I want to put a TPI in my 88 Monte. It now has a 305 and200r4. The carb is computer controled and so is the distributer and converter lock up. I have seen many computers ,wiring harness and intakes for sale on this board. My question is with the distributer. Will I need a different distributer or can my stock one work. Thanks for any help Mike P.S. asking a Monte question won't get me banned will it??

Try these guys....they sell a conversion harness that bolts....err.....plugs right into your monte harness. Nice stuff. They also sell complete TPI set-ups. I 've used a couple of their harnesses in Impala conversions and had excellent results. Good customer service to. www.howellefi.com

I'm doing the same thing this winter(87 SS) and the distributor will work for my TPI setup which is from an 88 Iroc. They had the same distributor, only catch is if you were going to use the L98 camshaft or motor in general. It would then require the proper cam gear on your Monte distributor because the stock one on the monte is softer and the L98 cam would chew it up(or at least that is what I have read). I'm using my L69 motor so it will be on the same cam anyways so I don't need any changes to the gear.

if you don't have the stuff for your swap yet, Jameson over on montecarloss.com has a 86 TPI setup for sale.

asking a Monte question won't get you banned, unless you keep asking, LOL
but the thread may get locked.

Thanks for the info. Thats just what I wanted to know. The Howell harness is nice but for $450 I think I'll hack up a stocker. I don't have any parts yet. I was going to change to a regular carb when I change motors this spring but the TPI has many advantages and also would be a fun project.
I knew this board would have many answers fast. That's why I asked here. Montecarloss.com does not seem as knowledgable as here.
Mike

Ouch. Well, I hope that a TPI board would be a little more knowledgeable on this subject than a Monte board would be, considering that Montes never came with TPI stock!


Good luck with the swap!

I don't mean to knock MCSS. It is a great site also. Just seems to be a lot more followers on thirdgen. I had a 91RS that I got a lot of help with on this site. I'm sure I'll have many questions for the guys at MCSS when I get to other upgrades like suspension and handling.

Personally here is what I would do. Find a donor 1988 4.3 tbi V-6 monte carlo and grab the full harness out of it. (engine,dash,body) grab fuel tank and fuel lines as well. Take the TBI ecm harness ends and re-pin them for a 730 ECM. add the correct VSS sensor to your transmission and extend a couple sensor wires and add TPI injector harness to the TBI wires. ...... That seems like you best and easiest way to convert over without alot of unexpected headaches and it will look like a factory almost conversion.

You might also check over at gbodyforum.com and look up a frequent poster there named 86CutlassBrougham, he is running a small block chevy TPI in his Cutlass. He went from V6 to CC quadrajet to TPI and has done all the harness stuff as well...

Just a thought!

post #4 and #6.....Hi guys LOL!

I've done the swap twice I guess... same motor, 2 different cars. First was an El Camino with the Camaro harness. That was not exactly a friendly harness to use with the car. Then I put the motor in a GP, used a Painless (hah) harness. Nice part about the painless aside of the price is its a brand new harness with new connectors. No melted/broken/missing connectors. I just dont care for the way its arranged and that they didnt include a connector for the instrument panel connections. Pretty sure they still dont.

The wiring is your only hitch. Putting on the intake or dropping in the engine is a fairly simple task with the right tools. Use the 200r4 with it.

I put a TPI setup on the 305 in my Van. The system is being run by a TBI PCM and Harness from a 1993-1995 Chevy Van that has been reprogrammed by me. I am running a 4L60E for a transmission too. Its a sweet package TPI/4L60E.







This was the finished project in a 5,500 lbs, 3.08 geared BRICK.

NowTheBadNew is right about the tank. The TBI'd models had an in tank pump that'll provide adequate fuel pressure for TPI. They have the baffling inside the tank to keep some fuel above the tank when it sloshes around if it gets under 1/4 tank. You'd also have to go with the remote coil distributor to clear the intake. But, you can just swap out the gear from your current one to work. Nobody says you have to use an aftermarket harness - you can take, like you said, hack a used factory one and make it work. Fuel injection isn't rocket science. Also, having an 88, you'd have to get the proper base manifold (post 86) but you can always ream out the 4 center holes to make them fit. When piecing a setup together, you have to be careful of stuff like this (9th injector, the intake bolts, MAF/SD, etc...)

Either distributor clears the intake fine.

Not true. TBI systems only put out 9-13 psi and you need 41 psi. You can use the TBI sender and replace with a TPI pump, if that's what your after...

Lots of great info here guys
I will be switching the motor for a 350 I have laying around. It is the target master crate motor that is based on a pre 86 block. No screamer but far better than the 305.
On the fuel pump, I could use an inline pump right. I think the stock one is on the side of the block. I could just bypass it. The baffeled tank is for cornering right. This will be a work car mostly so the stock one will have to do for now.
I don't know if I'll even do this project but I love the info. I told my wife about the idea and she did not see the need or fuel savings. Sometimes when I tear into something It takes me forever to complete.

