4 bbl tbi/ distributor/ other

[WarWagon454]

Hey guys, check out what i picked up on ebay for a cool $1600. Whaddya think?


She's a beauty, and even though i know next to nothing about cars, I'm diving in head first. So far so good. I'd also like to thank everyone for your old posts, you've taught me everything i know so far. Thanks! Anyway, this '88 454 tbi has a slight ping under load, so I did what any red blooded american would do, I borrowed a timing light. The timing is should be at 4d btdc, and it is at zero. I beleive the distributor to be a HEI distributor with sealed module connectors and seperate coil(according to the dealership manual). Now, i loosened the two screws that hold down the distributor cap, but the thing wouldn't budge. So the timing is still off. Is this some kind of unadjustable unit, or should it be moving? I'm kinda afraid to rotate too hard, because i dont want to blow up the engine if it turns a lot. I thought that there are only two types: distributor ignitions, and/or distributorless; and that distributor ignitions are all manually adjustable. Am i wrong about this? I'm feeling that it should be adjustable.
Also, I found that this truck is in a transitionary period of Chevy design. The suburban is an 88, with the early 80's body style, but the C/K trucks of that year were the new body style. So, its kind of confusing buying parts. Also, I guess it was one of the earlier years of TBI, so most of the aftermarket parts are for carbeurated trucks. Anyway, I was wondering what you guys thought about a 4 bbl tbi setup. I found a holley 4bbl 900cfm(supposedly) tbi unit around town, and figured that even if it is only 675cfm, it has to be better than the stock setup, right??? It would also be cheaper, because I could have a few choices of intake manifolds (it fits carbueirated ones),... I've only found one manifold that fits a 7.4 engine 2bbl tbi. Do you guys think it would work? Thanks! Also, does anyone know if 88-90ish C/k truck engine parts fit my motor? Did new style engines come with the new C/k body style, or is it all similar motors until the Vortec? Thanks!

[87 STEPPER]

1st of all Thats alot of ?'s i'll try to answer them all.

Congrat's on the Burb find she looks real nice.

Now the distrubitor on that is an adjustable one and it should be a remote mounted coil type and have a small cap meaning the coil isn't mounted in the cap. And that cap should just lift off if you had the two screws completly loose.

There is a tan wire with a black stripe on it. it's located at the rear of the dist. and this is called the EST= Electronic Spark Timing Bypass This lets you disconnect the vehicles computer from the Ignition system so that you can set the base timing find that wire and follow it until you see a connector and disconnect it with the Ign. & Eng. off then start the truck and ck. the timing. if it's set right then shut it down and reconnect the tan/blk wire other wise adj. as necessary.

When buying parts for this truck just specify '88 Burb OBS = Old Body Style and that should keep things correct.

As far as the Holley set up go's i'de stay away from it, from what i've read on the net the system has it's fare share of troubles and it would just use more fuel and you would have to use there computer to support it the stock one won't work with it plus like you mentioned i dont know if theres a intake manifold for the 454 to bolt that to and use.

Keep your stock set up that TBI system is a very reliable system and easy & cheap to maintain.

If you want some more power then look into a set of headers for it and a K&N Filter and maybe a high flow cat and a free flowing cat back exhaust system these items will make some noticable power gains.

Theres not many things form the '88-99 C/K Trucks that will interchange on your eng. mainly because yours is a 454 and there 350's except for the SS 454 trucks from that eara so your better off just ordering parts for your vehicle using the 8th digit in your VIN number this denotes what size and type of eng. your truck came with.

I hope this hepls you.

Good luck.

[us111]

hello and welcome,nice ride,,,if i'm reading right the 2 screws you loosened are the screws that hold the cap on? if so thats not what your after,tighten them back down,the bottom part they are screwed to is your distributor,,look at that and out of the bottom of it you will see a shaft going down into the block,on that shaft right where it goes into block you will see a little hold down bracket,probably has one bolt holding it,,,thats what u need to loosen to turn distibutor...

[WarWagon454]

ok- i'm an a22hole, i was trying to set the timing by rotating the distributor CAP, not the distributor itself! Hey, you gotta learn somewhere/sometime.

So I had some pinging and lack of power. I checked the timing, and it was where it is supposed to be, at 4 degrees BTDC.

I moved it to zero degrees, and it runs a hell of a lot better, but the pinging is only half as much. It only pings uphill with a load, or when i punch the gas with a load.

So the truck runs better, but the pinging is still there. Should I retard the timing even further to after top dead center, or should I be looking somewhere else? I figured that if the timing chain jumped it would be like twenty degrees off. Is slop in the bearings possible? Thanks!

[beaterC10]

I wouldn't retard the timing any more. You might try better quality gasoline.

[87 STEPPER]

Originally Posted by beaterC10

I wouldn't retard the timing any more. You might try better quality gasoline.

BINGO If your using regular gasoline it's gonna ping BigBlocks like fuel and they like high quality fuel.

If you can't afford to buy premium all the time then fill up with regular and buy some octaine booster and add it to that.

If you have a BigLots store near you they allways have some sort of cotaine booster for sale real cheap.