90 TBI to Tpi swap

L31MaxExpress · Mar 25, 2024

movietvet said:
I do understand where you are coming from but IMO, a truck platform is meant to be a truck and be the best truck it can be and building a truck to go fast, again IMO, is not what a truck is meant to be. I guess I am too much of a purest, in a truck sense. A clean, straight, unscratched, undented, unsmoking, smooth running, powerful, grunt truck, is it for me. If I want to go fast, it would be a car or an SUV. If it has an open bed in the back, I want a truck. I know I may be in the minority on this but that is ok with me. I want a truck to show up to do truck work. I don't care if it shows up the fastest.

I guess I am different in how a truck is meant to be. It needs a strong running V8 making 300-400 hp or more to be able to accelerate and pass slower traffic in climbing areas pulling a trailer uphill at the speed limit. The bed will get some dents in it and the occasional mesquite limb brush against the side of it. I even use my conversion Express van like a truck. It has clear coat scratches from being off road on our properties and a dented rear bumper from bumping into trailers. It has had the rear carpet and rear door panels soaked in lake water a few times launching and recovering boats over the years too. The van has had a G80 locking rear differential in it for years for a reason.

movietvet · Mar 25, 2024

L31MaxExpress said:
I guess I am different in how a truck is meant to be. It needs a strong running V8 making 300-400 hp or more to be able to accelerate and pass slower traffic in climbing areas pulling a trailer uphill at the speed limit. The bed will get some dents in it and the occasional mesquite limb brush against the side of it. I even use my conversion Express van like a truck. It has clear coat scratches from being off road on our properties and a dented rear bumper from bumping into trailers. It has had the rear carpet and rear door panels soaked in lake water a few times launching and recovering boats over the years too. The van has had a G80 locking rear differential in it for years for a reason.

I agree with most of what you said, EXCEPT, the dented rear bumper and the ever present, I see them all the time, top of the tailgate dent where it was either dented from not caring when throwing something in with the tailgate up or dented when the tailgate was down and someone was not paying attention while backing. Those two dent examples drive me crazy. It is the "Back up till you hear glass or smell blood" scenario.

L31MaxExpress · Mar 25, 2024

movietvet said:
I agree with most of what you said, EXCEPT, the dented rear bumper and the ever present, I see them all the time, top of the tailgate dent where it was either dented from not caring when throwing something in with the tailgate up or dented when the tailgate was down and someone was not paying attention while backing. Those two dent examples drive me crazy. It is the "Back up till you hear glass or smell blood" scenario.

I leave the trailer tongue at bumper height on the van when I am backing up to it as I do not want to bang the tongue into a rear door on accident. The van has a step bumper, but is not setup for a tow ball mount. The receiver hitch sits under the bumper and the normal ball mount "drop" is actually a rise. So the the dents I am speaking of in my case are more light dings, from the tongue contacting the bumper. 3" is the difference from lining a ball up under the trailer tongue or banging into the lower lip of the step bumper.

454C2500Longbed · Mar 25, 2024

movietvet said:
I do understand where you are coming from but IMO, a truck platform is meant to be a truck and be the best truck it can be and building a truck to go fast, again IMO, is not what a truck is meant to be. I guess I am too much of a purest, in a truck sense. A clean, straight, unscratched, undented, unsmoking, smooth running, powerful, grunt truck, is it for me. If I want to go fast, it would be a car or an SUV. If it has an open bed in the back, I want a truck. I know I may be in the minority on this but that is ok with me. I want a truck to show up to do truck work. I don't care if it shows up the fastest.

I completely agree with you on a truck being a truck and being the best truck it can be, but why not have some fun as well? My truck will absolutely be doing truck things, but I want it to hook and book when I stomp on it. Like @L31MaxExpress said, I want the truck to get out of its own way when you're completely loaded down with a big trailer. I also like a truck to look nice and not have a ton of dents, but it can't be too too nice to the point that you're afraid to do truck things with it for fear of putting a little scratch in the paint. I mean hell, even if I put a 632 in my truck (never gonna happen, but a guy can dream), I'd be pulling huge trailers and hauling stuff, having a hell of a good time along the way!

Blazer92 · Mar 25, 2024

Komet said:
Uh oh I'm getting called out on my wacky stuff.

It would be best if you had the L98 Vette or F-Body accessory drive to go with the L98. I put TPI on an L31 and used the L31 accessory drive which has no provisions for front fuel feed and return, so I had to modify the fuel rails to feed and return from the back. I have heard First Fuel Injection will sell you off the shelf rails that will bolt on and do this. I also had to grind stuff in places until it all fit.

If you keep the L98 stock, the factory ecm should work pretty good, might have to delete VATS. Brian from Tuned Performance can get you hooked up with that. I used the FiTech Ultimate TPI setup since I was going full custom and needed a trans controller for the 4L60E anyway.

You'll also need to pull the tank and put a fuel pump in that can deliver 43.5psi. And you'll need the small cap divorced coil HEI distributor if you don't have that.