Like said above, 4.3 TBI tank and sender, F body pump. CAN'T use the 4.3 TBI pump. And as far as the distributor gear, if you use your 305 motor then you already have the correct gear on the dist. and the correct remote coil dist.(87-87 Monte). The only time you would have to worry about the gear is if you were using your monte dist. in an LB9 or L98 motor. If you are using the Monte 305, then the distributor gear is going right back on the same cam its been on all along.
You can use an inline pump if you want, but it has to be mounted as close to the tank as possible. They are 'pushers' not 'pullers'. You would have to use a block off plate and remove the current block mounted fuel pump. And the correct tank does in fact have baffles, so you don't 'starve' the pump during cornering.

Check out www.chevythunder.com. There's a lot of the info you are looking for.
S10Wildside on here, is also the www.eficonnection.com sponser has built me a couple killer harnesses.
I have used a couple TBI tanks also, just change out the pump to TPI like suggested.
I bought a couple used TPI harnesses off ebay also that just needed a little tweeking to retro in older cars.

FWIW, I used an 86 Camaro harness in my 86 SS. The firewall rectangular plastic grommet was something I got rid of (by removing the grommet and the glue holding the harness all together which was a pain in the butt) which made the firewall issue a lot easier. That worked for me.

I just came across this message thread and was reading through when I came upon a misstatement. The Monte Carlo SS DID come from the factory in 1985 with a little overlooked option of a TPI. Most salesmen did not know or even look into the COPO option of a TPI in the Monte. I attended the GM training center in Minneapolis MN in the late summer of 1985 for TPI training while I was at Hawkins Chevrolet in Sherburn MN. While at the school we were able to work on a Silver 1985 Monte SS with a factory installed TPI engine. The car was gotten right from a downtown local dealer that provided training vehicles for the center. While working for Steffens Chevrolet/Buick in Faribault MN the following year i again confirmed this via the parts manager who also found listng parts info for the Monte Carlo SS in his parts books. I have not been able to confirm this since and finding one is looking ot be an extreamly rare project in itself. But as I had actually seen one and worked on it, I can confirm that they are out there somewhere.

I dont think so. We tried to order a G-body in 1986 with a TPI through a very well connected GM employee and they said NO.

I have done it both ways...this is the best way.

if you look around the g body forums, you can find the IP connector pinout for your car(C207). this is the biggest hurdle, since they tweaked things here from year to year. You may also need to check out the SES light, some of the earlier cars used a light driver board you need to remove, I haven't found it yet in a malibu wagon we are swapping in, but i know it's there(my brothers car.)

the other guys are pointing you in the right direction. Use the 4.3TBI monte as a source for the efi fuel system parts, with a TPI fuel pump installed.

as for the harness, you can either repin a TBI harness, or use a TPI harness. the repin will work nicely with the factory body grommet (under the passenger inner fender, round hole), or like I have done with a TPI harness, make the round hole square to fit a TPI harness.

a TBI/TPI distributor is easy to find, you'll probably run a narrow cap but it depends on which harness/connectors you use. The distributor you currently have may or may not work, depending on what kind of module you have in it, since they made a few variations (non computer controlled carb, and a couple versions with the ccc). probably best to just get one that you know will work.

Since this topic has been 'reborn' I have sucessfully added TPI to my L69 in my 87 SS. Really wasn't very hard at all, but did cost a little cash since I used alot of new or reconditioned components instead of taking the chance of used stuff. I ended up using an 88 Iroc harness and intake setup and had no issues with using the stock harness rather than a $450 aftermarket one. That alone saved me alot of money.
Also, I'm gonna have to throw up the BS flag for TPI being an option on ANY Monte Carlo.

Wow!!! I can't believe the response to this. There is a lot of great information here. everyone for your information and thoughts. It's amazing how many people are willing to help out here.
My TPI is just sitting in the corner for now as I have too many other projects going on now(at least thats what the wife said )
Thanks
Mike

Too many other projects? Sounds like a good time to get the TPI swap out of the way first then.

Mike, get going on that TPI swap!
have you posted about on MCSS yet?


mid572dr, this really isn't the board to discuss the Monte Carlo, a better place is http://www.montecarloss.com/ in the SuperSport Lounge.
madmax wasn't the only one who tried to get a factory TPI in a Monte, i tried to get it in late 86 thru a connection i had back then.
i'll say this about it here, i think what you may have seen was a TPI the dealer had installed.

I am also a member at MCSS. I go by IowaLS over there. The day begins and ends there. I haven't posted a lot about this because I realised soon after I posted here that this was going to have to wait. I know now that there are a lot of people on MCSS that have put a TPI in a Monte but I thought this would be a better place because there would be more people with them.
Mike

Good job.

I have a TPI in my g-body also! not hooked up yet. I have a '86 regal (GN clone) I call it a regal SS. Same thing....