The cruel hands of fate have delivered another third gen engine into my hands. This time, it is a 5.0 TPI out of a '90 Camaro. It has been swapped into a G-body. Don't ask me why someone would do that, they just did.

Anyway, I was given the car, so no complaints on the price. I was told it ran, as long as you unplugged the three wired connector on the throttle. Anyway that has turned out to be incorrect. I can get the car to fire when it's cold, but it will run for no longer than 30 seconds before it shuts off. Once I have started it a few times, it will no longer start. I have to wait a few hours to be able to fire it again.

I really want to dump this engine and either go LS, or just put a first gen SBC like this car originally had. I am going down the rabbit hole to get this thing running so I can pass state inspection and get the title in my name. Once that is done I am going to put this engine on boat anchor duty where it belongs.

Wish me luck! Tips or encouragement are welcome.

 

Tuned Port Injection (TPI) is a first gen small block induction system.

It's a pretty simple system. Get an ALDL cable and download TunerPro.

GD

 

Sounds like the stock OEM Multec injectors are still in the engine. If so time to get rid of them.

RBob.

 

I am learning TPI. It is a simple system and I think once I get it, it should be an easy system to troubleshoot. The Camaro Service Manual in PDF format available from eBay for about $30 has tons of procedures designed to help the carburetor-familiar mechanics in those days isolate problems. It will take me a while to get familiar with it all but once I do, I think it will be fairly easy to find problems.

 

There's nothing wrong with carbed SBC motors. Or later TBI, or even TPI. ...again, nothing wrong with LS motors. All work just fine if you know what you're doing and how to work on them. NONE of them are fun and easy if you DO NOT know what you're doing.

....but it's not the motor that has the issue.

 

Hello in Arizona if you prove to the motor vehicle department the car is nonfunctioning you can get title only on the car you might look into your state and see if they do the same type thing

 

So I have the following trouble codes:

12, 22, 24, 41, 42, 45.

My fuel pressure is around 44-45. I think that is good. Should be enough to at least run.

I was able to get it to idle long enough to see that the alternator appears to be working, keeping a steady 13.4 Volts on the battery when running.


Timeto start working through the trouble codes, one at a time.

 

Sounds like wiring issues related to the swap. Nothing to do with the TPI system. It's the tool behind the tool that installed it.

GD