calling it a day, probably get a long-tube header made.

[contraption22]

Chrysler scrapped the idea of a 2.2/Auto dakota because of the sluggishness. A few prototype transmissions made their way into the hands of enthusiasts. I think they were 904's with the 2.2 bolt pattern.

[Vigo]

I think there are a few people out there who've driven 2.2/auto caravans.. Just add a couple hundred more lbs, at least 50 of it in drivetrain parts the engine has to spin.. and you'll get the idea. SUCK.

i think the weber idea is perfectly good and probably about the same cost but less work. I kind of want to try one myself on my 2.6L car as a stepping stone to my later plans..

[DetroitTurbo]

After allot of thought, I kind of like the idea of a carb, less wiring to go wrong! Plus my first car was a 66 impala with a manual choke, so driving a carb'd car isn't much of a problem for me, even for the winter.

[contraption22]

I think you're making the right choice. I think if you went through all the trouble of converting to TBI, you'd be disappointed with the results.

[turbo84voyager]

I think there are a few people out there who've driven 2.2/auto caravans.. Just add a couple hundred more lbs, at least 50 of it in drivetrain parts the engine has to spin.. and you'll get the idea. SUCK.

Like they said on car talk "Why did Chrysler make a 4 cylinder 7 passenger minivan?? So 6 passengers can get out and push it up a hill"
I know how underpowered my 84 was when it had a 2.2 in there with a 5-spd. I used to turn the A/C off to accelerate up some hills. So I can only immagine an auto. But then again back when they were new the foreign competition had even less power....

[Vigo]

Yeah, and since this is sort of a tbi thread, whats funny is by the time they got to building 2.5 TBIs, that with a 5spd in a caravan was actually completely fine in my opinion. Mine actually felt pretty spunky 0-50 if it was empty. There are times i wish i had never converted it to turbo. I know it probably sucked with an actual load of passengers but i mostly drove mine empty and really enjoyed it. But i've driven 2.5/5spd dakotas and they are borderline unacceptable acceleration, heh. I think it actually has more to do with the spinning drivetrain weight than the actual total weight change of the body.