approx how long with the swap take? also will i notice a huge gain? main reason i want to switch is so in the future i could run a vortech supercharger on it...also would i need a new distributer or is it the same thing? ill probably be switching cams while in there...oh yeah and with the TPI you dont need chips to see the results of mods right? isnt it MAF

 

^^^^

 

>approx how long with the swap take?

Depends on how handy you are, the tools you have available, the completeness of the setup you aquired, any snags you encounter (broken bolts, etc.), and what side-jobs you decide to do (cam swap, paint engine bay, clean parts and accessories). It's really too big a job to put a definite time frame on, but if you have everything, and you've done an intake swap and fuel pump swap before, and hit no snags, then a full weekend at least. If you hit every snag Murphy can throw at you, then maybe a couple weeks is a better guess. This also depends on how much you can work on it at a time. The key is preparation ahead of time.

>also will i notice a huge gain?

You'll notice some torque increase and a slight loss of off-idle grunt. With a cam swap, depending on the cam you could have quite a noticable improvement.

>also would i need a new distributer or is it the same thing?

You should be able to use your own distributor, especially if you get an 87-up TPI setup, since the 85/86 setup uses the large-cap distributor.

>with the TPI you dont need chips to see the results of mods right? isnt it MAF

Depends on the setup you aquire. TPI is MAF up until 89, and from 90 to 92 it's speed density (no MAF sensor). No matter which setup you get, you'll still need to get a custom chip to take full advantage of mods. You'll still "see the result of mods" as you say, but it won't be the mod's full potential you're seeing without a custom chip. It's generally agreed that a MAF setup can accomadate modifications without touching the chip better than a speed density setup will. Since you seem to imply that you're keeping the 305, just upgrading the cam, etc, a MAF setup will suit you just fine. You may have to get the chip when you get to the point of installing a Vortech.

 

sounds good...i just cant decide what i want to do...TBI kinda sucks and there isnt much aftermarket for it and TPI seems to be the way to go...i plan on getting a l98 shortblock eventually but could be a year or so away how hard is it to swap out the wiring harnesses?