Hey everyone, I've been researching doing a tpi swap for a couple of months now, and recently bought a setup from a 91 firebird. I have a couple of compatibility questions that I haven't found complete answers for and I was hoping someone might be able to help.

My camaro currently has a stock 82 LG4 with a Q-jet carb, and my transmission is a NWC T5. My original plan was to keep my engine and just swap in the tpi system (for the sake of time/money). I bought the heads with the tpi system since I heard the tpi intake would not bolt up to my original heads. After reading some other threads on here, I'm wondering if using my LG4 would be more hassle than swapping in a different engine. Here are my questions -

1. Distributor – The tpi setup I bought came with the distributor and coil, but I read somewhere that a 91 distributor might not have the right gears to work with my stock cam.. is this true?

2. Knock sensor – It sounds like the knock sensor is installed somewhere in the block, but since there were no knock sensors in 82, I'm wondering if there is a location in my block to install one.

3. Compression – I don't know much about calculating compression based on head differences, but I'm pretty sure there are some differences in head chambers and pistons between years (domed/flat top), and if I install the new heads I'm wondering if it will create a strange compression ratio and confuse the ECM

4. VSS/Speedometer – From what I understand, the vss installs in the transmission where the speedo cable currently attaches, so I'll have to switch that out if I want to use the T5. I'd like to install a T56 as soon as I find a good one. With either of those options, it sounds like I would need some type of converter box for about $300 to convert the vss signal back to cable so I can use my speedometer. Could I switch my instrument cluster to the electric 90-92 type rather than buying the converter? And if I switch clusters, is there any special wiring I need to do between the new cluster and the ECM or engine sensors, or does it just plug right in where the old one did?

Because of some of these problems, I thought it might be a better idea to just rebuild and swap in a newer 350 block, because my local pick and pull yard sells them for pretty cheap and the extra power would be nice too. I read on the forums that to switch to a 350, all I would really need to do is get the right ECM and Prom, and change to 22 lb injectors. When I started looking at prices though, I found that injectors are about $100 each, and that would almost double the cost of the swap. Would there be a cheaper way to replace my injectors? The junk yard I mentioned charges around $5-6 for injectors, but they don't have any 3rd gen camaros or firebirds. Are there any other vehicles with the same type of injectors? I'm waiting to buy an ECM and wiring harness until I decide if I'm using my 305 or switching to a 350.

If anyone has done a similar swap or has any ideas on what to do, I'd really appreciate any advice. Thanks!

 

1. Distributor – I read somewhere that a 91 distributor might not have the right gears to work with my stock cam.. is this true?
Other way around, early dist gear not suitable for late roller cam.
In either case is only a matter of swapping the dist drive gear

2. Knock sensor I'm wondering if there is a location in my block to install one.
Knock sensor goes in the coolant drain hole at bottom of block above oil pan rail

4. VSS/Speedometer –it sounds like I would need some type of converter box for about $300 to convert the vss signal back to cable so I can use my speedometer.
$85 gets the adapter to give VSS signal to ECM while keeping stock speedo cable
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/90-92...Q5fAccessories

I found that injectors are about $100 each, Would there be a cheaper way to replace my injectors?
$170 a set from FIC
http://fuelinjectorconnection.com/sh...&productId=134

 

Excellent, thank you that will help me out a lot!

 

One more quick question, I still need new fuel lines and fuel pump for the higher pressure of the tpi - the only F-body at my local junk yard is a 97 camaro (v6). Would the fuel lines or pump from that work for me?

 

Probably but doubt the 4th Gen parts will fit your 3rd Gen.
Tank unit may be different

 

www.inlinetube.com you can buy prebent fuel and brake lines from them for our cars

 

The swap is coming along well and I'm getting pretty close to done, but the fuel delivery is still the last big obstacle. I was hoping to find a tank/pump/fuel lines from a parts car but couldn't find anything, so I just ordered some lines from inlinetube.com.. I'm still a little unsure about the tank because I've been trying to research the differences between tanks and seems like some people have said the tanks are identical and some say there are modifications necessary to change to an in-tank pump.. so what I'm wondering is if I can just drop a fuel injection pump in my original tank without major mods -have any of you done this? thanks again

 

I am preparing to do a very similar swap to an 83 lg4, What did you do for a wiring harness? To answer your question about the fuel tank/pump I believe the tpi tank has baffles to help keep fuel around the pump, and the carb. tank does not, other than that i believe the pump would fit but am not 100% sure.

 

speaking from experience..drop the tank..put in a tpi fuel pump and if you find a parts car with the fuels lines then swap it over.if not.. then run new lines...its not that hard to put in fresh line either.all you need is a 3rd line for the canister/vent.

luckily i found the parts i needed at a scrapyard and swapped it in one shot...only problem was shortly after that..the used intank pump failed and i choose to make an access door in the trunk to easily change the pump infavor of a walbro. dont bother changing the tank itself unless yours is in bad shape..and if it is..then use the 4th gen plastic tank..there are lots of threads here that explain how to do this for not alot of work either.

good luck

 

Thanks for the advice, if the only difference is baffles I'll probably just re-use my old tank. I heard of making an access door, and I think I'll be doing that too especially after seeing how much it took to remove the tank - dropping the entire exhaust from the headers back and completely disconnecting the rear axle, and I still barely squeezed it out.
For a wiring harness I was able to find one on ebay for about $100, which is pretty cheap, but it had been chopped up and modified and I spent the last 3 weeks or so running down all the wires and changing and re-soldering some of them, I also had some troubles with the bulkhead connector that goes through the firewall on the drivers side, because the pinouts were different between the original harness and the new one so I had to swap around pins and do some re-wiring there too, as well as under the dash.. I found a wiring book on ebay that has all the ECM pinouts and that helped me out a lot. I think most people that do the swap just buy a painless wiring harness, but those are about $400 last I checked.. might be worth it if you dont want to mess around with as much re-wiring as I had to do