Yesterday the truck arrived and I was excited to unload my 350 TPI motor for this falls swap and I discovered that the motor was a 87 350 MPI. Since I am going to long block this and I guess discard all the intake components, I was wondering if I can still get this block configured for a TPI set-up.


Is there anything I need on the harness? The computer came with it. What can I do to reconfigure the program for TPI?


Please help. I am committed to this motor and am not getting any reply from reliableenginesales.com


Steve

 

Explain... in 87, there were exactly 2 kinds of FI installed on 350s in vehicles; TPI, and TBI. TPI is a form of MPFI. TBI of course is not.

A photo might help.

Not that it matters all that much if you're going to take off whatever is there and use your own; what MATTERS, is what's left. Which of course applies to the harness: you'll be using your existing one anyway, so it doesn't matter.

What are the head casting #s? What do the pistons look like through the plug holes?

 

I haven't really torn into it. probably MPFI. Have to run the engine serial number to determine for sure. Whats a good website to do this?

 

Its a TBI, (sorry) its aspirated

 

Yes you can put your TPI on it.

Might want to take off your GOOD TPI heads and use those as well, and throw the GARBAGE TBI ones away. In any case DO NOT turn in your nice sought-after desirable 083 head castings as cores, unless you get 083 back in return!!! DO NOT accept ANY OTHER casting number. There is no such thing as "almost as good" in this situation. Don't throw those away or sell them as part of a non-running junk motor either. USE THEM, not the TBI ones.

ALL engines are "aspirated". That word refers to "breathe", as in, they take in air. Most engines are what we call "naturally aspirated", meaning, they rely entirely on the "natural" pressure of the atmosphere to force air into the intake. Turbochargers and superchargers are not considered "naturally" aspirated.

TBI has nothing to do, directly, with the description of "aspiration".

TBI (throttle body injection) is NOT a form of MPFI (multi-port fuel injection); TPI however IS. One injector per port.

 

Heres some comments from Super Chevy on the '87 F body TPI:

In 1985, the Corvettes and Camaros used an iron small-block cylinder head. .... Another major change to the TPI system came on the '87-'92 Camaro cylinder heads. These cast-iron heads feature revised center bolt-hole angles. These altered bolt-hole angles required a third base with matching center bosses.

I get from this u need to keep the '87 heads u have now.

Good luck.

 

305 Heads can be worked to fit the long block when it's rebuilt?


350 Block S/N: 10054727
350 Head S/N: 14102183 or 14102193. 7th digit is intelligible


Got the motor tore down to the intake manifold, heads and the oil pan. Waiting on a cherry picker to finish the tear down.
Looked in the plug holes and the pistons look fine as far as I can see...got the harness all bagged up.


First motor teardown ever. Sorry for the dumb questions, just want this be done right:


305 motor only has 89K miles on it...she still runs good. 305 heads are the same configuration as the 350 heads? I wasn't planning on breaking my car just yet...nothing can be done with the 350 heads?

 

Okay...thanks man

 

Thanks for the explanation, man...once you said turbochargers, which are forced air...