Hey Guys


My 89 Trans AM just took a fatal hit, my beautiful
GTA is nothing but junk ...

Bout 4 months ago, I took my 305 TPI and swapped it
with a 90 Vette TPI engine...
The first couple months was amazing, all that work paid off.
luved the HP, the sound, the pull .. luved every bit..

heh, well My car jus started to knock, I posted a couple
threads on the tech boards but .. I already new what it was.

The main is shot, spun bearing ..something ..
all I know is dropping the oil pan and replacing it is only
a band aid for the sitiuation.

This is the second block ... youd think im fed up with this..
youd think Id just sell the thing and buy a Honda ...


BUT HELL NO!!

I dont have much of a budget .. All I need is a
simple 350 ..

What is the likleyhood of taking the existing TPI system
all the wiring, ECM, the whole 9 yards and strapping it to
a bare 350??
I live in AZ, so smog laws are prevelant here ..

The car it self is prestine .. I WILL NOT SELL IT!!


Does anyone have any bad expierences to
boost my confidence??

Cuz my 3rd gen morale is at a all-time low

 

Yea...i bought my car. 5 days later the engine blew up. I haven't driven it since. That was 15 months ago.

Yea the 305 top end can be swapped over. An injector change and PROM burning may be needed, but I'm not sure.

 

Bad experience to share: on the ride home in my '82 Z, which I had just bought, I stopped for gas. Noticed smoke coming up from under the hood, figured it was just oil smoking off the exhaust but checked anyway, and the engine was on fire. It survived and it gets better every time I pick up a wrench.

Swap: the TPI hardware and electronics will work, you'll need a 350 MEMCAL (PROM plus limp-home electronics), a 350 knock sensor, and a set of 22# injectors.

Make sure the 350 you buy has '87 and up heads with the newer intake bolt pattern...the center two bolts on each head are 72deg, not 90deg like the rest.

 

Thanks For your responses

Just the thought of yanking and dropping another block
again gives me goosebumps ..

You guys know how difficult it can be in these cars.
I plan on going with a Crate motor, its the cheapest
way to get a new block .. I cant have anything used ..

Another route I would like to take is
either a 383 or a 400 with the TPI
I want something diffrent from everyone else
and want ***** to the wall power.

So in the end, Id like a 383 (or 400) with the TPI
with a dual ATI blower setup .. Also wanna get all
the hardware for DIY PROM ... Already got the laptop

where can I get a harness???
(I know im in the wrong forum thread)

Whattya think?? I dont wanna go LS1 or LT1

 

I bought my car, changed the oil the next day, started smoking so bad you couldn't see accross the street if from my driveway. Had that sweet smell too... so oil, coolant, and a little gas being burned too.

Then it got hard.... first I had to convince my dad that we should just do an engine swap, then convince him to get a 350 and not a 305... then the headache of putting it in... then trying (in vain) to make the computer controlled stuff work instead of keeping the mechanical carb/dissy on the 350.... ugh.

All turned out well though.

Sorry to hear about your 'bird.

 

If you have a '90 Vette engine, and you'd like a 383, sounds to me like you already have the engine. You just need the 383 rotating stuff and some machine work. If that's not good enough for you because it's not new, or you can't just pull it out and put in a new one right away, then I guess we just live in different worlds.

The factory has a 383 crate engine, but it's 3.80" stroke in a 4" bore and has Fastburn heads http://www.sdpc2000.com/cart.asp?act...120&pid=156334 . I forget what problems Fastburn and TPI produce (I'm too lazy to do the search for you).

If you have a '90 Vette engine, you already have aluminum heads, the same ones that come on the ZZ4 crate engine http://www.sdpc2000.com/cart.asp?act...id=120&pid=117 . They respond well to porting, and would top a 383 nicely. You could even get a factory 383 shortblock http://www.sdpc2000.com/cart.asp?act...=514&pid=81632 . But, I guess that doesn't meet your stated requirements of nothing being used.

Not having much of a budget, all new engine, ***** to the wall TPI power, and dual ATI doesn't sound like a match made in heaven.

 

First off, sorry about your misfortune, and dont worry, things have a way of working themselves out usually.

Now, I see you went from having no budget to having a very substantial budget in 12hrs. It must be nice. You know, to me, twin ATI's and low budget have nothing to do with one another, but thats me.

So if you want to keep a low budget, I would do something like what five7kid said. Take the old block and have it machined and stroked to a 383. Then port the heads and upgrade the cam. Throw the TPI back on it and call it done. This would keep you in the $1000 - $1500 dollar range, depending on what parts you use.

Crate motor + twin ATI's = well, you do the math.

 

some people have had success with their car insurance. Sometimes insurance companies will cover blown engines if its full coverage.

 

what??? ive never heard of a car insurance company around here paying for an engine in a thirdgen to get replace .....


not even in a newer car for that matter thats something that the insurance doesnt deal with unless it was vandalized ....

 

I think car insurance is being confused with warranty.

I'm with five7kid and others in supporting making the most of what you already have and improving upon it. Be patient. While you're waiting for the machine work to get done, you can work on cleaning all the induction parts and maybe painting them and getting everything perfect and ready.. I think you'll end up saving money in the long run (as opposed to replacing everything you already have)..

 

TWO DAYS! TWO G0D DAMN DAYS! I had my iroc for two days before the headgasket blew... it had a 400 swapped into it (the guys who did it totally car-stupid)... truck motor that had been.. get this.. bored .060.. needless to say, the block was cracked like you wouldn't believe... But, luckily, my dad was building me a 355 for my grad present.. so the IROC went up on stands for two months, and its running strong, fast, and great.