miket TRI FIVE LOVER!

[miket]

HI, EVERYONE! I am 77 and I love tri fives. I have had a lot of them. every body style except convertable. different yrs. I am now rebuilding a 57 4dr sedan. I have already removed the frame and replaced everything ,added power disc front and new Borgenison p/s box. I am at a loss as to weather or not installing an L/S or the carbed 350. I dont know squat about comp stuff. Is it too much or what?

[TrifiveRichard]

Welcome Mike. There are a lot of opinions on carbed or injected motors, and I’m sure you will get a number of replies.

My opinion is it depends on what is important to you, there are pros and cons to both. If you lean towards original/original-looking, then a carbed small block fits the bill. But, they tend to have lots of leaks and can be temperamental, especially starting after leaving for a significant period. I’m sure you are aware of other pros and cons.

The LS and LT motors go into the trifives pretty easy, are lighter, have plenty of power, and start easily even after setting for extended periods. The oil pan typically needs to be replaced, sometimes interfering with the crossmember. It typically extends below the crossmember and becomes the low point. Holley and others make a nice replacement pan. The electrical harness concerns depend on whether you buy a take-out motor or a GM crate motor with the harness. There are quite a few individuals the modify take-out harnesses and update the ECU, so you don’t have to worry about that

Regardless of the harness, modified factory or crate, the electrical hookup is not complicated. Typically, there is unswitched power, switched power (run), a few grounds (3 or so), gauges, and the OBD-II port. You will probably need to add oil/cooling sensors to connect to your original gauges, and need a volt gauge (deleting the amp gauge). I’ve built big blocks, small blocks, installed LS and currently finishing up a gen v LT motor installation, and the installation/wiring is pretty easy.

Good luck, Mike. Post a few pictures of your build when you get a chance.

[miket]

THANKS BUDDY, I AM LEARNING TO OPERATE THIS THING AND HAVE TO GET DAUGHTER TO SHOW ME HOW TO SEND PICS. I WILL ASAP. I appreciate the reply, my daughter and son in law live in FAYETTEVILLE. WE ARE COMING DOWN THIS COMING WEEKEND.MAYBE I COULD MEET YOU. I want to put an lt or ls in it because they are said to be alot more dependable and alot more power. I was just worried about clearances and if the p/s etc. would hook up.

[Step56]

Hi Mike, I am new to the tri five world. Sounds like you have lots of experience with them. But I pulled the tired and wore out 57 283 from my 56 Bel Air and after much research decided on a EFI BluePrint 350. This will be my first EFI of any of the cars I have resurrected. I usually go with the original look but decided this time to go more advanced. I don't have P/S or P/Brakes but I am concerned how everything else will match up. Including the Vintage AirCon I want. Parts are on order.

[chevynut]

HI, EVERYONE! I am 77 and I love tri fives. I have had a lot of them. every body style except convertable. different yrs. I am now rebuilding a 57 4dr sedan. I have already removed the frame and replaced everything ,added power disc front and new Borgenison p/s box. I am at a loss as to weather or not installing an L/S or the carbed 350. I dont know squat about comp stuff. Is it too much or what?

Go to the Holley site and pull up the documentation for the EFI systems. There's pretty good descriptions as to how they work and they're pretty simple in reality. I personally will not intentionally buy a carb unless it's for a factory original restoration like my 62 Corvette. EFI basically relies on 4 sensors to work, only two of which are really important, throttle position (TPS) and manifold absolute pressure (MAP). The other two sensors just adjust mixture and timing based on engine and air temperature. An idle air control valve takes care of idle speed. You can adjust spark timing wherever you want it and not be confined by a timing curve based on weights or vacuum. The new systems also self-learn to modify fuel delivery. EFI is a lot more tunable but it's more expensive and requires higher fuel pressure. Carbs work, but they smell bad, can be hard-starting and temperamental, and are always a trade-off. Think about the difference between your daily driver and how easily it starts and runs. Not only that, an LS engine is lighter, has a lot better gaskets to prevent leaks, and perform much better than an old SBC.

[TrifiveRichard]

THANKS BUDDY, I AM LEARNING TO OPERATE THIS THING AND HAVE TO GET DAUGHTER TO SHOW ME HOW TO SEND PICS. I WILL ASAP. I appreciate the reply, my daughter and son in law live in FAYETTEVILLE. WE ARE COMING DOWN THIS COMING WEEKEND.MAYBE I COULD MEET YOU. I want to put an lt or ls in it because they are said to be alot more dependable and alot more power. I was just worried about clearances and if the p/s etc. would hook up.

Come on down to Huntsville. I have a 56 with an LS3/525 hp, and am finishing up a 59 Corvette with a gen v LT1/490hp. Drop me a line at richardbarnes256@comcast.net and let me know your plans.