New Carb.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,251
Likes: 8
From: North Carolina
The stock feedback carb works in tandem with the stock electronic ignition system. They work great together, but neither works very well on its own. So if one gets modified (altered) then the other is usually also altered.
Search for "DSII conversion" or "Duraspark conversion" on this site and you will find a wealth of information about this topic.
Search for "DSII conversion" or "Duraspark conversion" on this site and you will find a wealth of information about this topic.
FTE Legend
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 32,875
Likes: 48
From: Northeast, OK
Assuming that by saying "upgrade" you mean that your truck is running fine now but you want more power, then the answer is no. You can't change out a feedback carb for a non-feedback carb w/o killing the power and fuel mileage of the truck.
That's because a feed-back carb is controlled by a computer, which also controls the ignition timing. If you change out the carb the computer figures it out and it will probably put you into limp-home mode, meaning that your timing is locked at something like 10 degrees. The truck will start ok, but your power and mileage will be gone.
The only way to successfully change out the carb is to also change the ignition system to DS-II at the same time. Search this forum for that and you'll find a lot of information.
That's because a feed-back carb is controlled by a computer, which also controls the ignition timing. If you change out the carb the computer figures it out and it will probably put you into limp-home mode, meaning that your timing is locked at something like 10 degrees. The truck will start ok, but your power and mileage will be gone.
The only way to successfully change out the carb is to also change the ignition system to DS-II at the same time. Search this forum for that and you'll find a lot of information.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,251
Likes: 8
From: North Carolina
Well you big dogs with your porting, camshaft modifications, etc. are a bit out of my league, so I'm trying to help on the smaller stuff when I can! 
To the OP, if your stock feedback system is working, there is some good reason to leave well enough alone. It should give you moderate, smooth power and good gas mileage to boot. But of course it is also understandable if you are just itching to do some modifications. There is a wealth of info here on what/how to do that.
To the OP, if your stock feedback system is working, there is some good reason to leave well enough alone. It should give you moderate, smooth power and good gas mileage to boot. But of course it is also understandable if you are just itching to do some modifications. There is a wealth of info here on what/how to do that.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,479
Likes: 0
From: West Valley City
About the only thing that I can think of, without doing a DSII conversion, would be to rejet the carb, but your just wasting gas then.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 181
Likes: 0
From: Wallace, Idaho
I agree, i changed my intake and carb on my 86 to an Offy 4 barrel and a edelbrock, they are right, change the dizzy at the same time.
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Senior User
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 181
Likes: 0
From: Wallace, Idaho
BTW an offy intake isn;t cheap. but i didn;t want a 1 barrel anymore. So you might have to take that into consideration too. I spend about 550 bucks between that and the carb, and a newer dizzy will run you a good chunk too, unless you junk yard it and rebuilt it.
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