Im real new here still, buy everyone this is what I'm needing to know. I have a project 72 chevy half ton. I am realy realy more then I can express (keep in mind Im just a kid at 46 years old) I want to put a TPI in the truck. what i dont know is what motor would be the easiest tranformation into the 72. would it be the L98?(yes I know horsepower was like 270) the style of the intake is realy cool looking. but the LT1 had like 330 horsepower. but I am real worried aout the electronics side of the applications. like the L98 did it have a minimal amount of computor issues compared to the LT1 or is the LT1 the same as the L98?. I realy would be appreciated for feed back on this issue. also the other side of the options, I realy want to stay with a automatic transmission. so what tranny would you peaple suggest to hook onto this application to push the 72 1/2 ton down the street with snappy reactions and still be a nice daily driver to depend on when ever it was driving down the street. please any feed back will be realy appreciated

 

With such a heavy truck you may be somewhat disappointed in performance unless you build it up. I'm not an expert on performance modding an L-98 or an LT1 but I have have done a couple of TPI swaps. I installed one in my '80 El Camino and another in a friend's '78 El Camino. I really enjoy the reliability of the immediate startup and smooth idle. Along with the 700R-4 trans and 3.07 posi rear-end the low end torque is pretty good for the El Camino. The mid range torque is lacking somewhat but it does just fine for everyday driving. I don't try to race it, it seems to run out of power early in the upper 4K rpm range. It's very cool looking and I frequently receive many postitive comments black powder coating on all the components and on the stock looking installation, like it belongs there. It's a fair amount of work to install but the computer end is really not that difficult Just read and folllow the advice in the various well written books on the market. Good Luck.

Art

 

thanks Art. Im still looking for info about the computor side of the project and others feed back on what they think about the project that I would like to pursue. again Art thank you for your explanation and I will try to get to a book store and seek a book on the information. still there must be others who could share thier input on this thread

 

If you want TPI, go with a 88 or newer. Better heads and a roller cam

 

Sounds like a cool project, I also have '72 half ton it's an orginal BB
truck and it sports a '69 427 right now

 

Some of the electrical issues surrounding this type of installation is determined by several factors. The ECM relies on various sensor inputs. Other than the major sensors that are part of the intake manifold itself are several others. Some are required and some are not. Some of these include air pump solenoids, EGR valve vacuumn, and carbon cannister purge, for emissions. Other inputs are from air conditioning devices which help idle speed when the AC is on. Additional considertions need to be addressed if you are running a 700R-4 trans and want to retain convertor lockup and release. Throttle valve and the accompanying pressure in the trans is determined by a mechanical cable to the throttle body linkage (I think I have that right). An additional switch on the brake pedal is required to release the lockup when applying the brake. A vehicle speed sensor signal is sent to the ECM to help control lockup timing in addtion to the output signal of the throttle position sensor, engine temp and possibly some other inputs. however non lockup transmissions can be used with the TPI. There are several aftermarket wiring harness manufacturers that sell kits to wire these engines into nearly any vehicle. The harnesses are really stand alone and other that some basic power and grounding don't interfere with the vehicles operating system such as lights, wipers, etc. Some of these aftermarket harnesses don't operate torque convetor lockup so considrations need to be made when determining what your overall objective is going to be. Some of these factors include: emissions, trans type, torque convertor lockup, speed sensor, AC, mechanical or electric fans, MAF (mass airflow) or MAP (speed density). MAF requires snorkeling and ducting to the sensor and air filter, speed density systems only require an air cleaner mounted to the throttle body. Careful planning and selection of components saves considerable guesswork and money. Another item is the fuel system. The TPI requires a feed and a return line back to the tank. An internal fuel pump and baffled tank or externally mounted fuel pump with modified fuel level sending unit, and a TPI fuel filter location decision needs to be make including the electrical wiring to power the pump. Most of what I'm detailing here are just the basics and a thorough understanding of how all of the components rely or don't rely on each other is imperative. Additionally, the ignition system is either an HEI or an externally mounted coil and small distributor like the F-Body Camaros have. Do you want to utilize the serpentine belt setup? Serpentine belt driven systems require a reverse rotation water pump. If you are then the Camaro setup on front of the engine is narrower than the Corvette and depending on how much room you have in the engine compartment will determine which setup is better. Another consideration is to install a TPI on top of a conventional 350 engine with the multi-belt pulley system. Considerations related to the accessories clearing any TPI components need to be looked at. I'm throwing a lot out here because a lot has to be thought out before plunking down your cash, especially if you plan on doing this yourself. I can't stress enough the importance of reading as much as you can on this and also finding out what other truck owners have found works and doesn't work. Many of the issues I mentioned apply to an LT1 install. Some exceptions are the ignition system and the electrical of the 4L60E electronically controlled version of the 700R4 trans.

Art

 

I think Art summed it up nicely - end of thread.

 

I'm getting closer to doing my first TPI conversion.


It's MAP system with custom chip to delete EGR, VSS, VATS. Bought the harness from a guy for $300.

I've got everything but the fuel pump and supply/return lines figured out.


Go to www.thirdgen.org for info, it's very well documented there.

 

thank you for the short end of a long research Art. and also thank you also CC