1986 c-20 auto injected?

[qksilver]

Found a c-20 truck but can't find the owner. I was able to give it a quick look but have to get in contact with the property owner before I can really check it out.

My question, is it fuel injected? it's a c-20 small block, so I am guessing 350, it is a turbo 400 but I don't kneel well and had a second before somebody came out to ask me what I was doing, so I couldn't check further. I ran the plate and it came back as a 86. It has been sitting they say for 5 years, left and never picked up.

The reason I am asking is because I have a sale on my TBI engine that runs well. I don't want to sell it if this truck is TBI. I could get a friend to do the actual work but he isn't a mechanic and he isn't a mechanic.

Thanks,
Steve

[68post]

'86 - no it's not. '87 is the first year. Without opening the hood you know if it has a swap, and then you need the block casting #'s to be sure, or reasonably sure anyways, of what it is.

May have a 305 ... or a 267 !!

[qksilver]

if it is stock a c-20 should be a 350 at least, I couldn't remember 86 or 87 first year fuel injected.

thanks,
Steve

[chevyman95]

Originally Posted by qksilver

if it is stock a c-20 should be a 350 at least, I couldn't remember 86 or 87 first year fuel injected.

thanks,
Steve

Should be but you never know what guys do to these things. My 86 c20 came from the factory with a 454 and the lady who sold it to me thought it was a c10 with a 305. I got it home and ran the block numbers and it said 350.

[school boy]

Im not sure when in 86 they received the tbi, but my 86 c10 with a 305 came with the tbi. It may have only been an option for the tbi, im not sure.

[68post]

Originally Posted by school boy

Im not sure when in 86 they received the tbi, but my 86 c10 with a 305 came with the tbi. It may have only been an option for the tbi, im not sure.

Was it a late yr build ?

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by school boy

Im not sure when in 86 they received the tbi, but my 86 c10 with a 305 came with the tbi. It may have only been an option for the tbi, im not sure.

Originally Posted by 68post

Was it a late yr build ?

Nope. No TBI in '86 for C/K truck.

Before you challenge me on this, please be reminded:

a) I was there. I was a development engineer on the '86 trucks and on the launch team for the '87 pickup truck. I remember longing for the day when it would be over, because this new technology was so "complicated".

b) As a result of being argued with in the past, and of this "late year build" concept, I contacted at least three of the powertrain engineers who designed the TBI system and did the powertrain calibrations. They also agreed with my recollection - no TBI on C/K trucks until '87 R/V. No "pullahead" of TBI into the '86 model year.

So - if your 86 had TBI then it was either (1) transplated from another model year/product line or (2) a GM product release not supported by GM Powertrain engineering. Option 2 is very unlikely.

K

[68post]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Nope. No TBI in '86 for C/K truck.

Before you challenge me on this, please be reminded:

a) I was there. I was a development engineer on the '86 trucks and on the launch team for the '87 pickup truck. I remember longing for the day when it would be over, because this new technology was so "complicated".

b) As a result of being argued with in the past, and of this "late year build" concept, I contacted at least three of the powertrain engineers who designed the TBI system and did the powertrain calibrations. They also agreed with my recollection - no TBI on C/K trucks until '87 R/V. No "pullahead" of TBI into the '86 model year.

So - if your 86 had TBI then it was either (1) transplated from another model year/product line or (2) a GM product release not supported by GM Powertrain engineering. Option 2 is very unlikely.

K

I thought they had to be '87 also and was scratching my head trying to figure how. I don't want a false rumor started by my guessing, as I've never heard of any but '87 and up !

[kevinr1970]

Originally Posted by school boy

Im not sure when in 86 they received the tbi, but my 86 c10 with a 305 came with the tbi. It may have only been an option for the tbi, im not sure.

Was it a model year '86, or was it an '86 build date?
Way back when, on my first GM truck ('80 GMC Jimmy) I bought in '88, I thought I got bamboozeled because the sticker in the door jamb said something like 09/1979. But what is listed on the sticker is the build date, not the model year.
As an example, the '15 model year trucks have probably been for sale since at least September '14, and maybe before that. Built in 2014, but 2015 model years trucks.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by kevinr1970

Was it a model year '86, or was it an '86 build date?
Way back when, on my first GM truck ('80 GMC Jimmy) I bought in '88, I thought I got bamboozeled because the sticker in the door jamb said something like 09/1979. But what is listed on the sticker is the build date, not the model year.
As an example, the '15 model year trucks have probably been for sale since at least September '14, and maybe before that. Built in 2014, but 2015 model years trucks.

This could be a source of the confusion.

My own '87 shortbox (with TBI) was built September 29th of 1986 calendar year.

K

[school boy]

I wouldn't have an argument if I wanted. I only owned the truck for a couple years so who knows the history other than word of mouth. All I know is that the tbi harness was integrated into the cab and cluster harness. So whom ever did it done a nice job. Thanks Keith for the info. Always wonder if 86 was a option year or a half year for the tbi.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by school boy

I wouldn't have an argument if I wanted.

