what are the options for drive by cable GM gen4 v8?

[doood]

If I were to pick up a junkyard gen4, would I have to run Holley (TerminatorX) or a Mega Squirt ECU to run a drive by cable throttle body? I'm not interested in using an electronic pedal, but I am interested in using a motor with VVT and not DOD, like the 4.8L L20 for my next swap.

I know many have modified the gas pedal that came with the donor truck, but if I absolutely had to go with drive by wire, I think I'd spring for the $150 CTSV pedal.

Who is running DBC and who is running DBW in their gen4 58-reluctor swap?

 

[L05edSS]

If I were to pick up a junkyard gen4, would I have to run Holley (TerminatorX) or a Mega Squirt ECU to run a drive by cable throttle body? I'm not interested in using an electronic pedal, but I am interested in using a motor with VVT and not DOD, like the 4.8L L20 for my next swap.

I know many have modified the gas pedal that came with the donor truck, but if I absolutely had to go with drive by wire, I think I'd spring for the $150 CTSV pedal.

Who is running DBC and who is running DBW in their gen4 58-reluctor swap?

gen 3 but have you considered a carb setup? i haven't seen this too much then again i'm a sbc guy.

 

[64nailhead]

I use bicycle brake cable and sheath. I have a factory firewall sheath and splice a piece of the bicycle sheath to it.

Put a ball of silver solder onto the pedal end of the cable. It’s worked for 4 years.

 

[Built6spdMCSS]

Who is running DBC and who is running DBW in their gen4 58-reluctor swap?

Seems like I'm the only one who know's what you are asking. Do those aftermarket ones support being able to run a Cable TB on 58X? I've never looked into it because I run Gen III stuff.

The whole bit of wanting to Carb a VVT Engine made me laugh harder than it should, some people don't understand technology. Scary wires n sht...

 

[Built6spdMCSS]

I use bicycle brake cable and sheath. I have a factory firewall sheath and splice a piece of the bicycle sheath to it.

Put a ball of silver solder onto the pedal end of the cable. It’s worked for 4 years.

Stock 99-02 GM V8 GMT800 Truck Cable works perfectly fine, been in my SS for 9 years or so..

 

[doood]

Stock 99-02 GM V8 GMT800 Truck Cable works perfectly fine, been in my SS for 9 years or so..

My '84 Monte has an '04 LM7 (5.3L truck) that was drive by wire; I converted it to drive by cable using a '00 DBC harness/ECU and a throttle body from a LS1 Trans Am. If I LS swap the '78 cutlass, I'll make it a highway car. I'm thinking 3.08 or 3.23 gears on 28-spline 7.625" TruTrac, 4L60e (6L50e?) and L20 (4.8L Gen4 w/exhaust-side VVT). The commuter cars I own (2016 Chrysler T&C, 2015 Jeep Renegade) have drive-by-wire and it REALLY pisses me off when my foot on the pedal (throttle position) tends to be a suggestion to the ECU. I want my brain to tell my foot the throttle position; I don't want my brain to tell my foot to ask the ECU [nicely] to achieve that throttle position at its leisure.

Thanks for your interest and contributions to this post, folks. To restate/refine the original question: what are my options for converting Gen4 LS to drive by cable? I do not want to bolt an electric pedal into the g-body. I want to use the g-body gas pedal with a cable to a LS1 or aftermarket throttle body bolted onto a Gen4 engine that only came with drive-by-wire throttle. I expect I can't use a LS1 computer with the Gen4 4.8L. Do I have to use a Holley or MegaSquirt ECU to use drive-by-cable on Gen4 with fuel injection?

Carbs on Gen4 with VVT is definitely LOL (special kind of retarded).

I'm aware there are numerous options for the cable itself; I'm using a pricy Lokar variant because the F-body cable was out of stock when I did the swap in 2020 when the supply chain was sitting on the couch collecting free money.

The point here is that I get about 15 MPG on the highway with the 5.3L and 3.42 gears. I know everybody says they get 20 MPG on the highway, driving to the dragstrip in their super-boosted LS-swapped g-body with 4.11 gears and 100#/hr snake-eater injectors, but I call BS to the highest level on those claims. I use the trip odometer and divide by the gallons on my gas station receipt and it isn't ever over 15 MPG driving @ 75 MPH. I expect the cutlass brick will be closer to 20MPG with the smaller stroke 4.8L and taller gears.

 

[64nailhead]

I believe you have to use an aftermarket TB. I’m not familiar with a DBC Gen 4 that offered a 4 bolt DBC TB. A low budget TB will work just fine.

Regarding fuel economy, if you’re getting 15 mpg with a stock cam, or near a stock cam, and stockish converter, then you are leaving a bunch on the table. 20mpg is not pie in the sky especially for if your setup is using stock parts. What transmission are you using?

 

[ostrich]

From my memory, should be able to get an adapter for the LS1 TB to bolt up. I think the issue will be, I don't think the GEN 4 ECM
's have the IAC drivers to run it. They open the throttle blade. If you go with a 411ECM you can't do VVT. Not sure if aftermarket can do VVT and 58x? Might be hard to get both throttle cable and VVT 58x. Lingenfelter makes a 58x to 24x conversion box.

 

[wskirvin]

You can run a stock ecm and harness from a DBC setup i believe. but the issue is the VVT. From what I read into when building my LY6, I could not find anything other than a factory PCM that could control VVT or AFM.DOD. You may need to call a shop that specializes in programming/tuning factory computers and start there. I ended up deleting mine and going with a terminator x maxx for my setup.