Ok I just placed a big on a TPI system its pretty complete with the wiring harness, distributer (dont really need it) and a computer for a 305. anyways with the wiring harness how long should the swap take me? What do I do about the throttle cable and tv cable. Looks like the TPI is waaay longer.

 

forever??????? ....i have been doing mine for 5 months now, but had to take a break from it. Haven't tried working on it in two months now, after the third month i had a sudden urge to light the car on fire and just roll it on down the street. I'll get it one of these days

 

geez is the swap that hard? I figured with the harness it wouldnt be that difficult. Id rather just stay tbi or go carb if TPI is that hard to swap.

 

The swap might not have been that hard if i would have some good info to research it. Just alot of things were different from my car from the car i swapped with, mainly issues with the harness,such as the automatic tranny in the old harness and mine is a 5 spd , dual fans set up in the old harness vs. single fan in mine, the the car i took it from since being an automatic will have the chip looking for a torque converter,when i don't have one.....etc etc etc .I got the tuned port off and harness off of a 350 auto but should have gotton the harness off of a 305 ,5 spd tpi i suppose that would have eliminated a few problems . Either that or sent the harness out and had it redone, instead of redoing it myself, but didn't want to spend $400 to do that. I have everything working but the fuel pump and vats so i found a place that would burn me a non vats chip for a resonable price so after i install that ,button the harness back up and put the new fuel pump in, i should be good to go........ i hope

 

The setup i was looking at was from a 305 auto so maybe it wouldnt be that bad? I dont have dual fans but how hard would that be to fix? Ill go ahead and get the TPI swappers book and read it. I really want TPI and id like to install world heads and a lt1 cam to. Probably move real good for a 305 then.

 

It took me about a week to do mine from TBI to TPI in my truck. Got it running anyways in a week, now 2 years later and an entire short block later, I'm still tuning. But I had a 4L60E tranny that I had to leave the original TBI ECM in for to control it, so I have a wiring nightmare running 2 ECMs. Burned a few chips for the tranny control, and about 50 so far for the TPI as other problems crop up.
What kind of "world" heads are you talking about? Not WoldCasting Sportsman 200s I hope, thats what I have and they are crap for a TPI setup, about the time they start breathing good, the TPI runs out of air at 4k rpms. They were free so I used them, I'll gladly sell them when I get a Vortec setup.
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You'll need a new throttle cable as the TPI is different, I even had to re-cut the hole in the firewall for mine and re-position the cruise control module. Not to mention rerouting the fuel lines because my old TBI had them going to the back of the intake manifold. Here's a few pics after the conversion, I don't have any up yet of the new motor afetr putting it in.
http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/onebadw...s/rockers1.jpg
http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/onebadw...es/tpipass.jpg
http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/onebadw...driverside.jpg

 

Im talking about world products torquer S/R 305 heads. Sorry about that Im used to posting on the TBI board where everyone knows what you mean when you say world heads. I have a 700r4 so it shouldnt have a problem since the TPI came from a 700r4 car. Yeah i figured the TV cable was different and the throttle cable. Im not running cruise so im not worried about that. Fuel lines also looked alot different. Im about to buy a second car (93 eclipse) for a daily driver then i wanna rip into the camaro alot.

 

Yup...................fuel lines deffinitly different.

 

someone on another post abouit fuel lines said a pre fabbed set if abouty 160...that isnt to bad

 

You'll need to buy the 1 foot section that comes off the front of the manifold that bolts to the fuel rail, then from there you can cut the ends off the 1' piece and cut the original lines just before they go up the back of the block (if yours is currently there for your TBI) then you can make the rest, you can get 4' sections of fuel line at any auto store and brass connectors to connect the pieces at the auto store too. If you look in that pic I posted from the driver side, you can see the ones I fabricated right there just behind and under the altenator (the 2 brass connections).
Pick up a tube bender at the auto shop too, about $30 in all for the tubes and bender. I forget how much the 1' section is, but you'll have to get it from the dealer.
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And speaking of fuel, forgot to mention its a good idea to change your fuel pump. Get a powerful Walbro as TBI operates at usually about half the pressure TPI does.

 

yeah i knew that. I wish i would have threw a TPI pump in there when i did my fuel pump last springs. would have made things much easier. right now the tpi project is on hold because i have no job but ill be getting another job soon so ill toy with the idea some more

 

Sooooooooo did anybody get it done im going to do the same thing.

 

Took me the better part of 4-5 days. I had an '89 w/ a 350TBI, 700R4, and swapped in a TPI setup for an '88 350 w/ 700R4, so it was all compatable. As far as the cables, you'll need a new TV cable and throttle cable, TPI fuel pump, new under hood fuel lines. I bought some from a junk yard, but they ended up being junk, so i bent my own. The harness wasn't too hard....it all really falls into place. The most frustrating part for me was probably the fuel pump. Its not hard, just time consuming. Oh, and I kept my single fan...no problem. Good luck....

 

BTW i swapped in a 350 and carb lol. This post is so old. Carb is running great and the swap was simple. I sorta wish I had TPI but oh well. Carb worked out well and the new motor is running like a top.

 

and now its my turn... doing the swap in a few days...

<b>you'll need a new TV cable and throttle cable</b>

if thats true i want to get one before i start... any suggestions on where? somthing like that i would want brand new, not used, can i just pick one up somwhere online or local store?

 

if you haven't gotten them already about the only place to get new ones is the dealer. I spent like $40 for both of them but I also work at a shop. Plan on pending close to $75-$80 for both new from them, as well as a day or two to get 'em. I'm doiong the same thing to my '90 RS that is currently carbed, so I know how you guys feel. In fact my whole tpi set-up is currently sitting in my bedroom waiting on a few parts.

Chris

 

I've got the stock TPI throttle cable. $10 and it's yours. It was brand new, used for 6 weeks.

I've done the swap,
Carb

TPI


This is my current project for my car. An LT1


Oh, and instead of going into the tank,
I decided on an in-line pump setup,