Sorry for the pre-emptive strike.

For some reason I get challenged on this topic a lot.

K

[school boy]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Sorry for the pre-emptive strike.

For some reason I get challenged on this topic a lot.

K

No worries here.

Originally Posted by kevinr1970

Was it a model year '86, or was it an '86 build date?

Its an 86, im not sure on build date.

[68c10owner]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Sorry for the pre-emptive strike.

For some reason I get challenged on this topic a lot.

K

How do you challenge the guy who was there and built these things? Some people can't stand to be wrong. I'm glad we have you here to help us with these trucks.

[greg64]

Keith, I don't want (nor can) argue with your expertise. But how about the S10 trucks? I'm pretty sure the 86s in Canada had TBI. I'm just thinking the parts may have existed, but weren't yet applied to the C/K.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by greg64

Keith, I don't want (nor can) argue with your expertise. But how about the S10 trucks? I'm pretty sure the 86s in Canada had TBI. I'm just thinking the parts may have existed, but weren't yet applied to the C/K.

I'd have to check my notes relative to S10.

I know M/L vans got TBI in '86 model year, but they wouldn't have had a V8 engine option available (nor would S trucks).

K

[86c20]

now i thought that it was 87 only for tbi and then i saw a supposed 86 that i was told was a factory 305 with tbi. can not remember if it was a c10 or 20. now hearing form keith settles it for me. he was there on the team that made them he should be the one to no better then most of us but i know on my 80 monte i had the fuse block had all the spots for the ecm and injectors and the like. messed with me when i saw it as i knew that tbi was not till mid 80's anyway. and 84??? for the gn with the v6. now back to the trucks could that be where some of the bs comes from is people seeing the fuse block with the spots for the ecm and the like??

[donut]

Very well could be, that and cars got stuff like TBI before the trucks did.
Something else, swaps could easily change things up. Picture '81 cab on '87 chassis, poof, '81 had TBI...

[qksilver]

it is a carbed truck, i bought it.

Thx.
Steve

[andrewmp6]

Post some pictures of it when you get time.

[Critter]

I hate to hijack this thread but the OP has gotten his answer so I don't feel to bad about it. Keith S is obviously an authority on these truck so reading all this makes me doubt my own eyes. I had VERY intimate dealings with an 86 k5 Blazer a few years back. My room mate owed it but I did all the work on it. Lift kit, tune up, etc etc. It was without a doubt a full size k5 Blazer with a 305 tbi engine. Bone stock when my room mate got it. Here's the thing, the title said 1986. To this day I am one of the guys arguing that some 86s had tbi (I always preface the argument with the statement that I am not sure about 350s, but I have seen a 305 with my own eyes.) My room mate sold it to a friend who in turn sold it to another friend. I am currently waiting on pics of the rpo codes and vin so I can do a little more research. This has bothered me for years! The only thing I can think of is the state at some point titled it wrong and it was actually an 87. At this point I am expecting to be proven wrong, I'll report back with my findings soon...

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Critter

The only thing I can think of is the state at some point titled it wrong and it was actually an 87.

Thanks for the update; this is what I am thinking, too.

We will be able to tell just with the VIN (the model year code in the VIN for 1987 was "H").

Originally Posted by Critter

(I always preface the argument with the statement that I am not sure about 350s, but I have seen a 305 with my own eyes.)

We wouldn't have done that; the 305 and 350 are so similar architecturally that if we did TBI on one engine we would have done the other as well.

Splitting them would have created a ton of additional parts and assembly complexity in terms of fuel lines, ECMs, calibrations, etc, and we were struggling with the launch as it was.

K

[Critter]

I'm not challenging him, like I said I expect Keith to be right and me wrong. It just bothers me because I know what I saw, I was around the blazer it for 3 years. A mislabeled title would explain it but I can't stand not knowing what was going on with it.

EDIT: I reread what I originally posted, maybe it came across as challenging but that was not my intentions. I guess I was just relaying a first hand account of WHY some of these rumors go around and I expressed my desire to figure out what was going on with the d@mn thing. Why did it appear to be something that never existed???

[68c10owner]

Originally Posted by Critter

I'm not challenging him, like I said I expect Keith to be right and me wrong. It just bothers me because I know what I saw, I was around the blazer it for 3 years. A mislabeled title would explain it but I can't stand not knowing what was going on with it.

EDIT: I reread what I originally posted, maybe it came across as challenging but that was not my intentions. I guess I was just relaying a first hand account of WHY some of these rumors go around and I expressed my desire to figure out what was going on with the d@mn thing. Why did it appear to be something that never existed???

I actually wasn't talking about anyone who replied in this thread. I just ment in general.

[beamn7]

Well, to really throw a wrench into this, 1985 was first year for 4.3L replacing the 250 inline 6 in the pickups and the Buick 3.8 in the El Camino. El Camino 4.3 was TBI from factory. 4.3 in a pickup was carbureted.... Go figure..

https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/doc...-El-Camino.pdf