Efi or carb for c30 flatbed

[Pops84c10]

Hey guys so my father in law has a1970 c30 dually gin pole truck. It has been sitting for probably 40 years lol my wife said she never remembers a time it ran lol so fast forward to now and I want to revive the old girl.

For those who may never have heard of a gin pole truck , it’s kind of like a redneck crane truck haha. Common in oil fields and farms . Basically it has a flatbed with a homemade jib boom and winch system to lift heavy crap and be able to move it around with mobility and ease

My question is , my plan involves tossing in a junkyard 454 Vortec and I’m not sure if aftermarket efi will be the way to go with it . Not looking for massive power, just want a solid towing platform . Probably a good cam and freshen the seals gaskets and probably new bearings. I live in the mountains so I’m leaning towards efi instead of carb due to frequent elevation changes.

You hear so many bad things about aftermarket efi it’s hard to determine anything. I want it to be reliable and start when I want it to, as I’m gone for work long periods of time and don’t have time to be messing with a carb that sat too long when I want to drive it.

Don’t have pictures yet but once I start the process of dragging it out of hibernation at my FIL house (in a field on his farm by his house) I will post some. It’s not going to be a full resto or anything but just a fun project to restore the way I want it for house work towing and winter driving.

[jumpsoffrock]

In my research--because I wanted to add EFI on a couple vehicles over the last 12 years--modern aftermarket EFI is not a tool made out of necessity.
It is a toy for the more wealthier hobbyists to play with.


I like to analogize by comparing simple black coffee with starbucks.
Black coffee does the job for billions of hard working laborers who just need a bit of energy to work and feed their families.

Starbucks is a wealthy spin for only a small percentage of the world population that adds lots of completely unnecessary/unhealthy things for people to enjoy in addition to what is require to help people work/focus.




To generalize:
There are people who use their trucks and need them for work; plain and simple.

There are people who own these old trucks for a little work and a little fun.

And there are folks who don't do labor, they don't use work trucks, and these trucks are just a fun hobby because they have the means.


IMO modern aftermarket EFI's were absolutely undeniably built for hobbyists having fun; it is the "Starbucks coffee" of fuel emulsion.

Will it work? mehhhhh kinda
Is it accessible? Sure?
Is it necessary? no
Does it completely re-invent the wheel and turn a junk engine/truck into a perfect running killer? no (I think way to many naive folks think EFI will somehow solve other underlying problems and make old engines run like some kinda modern-engineered masterpiece)


watch the youtube vids, read the forum posts. From what I've seen, for people of the working class, those units are silly candy/toys that over-complicate what is normally a simple task.


Carburetors are the black coffee of fuel emulsion. Simple, tried and true, no witchcraft or voodoo, and they work.


Edit: let me make one thing a bit more clear with regards to why EFI isn't the best solution for working folks with working trucks.
Don't let yourself be found out in the field with a crescent wrench and a rock trying to solve a problem with your $1000 EFI that's all cute and shiny. EFI problems are not conducive to being worked on in a dirty field,but rather a clean driveway with a computer and internet access. It's just a different tool versus a carburetor and not everyone is equipped to handle that situation.

[MS66]

Originally Posted by Pops84c10

Hey guys so my father in law has a1970 c30 dually gin pole truck. It has been sitting for probably 40 years lol my wife said she never remembers a time it ran lol so fast forward to now and I want to revive the old girl.

For those who may never have heard of a gin pole truck , it’s kind of like a redneck crane truck haha. Common in oil fields and farms . Basically it has a flatbed with a homemade jib boom and winch system to lift heavy crap and be able to move it around with mobility and ease

My question is , my plan involves tossing in a junkyard 454 Vortec and I’m not sure if aftermarket efi will be the way to go with it . Not looking for massive power, just want a solid towing platform . Probably a good cam and freshen the seals gaskets and probably new bearings. I live in the mountains so I’m leaning towards efi instead of carb due to frequent elevation changes.

You hear so many bad things about aftermarket efi it’s hard to determine anything. I want it to be reliable and start when I want it to, as I’m gone for work long periods of time and don’t have time to be messing with a carb that sat too long when I want to drive it.

