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TR6 TBI for TR6

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DanNagy

DanNagy

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Dear all,

The last time I posted was regarding the Weber DGVs, and the car sputtering. As it turned out, when I took the car out in warm weather it worked perfectly. So, now I am just tired of messing with it and now searching for a fuel injection system. I saw one on eBay, but until I really researched it, the bidding was over. It is probably just as well given what I have read. After searching some more, I found a TBI system at https://pattonmachine.com/ that really looks like what I have been trying to find - more efficient fuel consumption and smother operation. I have searched this site and was surprised not to find anything under TBI. Has anybody installed this system, and if so, do you have any comments?

Thanks for your reply.

Dan
 
Hi Dan,
I'm in my second year of running Rick's TBI package and couldn't be happier. All of the stumbles, misses, backfires, hesitations etc that I was experiencing before are gone. My fuel mileage is up considerably (22 around town and 28 highway with the stock 4 speed) but mine really sucked before the conversion. Now that I've done the 5 speed conversion I'm hoping to see the highway mileage go up even more. TBI makes the car very drivable at any temperature and in any weather. Between Rick's site https://www.pattonmachine.com/ and mine https://tr6.danielsonfamily.org/TBI.htm you should find a wealth of information on the conversion. Some guys are talented enough to just buy his adapters and then get their own ECM and do the programing. I went with the whole package which is a very easy install. You can also make the installation as stealth as you want or as obvious. Poke through the pictures here https://www.pattonmachine.com/CustomerCars.htm and your see the stealth and the obvious. If you have any questions, just ask. Let us know what you decide.
 
Bob,

I'm curious about one thing. Well, many actually, but you'll answer most at Harkness next weekend. Why do these FI conversions still need manual choke(s) and those annoying cables? I would love to eliminate that part of the equation.
 
Paul,
Here's my understanding but maybe Rick will pipe up and give the technical reasoning. There's normally a cold start Idle Control module in a TBI/FI system. So with a cold start, the module lifts the idle until things heat up a bit and the 02 sensor has some hot gases to sniff. Aaron Cropley https://www.triumphowners.com/108 was the TR6 mule for Rick's 1st system and actually had one of these modules at first. To make a long story short, it was decided that using the "choke" does the same thing and in a much simpler way. So when I first start my car, I pull the choke out which lifts the idle, drive about 200 yards and push it back in.
 
I'm also using Patton's TBI system. Over a year and about three thousand miles. Starts and runs great. My mileage hasn't been as good as Bob's. Varies from 17 to 24. Rick is great to work with.
 
Bob,

Rick here. You have it nearly correct. On TBI and MPI systems fast idle is accomplished by bleeding extra air into the manifold either by a little motor that operates a valve or by a solenoid. They are the most failure prone part of fuel injection systems due to carbon build up and the fact that this little stepper motor dances along not only at idle but at fast throttle movements.

Since these LBC's are rarely operated in freezing temps we elected to eliminate that entire circuit. The original choke cables do not richen the mixture for starting they simply function like a hand throttle that is limited to fast idle speed. Normally there is no need to touch it in summer temps. The real use is to allow you to manually fast idle the engine for warm up in very cold temps. A little pressure on the gas pedal does the same thing and usually isn't required at all. When starting the car the coolant temp sensor tells the computer to automatically richen the mixture. No choke required.

Hope that makes sense. If not yell and I'll give it another go.

Rick Patton
pattonmachine.com
 
Thanks for the information, and now I have more reading to do. I hope that if anyone else has installed the TBI system you will speak up.

After reading about it, this seems like something even I could do.

-d
 
Wow, okay, something I didn't mention was that I also had a fire in my TR6 last week. It was an electrical fire, and just some smoldering that I was able to put out without an extinguisher. So I also need to replace my wiring harness now. I was so pleased to go to Bob Danielson's website and find "Advance Auto Wire" in his reference section. Excellent!
 
Dan,
I have equally good things to say about Dan Masters' wire harness. High quality, excellent directions and support. The only recommendation I'd make is to do them one at a time. Get the harness in and working before tackling the TBI. The last thing you want to do is troubleshoot two major upgrades at the same time. Having said that, the lead times for the wire harness can be quite long compared to the TBI system. So you might want to check before ordering.

Here's my wire harness installation:
https://tr6.danielsonfamily.org/Wire_Harness_1.htm
 
Thanks Bob, that is my plan to have the wiring harness installed. This is one thing I know I can do, but I just don't have the time.

The TBI will probably wait until this fall. I read through your installation and I now think it would be better if an expert installed it. It sounds like you can run into problems here and there, and living abroad keeps me from spending weeks or months working on it. I originally thought a weekend might do it, but I am really a knucklehead when it comes to mechanics and it always takes me a lot more time than the normal person. Plus, I always break things in the process. Time is always an issue. More to the point, I purchased a TR7 so that I could learn by doing, but every time I come back to the US my schedule gets filled up by family and friends. It is just sitting there, so now I will sell it when I come back in July/August.

Thanks so much for your web site. It is another good resource for me.

-d
 
OK, Rick, so far so good. Now how far are you from the triple carb conversion package?
 
Paul,
I keep nagging him on the tri-carb setup as I've already told him of 3 potential sales. I know he's up to his elbows in adapters for the 240Z crowd and actually has his adapter kit going to a guy who will be at LeMans this year. Maybe if we can talk Rick into selling his NAPA stores and retiring, he'd have more time to spend on the TBI requests!
 
Sooooo Rick, from that I would gather that one could then eliminate one of the cables and only have one carb hooked up for the faster idle?

It just seems that with the triple carbs, the choke becomes an issue with either the binding, which two carbs to choke and never getting the cable to work smoothly. The fact that the replacement cables don't seem to work as easily as the originals doesn't help either.
 
BobbyD:
I have the "By the Sea" trip on the calendar and it looks like it will be cloudy but mid 70's for weather. Not great but not rainy and cold.

I can't wait to see the Brosky car.
 
Bob- Add me to the 3 pot interest. If your going to all the work of the 2 might as well go 3
 
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