231 carb options

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jiho

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Jul 26, 2013
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Well what about if I have multiple deletes? A/C...smog...ecm..etc??

If you're in Vegas you have smogcheck, right? If you want to keep it street legal. Not nearly as bad as California, but IIRC they do look under the hood and you are limited in what you can do. For example, it must have the smog pump, EGR, catalytic converter. The ECM operates the smog pump and EGR. It also jiggers the mixture so the converter will clean up the exhaust, which can get real dirty otherwise. So what you can do might come down to how crooked your smogcheck is (hey. it's Vegas :mrgreen:), but I don't know what you could do that would make it worth monkeying with anyway.
 

Clone TIE Pilot

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Aug 14, 2011
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The only option is the rare Buick 4.1L V6 Qjet and 4bbl intake. Not worth the effort to sup up a 231 which are dogs by design. It takes intercooled forced induction to make decent power with them. Instead of a carb swap, you need to look into a powertrain swap. Better engine, trans, rear gears, etc.
 

NCTyphoonKid

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Mar 17, 2019
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I’ve been happy with the rebuilt dual jet I put on my 81 3.8. It’s no powerhouse by any means but a good cruiser with enough power to get out of its own way but then again I didn’t build this one to be fast.
 

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pontiacgp

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The only option is the rare Buick 4.1L V6 Qjet and 4bbl intake. Not worth the effort to sup up a 231 which are dogs by design. It takes intercooled forced induction to make decent power with them. Instead of a carb swap, you need to look into a powertrain swap. Better engine, trans, rear gears, etc.

how can you say a "better engine" when this 231 have been powering the car around for 3 or so decades....it may not be a powerhouse but for what it is it works....:giggle:
 
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Bonnewagon

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Well what about if I have multiple deletes?
Even better. Much easier to get a non-CCC carb cleaned up and running great. AND, you can play around with the jets and mixture needles just like a Q-jet. The 231 is as "grocery-getter" as it gets. I had one and I got it humming along quite well with a few adjustments.
 
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Clone TIE Pilot

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how can you say a "better engine" when this 231 have been powering the car around for 3 or so decades....it may not be a powerhouse but for what it is it works....:giggle:

They can last awhile if not beat on, but they are neither powerhouses nor fuel sippers, just cheap to make. If the OP wants to make his car faster, a powertrain swap is the only worthwhile option. Trying to do anything other than upkeep to a 231 is a waste of money. The issues with making power with a 231 are low compression ratio, restrictive heads, lack of performance parts for the N/A versions, highly restrictive exhaust manifolds, and being a 90 degree V6. After those, you have the weak TH200 with no OD, restrictive single exhaust, lame 2.41 rear gear ratio, and weak V6 suspension springs.

It is wishful thinking of the OP to think emission or computer deletes will improve his car's performance at all as they won't. Such deletes will only worsen his MPGs and waste money and time. The true problems preventing performance improvrment are all major ones that are easist to fix by a powertrain swap. The OP should keep his car stock and if he wants to go faster then he will need to start saving up for a powertrain swap. However, the OP can work on improving his suspension, brakes, and body repair and reinforcement now to get the car ready for a swap later on. To go faster with a V6 car, you will need to add either a turbo, two extra cylinders, or even both.
 

Javi702

Not-quite-so-new-guy
Apr 4, 2020
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Even better. Much easier to get a non-CCC carb cleaned up and running great. AND, you can play around with the jets and mixture needles just like a Q-jet. The 231 is as "grocery-getter" as it gets. I had one and I got it humming along quite well with a few adjustments.
Cool any suggestions on a non ccc carb that would be good for 231? I'm not looking for power just want a reliable everyday cruiser
 
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Javi702

Not-quite-so-new-guy
Apr 4, 2020
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They can last awhile if not beat on, but they are neither powerhouses nor fuel sippers, just cheap to make. If the OP wants to make his car faster, a powertrain swap is the only worthwhile option. Trying to do anything other than upkeep to a 231 is a waste of money. The issues with making power with a 231 are low compression ratio, restrictive heads, lack of performance parts for the N/A versions, highly restrictive exhaust manifolds, and being a 90 degree V6. After those, you have the weak TH200 with no OD, restrictive single exhaust, lame 2.41 rear gear ratio, and weak V6 suspension springs.

It is wishful thinking of the OP to think emission or computer deletes will improve his car's performance at all as they won't. Such deletes will only worsen his MPGs and waste money and time. The true problems preventing performance improvrment are all major ones that are easist to fix by a powertrain swap. The OP should keep his car stock and if he wants to go faster then he will need to start saving up for a powertrain swap. However, the OP can work on improving his suspension, brakes, and body repair and reinforcement now to get the car ready for a swap later on. To go faster with a V6 car, you will need to add either a turbo, two extra cylinders, or even both.
My goal isnt increased power at all...I just want a smooth running cruiser my intentions for the car is a lowrider so trying to beef up the engine will be useless to me I just want to know my options for carbs and since i deleted my ECM I'll need a non computerized one right? So I'm just trying to see my options and what else is involved that's it
 

ck80

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Feb 18, 2014
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Cool any suggestions on a non ccc carb that would be good for 231? I'm not looking for power just want a reliable everyday cruiser
Same style dualjet, just not computer.

You have an e2me. Look for an m2me
 

Bonnewagon

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suggestions on a non ccc carb that would be good for 231?
My 1983 Bonnewagon came with a 231 and it was totally CCC. I was intent on putting a 1979 Pontiac 301 with a manual trans in there so I took that '83 231 and put it in my 1981 Malibu wagon for a mileage-miser set-up. I was able to find a 1980 Dual-Jet non-CCC carb in a junkyard from a Pontiac something. It needed to be from a Pontiac because of the carb/trans linkage. There IS a slight difference. Also the 1980 had the electric choke which I wanted. I also found a non-CCC Buick V-6 HEI distributor from an unknown year car but it worked great. I then yanked all the CCC stuff out and never looked back. Well, until the crankshaft snapped in half. But that is another story.
 
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