Don’t have pictures yet but once I start the process of dragging it out of hibernation at my FIL house (in a field on his farm by his house) I will post some. It’s not going to be a full resto or anything but just a fun project to restore the way I want it for house work towing and winter driving.

That sounds like a good project. 40 years sitting in a field is a long time, takes a toll on it. A more modern, running chassis truck with EFI would be a neat project to do a body swap on.
I'm a carb guy myself. BBC with a nice Quadrajet would be sweet in that old mule.

Originally Posted by jumpsoffrock

In my research--because I wanted to add EFI on a couple vehicles over the last 12 years--modern aftermarket EFI is not a tool made out of necessity.
It is a toy for the more wealthier hobbyists to play with.


I like to analogize by comparing simple black coffee with starbucks.
Black coffee does the job for billions of hard working laborers who just need a bit of energy to work and feed their families.

Starbucks is a wealthy spin for only a small percentage of the world population that adds lots of completely unnecessary/unhealthy things for people to enjoy in addition to what is require to help people work/focus.




To generalize:
There are people who use their trucks and need them for work; plain and simple.

There are people who own these old trucks for a little work and a little fun.

And there are folks who don't do labor, they don't use work trucks, and these trucks are just a fun hobby because they have the means.


IMO modern aftermarket EFI's were absolutely undeniably built for hobbyists having fun; it is the "Starbucks coffee" of fuel emulsion.

Will it work? mehhhhh kinda
Is it accessible? Sure?
Is it necessary? no
Does it completely re-invent the wheel and turn a junk engine/truck into a perfect running killer? no (I think way to many naive folks think EFI will somehow solve other underlying problems and make old engines run like some kinda modern-engineered masterpiece)


watch the youtube vids, read the forum posts. From what I've seen, for people of the working class, those units are silly candy/toys that over-complicate what is normally a simple task.


Carburetors are the black coffee of fuel emulsion. Simple, tried and true, no witchcraft or voodoo, and they work.


Edit: let me make one thing a bit more clear with regards to why EFI isn't the best solution for working folks with working trucks.
Don't let yourself be found out in the field with a crescent wrench and a rock trying to solve a problem with your $1000 EFI that's all cute and shiny. EFI problems are not conducive to being worked on in a dirty field,but rather a clean driveway with a computer and internet access. It's just a different tool versus a carburetor and not everyone is equipped to handle that situation.

That's funny. All good points. Even funnier is that not many more folks are equipped to fix a carb when the time comes, no matter the place.
I'm not a black coffee guy but I love carburetors.

[biketopia]

OEM EFI would be my vote for simplicity. Pull a 454 TBI unit, grab the computer and harness, clean up the harness as needed, send the ECM out for a quick flash and run it. It will be the most reliable EFI option. Holley, FiTech, Edelbrock, etc will all do the job, and give the end user some more options as far as tinkering with the tune...but totally unnecessary for this application.

Your best bet in price, simplicity, and reliability, in my opinion, would be to find a Gen III LS 6.0 or 5.3, use the factory harness and computer, and bolt it in and go. Tremendous aftermarket support, but also, insanely simple if you don't get into the engine and mess with a cam change.

[MARKDTN]

Originally Posted by biketopia

OEM EFI would be my vote for simplicity. Pull a 454 TBI unit, grab the computer and harness, clean up the harness as needed, send the ECM out for a quick flash and run it. It will be the most reliable EFI option. Holley, FiTech, Edelbrock, etc will all do the job, and give the end user some more options as far as tinkering with the tune...but totally unnecessary for this application.

Your best bet in price, simplicity, and reliability, in my opinion, would be to find a Gen III LS 6.0 or 5.3, use the factory harness and computer, and bolt it in and go. Tremendous aftermarket support, but also, insanely simple if you don't get into the engine and mess with a cam change.

I agree-factory EFI on a basically stock engine is a great way to go.

If you must have a 454 then find an TBI one and stick it in there. The harness and wiring is simple on a '95 back TBI. Vans have long trunks on the harness so it gives you more flexibility to mount the computer. You can use a van 305/350 harness and wiring as long as you can get a 454 PROM for the ECM and 454 throttle body.

