[piecesparts]

I can relate to this in somewhat of a manner. I am working to put a TPI setup out of a 90 Corvette in my 91 Silverado, which has a 5.7 TBI motor. Some of things that you will need to consider are:

Which tranny does the Firebird engine have? The TPI is setup for that system. If the tranny was a NON-computer unit, then you may have no problem there.

Is the 5.0 in good shape, or is there work needed on it? Consider mileage and internal wear.

Does the 5.0 have ALL of the original accessory brackets? If not, those are getting hard to find as well as, ALL of the necessary bolts. A little creativity may be needed. Do you have the same alternator and A/C design as what was in the car? Look at what would be needed to get the transition done easily. Odds are, your brackets will not work at all on the new motor.

The wiring harness for the TPI will be a monstorous mess and sorting it out is a job that can be done, but you need to get a manual for doing this. If you are adept at doing wiring, then it can be done. If not; then some place like Street and Performance can sell you a harness, but it is not cheap.

How long has the TPI been sitting? The injectors are prone to getting dirty and may cause running problems, once the engine is started. I made a trip to the Arkansas shop of Street and Performance and found out all of the things that I would have to do to have a trouble free install. This also can get pricey, since injectors are about $400.00 new. I have a set of the origninal GM Delphi injectors that will fit your TPI sitting in my basement--and they are clean---If you are interested?


Where did the MAF sensor go? Most aftermarket setups can be cleaned up and the MAF may not be needed, Just the MAP is used on some.

The computer will need to have some things updated or removed to accomplish your swap. Talk to people that do this kind of work and see what is involved.

As for the 87 TPI being a good deal, there is very little difference in yours than the one that I have. The TPI systems had a definite RPM ceiling to them (around 4000 RPM). The performance up to there is great and these units are very popular in streetrods and are good for making HP in a daily driving experience. Where you may fall short is that you have 5.0 motor and the power curve on a 5.7 would be better, but the change from the 4.3 would be phenomenal. The fuel mileage with a TPI is good and programmable. I would recommend getting an aftermarket wiring harness--it woud make the install easy. The computer upgrade is a must do for your project.


OVERALL---you can put a V-8 into the truck , with a carb for a lot less work and investment (IN THE LONG RUN). The tuning could be a lot more simplified and involvement in getting repairs later would be simple. Thinking that if you had a break down on the road somewhere, you would not have to find a mechanic that has equipment to troubleshoot fuel injection over fixing a carb system. However the fuel economy would be better with the EFI setup, theoretically.

The picture below is the TPI that I ended up with in a deal on a streetrod and I am going to install this in my 91 Silverado. The price for the setup that is pictured--with the computer is around $2800.00, according to the guys at S&P.