The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network - Lets see pics of your square with a TPI engine in the bay...!

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Lets see pics of your square with a TPI engine in the bay...!

I'm tossing the idea around in my head to drop a TPI 350 into my shorty... lets see yours......... also, any pitfalls. issues you may run across doing such a swap. My truck is an 81.

RIZ :metal:

Re: Lets see pics of your square with a TPI enigine in the bay...!

No pictures, but I had a TPI 350 in my 72 with a 700R4. I switched from 3.08s to 3.73 gears.

Overall it ran OK, but for always reading about how much torque these engines made, bla bla bla I was pretty disappointed how it ran. At the track it ran something like 15.8@~95, so it was making the power it was supposed to be making, but I still didn't like it.

In contrast, the 5.3L in my 68 is awesome. It does have 4.10s in it, but it just would run circles around that TPI engine.

I used a painless wiring harness for the TPI swap and a factory harness for the 5.3L and neither was to terribly difficult.

Overall, I would really think about an LSx engine before you settle on the TPI engine. Unless you can get the TPI engine for free, I would go LSx.

Re: Lets see pics of your square with a TPI enigine in the bay...!

The swap is really quite simple with the right wire harness. Really no big problems.
I just put my first thousand miles on mine and I really love it. If you get everything for the right price it is worth it. In my case I got the whole car for $500.
Attachment 889441
Attachment 889442

Re: Lets see pics of your square with a TPI enigine in the bay...!

Just finished my setup, TPI on top of the stock 1986 truck 305 with a Melling RV cam. Working on getting it tuned now.

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/j...y/100_0806.jpg

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/j...y/100_0787.jpg

Re: Lets see pics of your square with a TPI enigine in the bay...!

This is a TPI conversion I did to the 350HO Vortec engine in my truck. It required an aftermarket manifold to get the TPI setup on Vortec heads. The whole shebang is controlled by a 1996 LT1 PCM with the intent that it'll be controlling a 4L60E later this year. To do this I did have to transplant the optispark sensor into a TPI distributor.

http://maxzillian.com/truck/intake8.jpg

http://maxzillian.com/truck/intake9.jpg

2000 Silverado airbox. I haven't had a chance to attempt to duct it into the fender yet. it's pretty low on the list of things to do. You can see the PCM mounted over the blower motor.
http://maxzillian.com/truck/intake10.jpg

Some key things to note about the swap:

*required a water neck from a mid 90s Chevy Astro. This barely clears the a/c compressor mount. The upper radiator hose needs a 3-4" extension to reach. The TPI throttle body has to have the lower driver's side corner trimmed back 1/4" and the bolt shortened accordingly. It is very tight!

*TPI distributor gutted, a custom hub was machined to hold the optispark wheel. The optispark sensor bolts down onto the existing base. Stock TPI cap and rotor can be used.

*The TPI ignition coil conveniently mounts to two existing holes in the evaporator box.

*Battery is relocated to the driver's side to allow the 2000 Silverado airbox to be used. The 2000 Silverado MAF is used with the LT1 and required a custom MAF table to be loaded to the LT1 PCM.

*The LT1 PCM requires extensive tuning so that it may play nicely with the TPI on a 350HO. As you can imagine, it behaves drastically different than a LT1.

*The fuel rails were modified to accept hose barb fittings. High pressure fuel line with high pressure clamps is used.

*A 2 port mechanical pump circulates fuel through a spin on filter mounted underneath the airbox. The electric pump draws fuel from this filter. The filter serves as a surge tank since the 85 fuel tanks have no internal baffling.

*A/c lines were bent up to clear the manifold.

*A mid 90s Caprice intake boot was used. After trimming off the alignment tabs, it can be cocked upwards to clear the alternator. The bottom of an aluminum water bottle seals the opening for the resonator.

Re: Lets see pics of your square with a TPI enigine in the bay...!

I'll Bite

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y25...k/NewImage.jpg

355 with TPI off an 86 Camaro. Went with 24lbs injectors and a MegaSquirt ECU. All Tuning is done with TunerStudio. Went in between Christmas and New Years.