hey guys, i have been searching for days now, and i cant make the call whether or not this TPI/entire engine is from a 1986 iroc or a 1991 corvette. i kno i need to lok at casting #'s to see what the block/heads are from, but i kno there are visual differences to the tpi (egr, fule line angle ect, but i cannot make the call. thanks

link to the pics: https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...ad#post3541906 (down towards the bottom)

 

Any rust on the heads?

 

there is rust on the valve covers, but not on the heads. the block appears to be repainted, so i kno it was rebuilt 4 years ago (the man i am buying the car from, on sunday hopefully, said so)

 

The easiest way is if you look at TPI runners on the driver side, and check if you have that little tube (circled in red) if you have it, you got 85 ~ 88 runners; if you don't, you got 89~92 runners. I hope this will help

 

It doesn't have Corvette valvecovers, or Corvette accessories, and I don't see any sign of the Corvette external EGR setup. None of those things are definitive, though.

If he's selling the car, it's up to him to prove that it's a 1991 Corvette engine, not you.

 

Good point

 

thanks guys, especially 400z28 racer, that really should make it simple to tell about the tpi

 

Unlike a 1991 Corvette, that car has a MAF sensor, too.

 

That looks completely stock, but yeah, you'd have to check all that.

Fuel rails can tell as well.

 

If the heads are painted, take a magnet with you and try to stick it to a bare spot on the heads. If it sticks, the heads are iron, not aluminum, and it's not a Corvette engine.

It's possible that parts of it may have come from a Corvette at some point, but that doesn't matter to what it is now, especially considering that the car doesn't seem to be running right.

It's also missing the A/C belt, which means that the A/C compressor or clutch probably isn't working either.

 

good idea! i'll have to do that on sunday. yeah he said the fuel injectors went bad, and then made the pump go bad, so i have to check those things out sunday too. its been sitting for 2 yrs now, and i think he may be trying to take advantage of me being 17 ans trying to BS me into paying wayyy too much for the car. any other tips to keep me from getting ripped off are appreciated, thanks

 

Fuel injectors can't make a pump go bad.

 

Don't buy this car.

 

fins on plenum come to far forward to be speed density setup speed density plenum ribs dont pass the front runner on the drivers side so this plenum has to be a mass air one ... and you dont see the mounting boss for the map sensor which is visible on a speed density plenum from the front.

you can see the fuel lines which come out on drivers side ... corvettes came straight out the front of the fuel rails on passengers side front of the tpi system.

runner dont have right texture to be a vettes vettes usually had rough texture in the last two years.

throttle body looks like a 90'ish one though. (accelerater cable setup)

 

haha yeah im thinking that its a bad idea. the situation is that once i buy the i'll have 6k to put into it, plus the money that i can save, so i'm torn because it has a nice exterior, i may just do a new engine trans, and go from there. i donno lol

 

Looks like the 86 to me, there's no cam on it.

The induction system on that thing isn't from a Corvette, it's from the original 86 TPI. That's not an entirely bad thing though, there isn't much difference between the two. It might have Corvette aluminum heads (I'd bet no). It might also have a 350 in it, but that doesn't mean that it's a "Corvette engine" by any means.

You're not buying a car with a Corvette engine. You're buying a car with a possibly replaced, mixed 'n' matched dead engine, and dead engines all cost the same.

Tell the seller you want the car inspected by a reputable mechanic of your choice before you buy it. If he doesn't agree, then walk away. If he does agree to an inspection, then you'll have a much better idea of what you'd be up against buying it.

 

Detail:
My '88 had the distributor cover (rear plenum extension) missing when I got it, so I went the a gm dealer to oder the part. The guy said there's 2 part number's one was for a platic piece which came on the Camaro, and the other is an aluminuim piece which was for the Corvette.

Of course I bought the alum piece.

 

Someone's been in there at least, those are centerbolt heads. They didnt use those in 86. The rest is likely from the car, 86 intake and accessories.

 

I think '86 was a dual year for vette's early '86 vettes had iron heads as far as I know, I could be wrong tho, but this is true of a '91. Gotta watch that the guy didnt take the aluminum heads off for another engine. Those are pretty sought after heads. At least around here.

 

hey guys, i took your advice, didnt buy the car, but i did find a 1992 b4c in near perfect condition that does run lol.thanks again, you guys are great