[Gmecm] TBI and EFE

[Jay Vessels]

Hi there!

> The question you need to answer is "How good is good enough?"  I have
> open element air cleaners on my truck which used to run in temps well
> below zero without causing any issues which I can remember.

I've got an open element air cleaner on my S-10 (2.8V6 TBI) and while it 
doesn't get driven much in the wintertime, I don't remember any issues 
with icing.  I'm not saying that it didn't happen but it didn't seem to 
cause any problems.  I also tend to be gentle to cold engines, so maybe 
I've just never demanded more from it than it could take.

The two biggest reasons I've got an open element, though, are because at 
the time it was easier to get than the stock air cleaner, and I was much 
younger and wanted the look ;)

It seems like a better choice is a heat stove + ducting to cold air from 
elsewhere.  That seems like it would give good cold weather performance 
and still let it run decently when icing isn't an issue.  Come to think 
of it, that's exactly what GM did... :)

I don't remember what Cadillac did exactly, but if I remember right my 
'89 Eldorado (4.5V8 DFI -- a TBI system with a different name) didn't 
have a heat stove.  It had a "hat" and ducting that ducted air from a 
remote air cleaner box to the TBI.  I don't remember a heat stove in 
that system.

> The old carby 2.8 S10's had an electrically heated grid under the
> carb to prevent icing.

Yup -- they had a heat stove, too, and ducting from the radiator support 
to the air cleaner.  The 2.8 V6 TBI setup had a heat stove but not EFE. 
  The intake manifold on those trucks has the heater hose dumping water 
into the intake immediately under the TBI mounting pad.  Not so good for 
keeping the air charge cold for power, but I'm sure it does a good job 
of keeping the TBI warmed up for cold weather driving.

Jay Vessels
1982 Chevrolet S-10 Sport, 2.8V6 TBI
1984 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer Sport, 2.8V6 (TBI pending)