If you don't have to have a 454 then a 5.3 LS will have plenty of power and it's a pretty well documented swap. (a 1990 SS454 truck had 230HP and 385 FtLb torque. A 2007 5.3 Tahoe had 320 HP and 340 FtLb torque as an FYI)

For those that love a carburetor, all I can say is that you must have some easy to get non-ethanol fuel available because I have had nothing but trouble out of carbs the last few years with the fuel we can get. Even with EFI those fuels are hard on GM Multec injectors in TunedPorts but the Bosch injectors work much better.

Good luck whichever way you go.

[Pops84c10]

Originally Posted by MARKDTN

I agree-factory EFI on a basically stock engine is a great way to go.

If you must have a 454 then find an TBI one and stick it in there. The harness and wiring is simple on a '95 back TBI. Vans have long trunks on the harness so it gives you more flexibility to mount the computer. You can use a van 305/350 harness and wiring as long as you can get a 454 PROM for the ECM and 454 throttle body.

If you don't have to have a 454 then a 5.3 LS will have plenty of power and it's a pretty well documented swap. (a 1990 SS454 truck had 230HP and 385 FtLb torque. A 2007 5.3 Tahoe had 320 HP and 340 FtLb torque as an FYI)

For those that love a carburetor, all I can say is that you must have some easy to get non-ethanol fuel available because I have had nothing but trouble out of carbs the last few years with the fuel we can get. Even with EFI those fuels are hard on GM Multec injectors in TunedPorts but the Bosch injectors work much better.

Good luck whichever way you go.

Yea keeping the carburetor functional with lots of sitting is my concern. I wouldn’t use it much but when I would I’d need it to work.

Yes trucks been sitting forever but it’s west Texas so no rust and I plan on essentially redoing all the major components anyway. I’m thinking at minimum I’ll need to do a new wiring harness (rats lol) motor (not sure if original motor is still good yet or what it even has in it ) maybe trans , the whole fuel system probably all new brake system etc . Whatever can dry rot probably already has long ago . Likely a multi year project not just a pull out of the field tune up and go kind of thing .

I think yall are right though, I need to either go carbd or go with factory efi likely a 6.0 swap. It’s not going to be towing all the time but when it does it would be an 84c10 or 92 step side on a car hauler. Since I’m in the mountains the 6.0 efi swap will probably be the way for me . My 84 is already 6.0 swapped , why not two lol

[PbFut]

My view is a bit different. Typewriters work good, computers can do a lot more. Same with a good EFI if you learn how to use it.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by PbFut

My view is a bit different. Typewriters work good, computers can do a lot more. Same with a good EFI if you learn how to use it.

Well said,

I have no issue w/both, but each has its good & bad points. Sure, carbs are "less complicated" but that's if & only if you are familiar w/the internals of said particular carb & know how to service them. The thing w/the tried & true carb set-up nowadays is all the "supporting" engine management stuff that used to be a no-brainer is now a coin-toss as far as reliability.

Parts that you took for granted back in the day when they were easy to get via a quality source are now likely made by the lowest bidder overseas & fall far short in the quality (life expectancy) spectrum. Points, HEI ignition modules, diaphragm/block mounted fuel pumps, carb gaskets, floats, etc seem to fail or cause issues these days. My recent experiences have been a 'what's it going to be today' scenario so I feel what used to be the more reliable & less complicated powertrain is not so much that anymore.

For this scenario, if the original drivetrain is not worth salvaging, I'd probably go the 6.0/4l80e route w/an ECU keeping tabs on things.

[bnorth]

Rather than messing with 30+ year old oem EFI and brittle harness wires I would convert to carb if you are doing a vortec 454.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by bnorth

Rather than messing with 30+ year old oem EFI and brittle harness wires I would convert to carb if you are doing a vortec 454.

I wouldn't use an almost 30yr old harness for a different vehicle either unless it was in VERY good shape. I would order a spec made new harness that's plug & play for the motor & trans.

[LS short box]

I would go 6.0/4L80E. Small cam. Headers. Aftermarket OEM custom tuned ecm and harness. I like and use Howell and Speartech. New complete chassis harness from AAW or Painless. Hydro brake booster. Upgraded brakes all around.
Man I like spending other peoples money. LOL.
Good luck with your project.