Hey im wondering so many guys at the tpi forums saying that TPI is great for 305s but it shokes 350s a lot , whats the deal i tho tpi was suppost to be a great system to make power up top. Is TBI a better breather up in the rmps , u know with a proper manifold, TB and heads u guys think a TBI 350 would be able to make more power up top, im thinking about this cuz im debating on wether i should swap for a tpi 350 setup or find a healthy 350 vortec and LT1 cam it and throw it in my engine bay with a TBI. TPI offers great low end torque wich is something i like a lot but so does TBI.

 

The strength of TPI is in the midrange torque. It has a higher peak torque and was really designed for a 305. They run out of air at high rpms, but that can be fixed by an aftermarket intake and / or porting. I like TBI probably because I have one! I also like TBI in its simplicity compared to TPI. Less parts to fail and mess with.

 

Yeah im thinking that keeping the car with a TBI would just be easier , 350 vortec are cheap i think that with an lt1 cam and a good intake manifold that combo should give me the power im looking for, maybe in the 250 to 280 flywheel hp, u think i tbi 350 specially a vortec is capable of that and more ?

 

It's probably capable of that and more with a full exhaust headers back. That head and cam combo on a 305 should make 280 - 300hp with full exhaust. I have those heads and an LT1 cam in my garage.

 

really ? well if thats true then why swap a 350 , i currently a 2.5 inch catback with a flowmaster, im gonna buy headers and a y-pipe soon also install a set of underdrive pulleys, an lt1 cam is cheap , also i heard l03 heads flow really nice once u port them, they already flow better than tpi heads on the exhaust side but since they are restrictive on the intake they require some work, i think port matching on the intake along with some work were the swirl ramps are should make l03 heads pretty nice.

 

Why swap to a 350? Torque! A 350 with the same combo can make ~400ftlbs where a 305 would very difficult to get close to that number. Also with the 350 you could easily run a hotter cam with more duration to make way more power easily in the same RPM range. More potential I guess. Tuning it is very important as well.

When I added headers and 3" catback it freed up a considerable amount of power. I plan to keep modifying my 305 until its explodes, then I will find that 350 to replace it down the road. Hot rodding is a hobby and all about the fun. Everyone knows its cheaper to make power with a larger displacement engine.

 

Well thats kinda of what im thinking also, work with why already have, get the 305 to make some decend power to be used as a nice powerful DD , when the thing blows up just find a decend 350 and put all the parts of the 305 on it and make double to power.

 

sounds like you know alot about tbi units...maybe you could help me. i bought my 89 iroc from sum tweaker in vegas for 500 bucks!!!! ive driven the car from vegas to kansas,to Corpus christy Texas than all the way back home in montana!! NO PROBLEMS...unfourtunantly i am not one to take it easy when im behind the wheel of this machine...ive recenty started haveing problems with the fuel system. first it was the ignition and now its the TBI unit i think... i had to replace fuel pump and the next day my air breather burst into flames and torched my k&n but i guess the throttle body siezed up so now i got brand new pump and TBI hooked it up and fired hur up.. she sounds better than ever but for some reason i go to put it in gear and it barely takes off without dying and when i let off the gas it backfires and dies ive gone over and over it but still stumped.. my poor baby is sick. do you think it has anything to do with the computer cause thats my guess.......thanks for your time.

 

CE light? Pull codes and see it that identifies a sensor. Is the TPS hooked up?