Tbi to tune port swap

[thegtwyo86]

Has anyone done this? I know they make tune port intakes that fit vortec heads. Just wondering how much of a headache the wiring would be....

James

 

[98_k1500]

You mean basically doing a marine intake swap but using a tpi intake on a factory vortec? or trying to go to vortec heads and tpi on a tbi truck?

 

[thegtwyo86]

Going with a tpi with vortec heads on my truck..but what's the marine intake?

 

[TylerZ281500]

marine intake if ro vortec. yes its been done a few times basically swap harnesseds and the top end and get the gmpp or other intake to fit thevortec to tpi base

 

[thegtwyo86]

Ok,sounds easy enough thanks for the info

 

[TylerZ281500]

great white has done it i believ and i have a freind from my car club who runs one on his truck

 

[thegtwyo86]

Is it really worth doing? Besides it looking cool, I'm sure it will give a performance gain...

 

[great white]

Is it really worth doing? Besides it looking cool, I'm sure it will give a performance gain...

Not really worth it these days. More of an Ohhh Ahhhh factor than anything else.

There are more practical engine swaps out there that will give you more power for the same or less money and about the same or less hassle.

Mine started out as a Vortec headed L31 that ended up with an IROC Z TPI upper and a very pricey (at the time) Scoggin Dickey lower. Started with a modified 7477 ECM to run batch fire. Then went to a 7427 to run sequential. Finished off with a vortec engine wiring harness, swapped on crank reluctor ring, and a 411 PCM.

Ran like stink up to about 4500-5000 where it went kinda flat. Common thing with OEM TPI of the period, related to the tuned runner lengths. It was originally designed to give the 305 of the time more low end grunt and it did that very well. It was often called the best truck engine they never put in a truck. It sacrificed top end to do it though. After market runners and plenums made it breath more, but sacrificed the low end. That's old tech: tradeoffs somewhere.

I've still got 2 complete TPI setups hanging on the wall in the garage. They're more useful these days as a conversation piece than performance parts.

But I wouldn't do one these days.

I'd spend my money on something like an LS1 5.3 or something similar.

TPI is fun, but it's old tech that has long ago been torpedoed amidships by modern iron at affordable prices.

 

[thegtwyo86]

Thanks for the info