So I wrecked my '88 Iroc Z but I'm in the process of buying a 1988-1997 Chevy/GMC truck. My engine is still in great conditions and my plans are to swap it into a truck of these years..
I love being under cars and hoods figuring out what's wrong and fixing things myself. I have not done an engine swap yet but am ready for the challenge that awaits me.
Anyways the truck that I'm looking to get (1995 1500 z71) has a 5.7 TBI so I need to know the how I go about with the swap. My 5.7 TPI is lifted on a hoist rite now just waiting to get put into a truck.
Do I save the wiring harness and computer from my camaro? Any special adapters I need to find. I know I am probably going to fabricate my own motor mounts and such but I mean all this is fun to me..
Any information and insight will be very helpful.
If anyone has done a swap like this I would like to know how your swap turned out.. Was it worth it??

All your contributions are greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance,
Skuanto

 

You'll want to keep the ECM and harness for sure. But couldn't you just put the TPI on it instead of pulling the motor?

 

yea you need to save all electronics that went with the tpi all the wires, the main harness, the ecm what rubberducky said makes sense but you would need all the stuff that makes tpi work so unless you have a serious problem with the camaros block just swap it. (while you have the block out you may also want to think about changing valve seals and rings if you havent yet maby even have the cylenders honoed or 30d over and maby get yourself a nice cam cranes 2032 powermax cam gets bad rep but its a nice boost if your staying stock)

 

Ok I got harness and ECM saved and ready. When I switch ecm's does that mean the truck will now THINK it's a camaro?

 

Thanks good info to know but the trucks I'm looking at have TBI and are high mileage vehicles (160-220k miles) and my camaro engine only had about 72k original miles so I was thinking of just switching the whole thing.. However I'm still going to take apart the engine and make sure everything is crisp and give it new seals and gaskets.
I think I have an idea of how to go about this now bit I'm sure as I'm going through the actual process I will be encountering problems of all sorts so when the swap goes down I'll be posting more specific questions but thanks for all help contributed so far

 

if you have questions about how to go about the gaskets seals and stuff just ask (valve seals are extremely difficult to do so unless you have done them before i would get someone who knows how to do it) but i will be here to help or jive advise oh and yes if you change ecms your truck will think its a 5.7 liter v8 tpi it will run the same as it did in the camaro but in truth it never did know it was a camaro so you should not have a problem

 

that engine will blolt right into your truck. the only the only things you have to really mess with is the wiring and most likely the upper rad hose. if you plan to keep the AC if the compressor is mounted in a different location on your tpi engine than it was on the truck engine you may need custom AC lines. and you will have to build some kind of air intake system. thats really all i can think of.. i think the tpi engine will work well in a pickup because of it's low end torque so this sounds like a great idea to me

 

If that truck has an auto tranny it will be an 'E' trans. Which requires a controller. The stock truck PCM can be used as a controller while piggy-backing the MAF Camaro ECM to run the engine.

If it is a stick tranny, then it will have an ECM that can be replaced by the Camaro ECM. Along with the harness (of course).

RBob.

 

I may be a little late here, where are you at with this? I have alread done this. PM me a Personal email and I will send you what I have on it

P.S. I tried to use the stock PCM. best to go with the "411 LS1 ECM, you can get more support and help for it. AND I REPETE DO NOT TRY TO USE THE VORTEC ECM. been there donethat, I wasted $400 for a bad program.

 

I think the fuel pressure on the TPI is higher than the TBI also, may need to swap fuel pumps/regulators...but my memory is a bit foggy so double check that.

 

Yes! you are correct he will have to put an inline pump on it TPI needs minimum of 60 psi, although it regulates down to 45 with vacuum and 53 on WOT

 

im lookin to do a tbi to tpi conversion on my 1993 gmc suburban 1500.i always been a Camaro guy but I got 5 kids so the suburban is needed for sure.lol but anyway I was thinking bout putting together a tpi off an ol Camaro.i know there are changes here and there on tpi system over the years and I know my parts mainly need to be from the same year tpi system.has anyone done this ? an there seems to be difference of opinion on weather my factory computer can be reprogrammed to run the tpi.looking for some opinions on this matter

 

read this http://forum.gmtruckcentral.com/show...988-TBI-to-TPI

 

Did you ever do the swap?

 

So are you saying, Install the Iroc ECM in place of the 95 truck tpi unit and remove the engine part of the harness and replace it with the IROC harness and it will run the engine along with dash gauges, lights, etc. This is a 5 speed truck.

 

Im not sure what you are say "joecool", but yes the camaro ECU can be installed with some work. I think Lextec may have rewiring; information to use an LS1 ECU. But thats an entirely different topic.

 

Ok, so I've got a similar swap going. I want to put my 1987 TPI 350 Corvette engine in my '94 Chevy 1500 truck. (Truck is auto trans 4l60e.) I can use the Corvette ECM, but I would rather not rip the wiring harness out of the Vette. Should I just hand wire it?? Yeah, I know Painless sells the perfect wiring harness for the job, but I'm not about to pay their NOT PAINLESS prices.

Now the PCM for the 4l60e trans in the truck... all it needs is TPS info from the engine, correct??

Thanks for any and all help!!
Vettepilot

 

Get with Lextech, see if he has a conversation chart for the 94 to 411. Then get a vortec distributor. Timing chain and gears, 4x reluctor, and timing chain cover. Then you can set it up like the vortec van motor. And any dyno shop can tune it for you. You could go 24x and CNP if you want. Another option would be a dual sync distributor. Then you dont have to mess with the timing chain stuff.

 

Whoa!! Wait a minute. I just want to use the 1987 C4 TPI Vette engine, and the original computer that goes with it, in the '94 pickup. The question is just about the cheapest/easiest way to wire that up, even if I have to hand wire a new harness.

Yeah, I know, "cheap" and "easy" are oxymorons. Key word then is "cheap".

The second question is about the 4l60e trans. I've read that the computer for it only needs a TPS signal from the engine to run the trans. Is this correct?? No other engine sensor data??

Thanks!
Vettepilot

 

Cheap would be use the tbi ecm, concert memcal to mpfi cylinder select.
or piggyback ecm with Vss and tps signal.
ecm mods at gearhead efi

 

Yeah I guess you can go that way, personally I'm going to hand wire, AKA wire by wire, an LS1 ECU to my TPI setup. By the way did I mention it's sitting on a 96 WS6 LT1? LOL. Yes I'm crazy