Komet would you consider dynamic efi for tuning if you didn't have the 4l60? I'm planning to do my TPI swap later this year pulling engine from my running 85 vette that got totaled

L31MaxExpress · Mar 25, 2024

454C2500Longbed said:
I completely agree with you on a truck being a truck and being the best truck it can be, but why not have some fun as well? My truck will absolutely be doing truck things, but I want it to hook and book when I stomp on it. Like @L31MaxExpress said, I want the truck to get out of its own way when you're completely loaded down with a big trailer. I also like a truck to look nice and not have a ton of dents, but it can't be too too nice to the point that you're afraid to do truck things with it for fear of putting a little scratch in the paint. I mean hell, even if I put a 632 in my truck (never gonna happen, but a guy can dream), I'd be pulling huge trailers and hauling stuff, having a hell of a good time along the way!

Yea that is my point, the second you become to afraid to actually use the truck for fear of denting or scratching it, it loses all utility. They are never a show queen to me, it is all about utility. Not having the shiniest paint job has never stopped me from wanting to own, work or really drive a vehicle. I drove my 2007 G35 for 2 years after it was a total loss in a hail storm. It was ugly but paid for, ran great, drove great and had cold ac. Mechanicals are more important to me than cosmetics. You can have the nicest truck in the world, but if it lets you down mechanically it is just a shiny driveway ornament or tow truck queen. I see guys far too often, throw tons of money making a vehicle look good, only to be afraid to drive it more than 10 miles from home.

454C2500Longbed · Mar 25, 2024

L31MaxExpress said:
Yea that is my point, the second you become to afraid to actually use the truck for fear of denting or scratching it, it loses all utility. They are never a show queen to me, it is all about utility. Not having the shiniest paint job has never stopped me from wanting to own, work or really drive a vehicle. I drove my 2007 G35 for 2 years after it was a total loss in a hail storm. It was ugly but paid for, ran great, drove greatand had cold ac. Mechanicals are more important to me than cosmetics. You can have the nicest truck in the world, but if it lets you down mechanically it is just a shiny driveway ornament or tow truck queen. I see guys far too often, throw tons of money making a vehicle look good, only to be afraid to drive it more than 10 miles from home.

Exactly that, mechanicals always way before good looks. My truck looks awful on the one side, with a rusty fender, missing clear coat and a dent on the bed, all of which will be fixed, but the priority for me is getting it running and driving like a dream, otherwise what good is it? Absolutely on driving a "totaled" car, save the monies when ya can! The shiny driveway tow truck queen thing is why I've really come to hate those skyjacked, pimped out, everything's chrome and billet, no driveshaft, 40" billet rims with rubber band tires, 55 gallon drum exhaust tip, stupid ****** Sema show trucks, because they can't do anything and they're flat out ugly. Sure, make your truck how you like it, but that's just flat out stupid when it's not even a truck anymore. Trucks is for truck things, go fast, look cool, all of that, but it's useless when you can't haul more than a bag of water softener salt :rofl:

L31MaxExpress · Mar 25, 2024

454C2500Longbed said:
Exactly that, mechanicals always way before good looks. My truck looks awful on the one side, with a rusty fender, missing clear coat and a dent on the bed, all of which will be fixed, but the priority for me is getting it running and driving like a dream, otherwise what good is it? Absolutely on driving a "totaled" car, save the monies when ya can! The shiny driveway tow truck queen thing is why I've really come to hate those skyjacked, pimped out, everything's chrome and billet, no driveshaft, 40" billet rims with rubber band tires, 55 gallon drum exhaust tip, stupid ****** Sema show trucks, because they can't do anything and they're flat out ugly. Sure, make your truck how you like it, but that's just flat out stupid when it's not even a truck anymore. Trucks is for truck things, go fast, look cool, all of that, but it's useless when you can't haul more than a bag of water softener salt

When I was working at a shop that specialized in Jeep builds, we called those mall crawlers. Good for going over a speed bump in the local shopping mall, but the first time you tried to offroad in it, were doomed to fail. Usually by breaking the weak front Dana differential trying to run 37s with it.

454C2500Longbed · Mar 25, 2024

L31MaxExpress said:
When I was working at a shop that specialized in Jeep builds, we called those mall crawlers. Good for going over a speed bump in the local shopping mall, but the first time you tried to offroad in it, were doomed to fail. Usually by breaking the weak front Dana differential trying to run 37s with it.

Yeah, I call em mall crawlers sometimes, slipped my mind though haha. Great for the drivers who can't avoid curbs at the mall. Absolutely, none of that stuff is built strong or properly, and speaking of broken diffs and 37s, it cracks me up seeing all those kids my age putting absolutely massive tires on their half tons, then trying to offroad it and wondering why everything blew up. Well maybe it wasn't built strong enough for that, did that ever come to mind? Lol. Seems most don't have the common sense to properly build a truck.

Good Lord have I derailed this thread. Anyhow, I should let it get back on subject.

Komet · Mar 25, 2024

Blazer92 said:
Komet would you consider dynamic efi for tuning if you didn't have the 4l60? I'm planning to do my TPI swap later this year pulling engine from my running 85 vette that got totaled

Yeah and that's what I would recommend in general. Before the FiTech Ultimate TPI came out, that was my plan. You'll have a better understanding of how GM does fuel injection going that route, more people can help you (see: thirdgen.org), it's proven technology, you don't have an endless sea of Holley fanboys complaining about your trash tune, etc.

90 TBI to Tpi swap

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