crossfire to tune-port,,,has anyone made a transplant like this??

[Eagle_Gene]

a friend has a oppertunity to aquire a 84 vette with no engine or tranny and called me for advise,,,,I've never owned a '84' before,,I have owned a '65','70','78','85','88' 2 '96's and a '2000',,,I don't know how a crossfire engine bay is wired,,,could someone just use a tune-port ECM and engine wiring??

 

[vetteoz]

,,,I don't know how a crossfire engine bay is wired,,,could someone just use a tune-port ECM and engine wiring??

Plenty have done it
86 -89 electronics would be easiest , the intake itself can come off any TPI car
Vette or F-Body ( cheaper )

If emissions are a issue ( EGR required ) the intake base would have to match the heads.
Vette alum heads have no EGR riser so the intake has a EGR supply from the exh manifold through a port in the rear of the TPI base.

F-Bodies have the reg SBC riser through the center of the base

 

[WhalePirot]

a friend has a oppertunity to aquire a 84 vette with no engine or tranny and called me for advise,,,,I've never owned a '84' before,,I have owned a '65','70','78','85','88' 2 '96's and a '2000',,,I don't know how a crossfire engine bay is wired,,,could someone just use a tune-port ECM and engine wiring??

Almost. :L There are some common sensors with the '90 ECM mine runs, but I had my harness altered eons ago. This is not a simple engine swap, done fully, as the radiator is at a different angle, hence all that surround 'glass' is different, the intake snorkel will hit the cross brace in the '84 hood, the rubber fuel pressure lines must be changed so they don't split under the higher fuel pressure, etc. etc. If a newer hood is swapped on, the inner wheel wells are different and the alignment with other body panels, particularly the nose may be an issue.

 

[Wayback]

2GUYS Garage did 1 on tv.You can google it.Stock block.Painless harness from what I recall.

 

[vetteoz]

2GUYS Garage did 1 on tv.

You can do anything on TV
Just bolt this on ( mention sponsor name ) , hook this up ,( mention sponsor name ); drive off into the sunset

A 1/2 hour TV program doesn't show all the other work involved as noted above

 

[Wayback]

you can do anything on tv
just bolt this on ( mention sponsor name ) , hook this up ,( mention sponsor name ); drive off into the sunset

a 1/2 hour tv program doesn't show all the other work involved as noted above

think it was 2 1/2 hr shows

 

[WhalePirot]

A 1/2 hour TV program doesn't show all the other work involved as noted above

Or, all the rework after. This is true in the quickie house redos and the cars. Having pals that have done both for TV, I'll vouch for the fiction.

 

[AussieCorvetteNut]

I am starting this conversion.

I have started at the rear of the car first, I had to replace my fuel tank as mine was very rusty on the outside, due to the overflow nipple not being connected to the overflow hose I think.
I was lucky to have been able to secure a parts 84 Coupe which had a better tank, but no fuel sender.

My 84 sender was sticking anyway, so I decided to grab a GM Restoration unit for 85 to 87 Vettes.
I now have installed the new 85 to 87 pump and sender in the used, cleaned and repainted 84 tank.
I am yet to install all this in the aluminium frame, I just have to finish cleaning the tank frame, priming it and then paint it. The paint on the tank and the frame is aluminium high temp, not that I need high temp paint, but when this is added to high temp clear coat, it looks really good and is resistant to chemicals.

I am also in the middle of repainting the underside of the car, as mine is a two-tone blue car, I have cleaned the underside and cleaned the chassis rails and have painted the light blue and am ready to do the dark blue.

All the dog bones and strut rods have been cleaned and painted and have new bushings, new spring mount bushings, new tie rod assembly, differential rebuilt, new differential mount bushings, new Callipers (painted with new brake hoses), new wheel bearings, seals etc...new rear driveline, suspension and brakes.

I have two sets of fuel lines from my 84 and the parts 84, that I can retro fit to take the 85 fuel filter and after I pick up some new fuel line, I will bend up fuel lines to meet up with the TPI.

My TPI unit I haven't picked up yet, but I have a Corvette Guy in Brisbane who has a few units, complete with wiring harnesses, ecm and chip and all the other bits...intake, runners and plenum.

i am just looking at what pulleys I have to change and what intake issues I have, but I am sure it shouldn't be too much of an issue...even on this side of the planet!

Cheers

Tony

 

[xfirez51]

I had an 84 when new and owned it for 24 years. I thought about swapping in a TPI unit, but frankly there was little to no gain to be had. It's much more straightforward to port the manifold, maybe bore the TB's, convert over to an EBL ECM from Dynamic EFI to make tuning much simpler.
Add 1.6 ratio rockers.
The hood on the 84 has air channels which may interfere w the TPI manifold.
If I was going to swap intakes, I would have gone w a MiniRam.

 

[Wegone]

Almost. :L There are some common sensors with the '90 ECM mine runs, but I had my harness altered eons ago. This is not a simple engine swap, done fully, as the radiator is at a different angle, hence all that surround 'glass' is different, the intake snorkel will hit the cross brace in the '84 hood, the rubber fuel pressure lines must be changed so they don't split under the higher fuel pressure, etc. etc. If a newer hood is swapped on, the inner wheel wells are different and the alignment with other body panels, particularly the nose may be an issue.

What WhalePirot wrote is right on....I helped my buddy do it we also went with a ZF6 and later K-member and hubs , and stand alone engine management.

 

[AussieCorvetteNut]

Reference Material

I think that another great point of reference is comparing the parts diagrams for 84 and 85.

I picked up a parts and illustration catalogue that covers only 84 and 85 models.
It is gold when comparing the differences when sourcing parts for the retro-fit.

For instance, I thought that the tank connections were fixed on the earlier TPI cars, but when looking at the parts diagrams, they were fuel hose connections. A bit of high pressure EFI hose and double clamps solves the issue.

When comparing the two year models with this diagram, the only differences between the tank to filter are...
Different fuel pump of course, EFI hose connections at the tank, fuel filter.

As I have a flaring tool, the filter to fuel rails won't be an issue.

I am concerned about the hood clearance, but the width between these two air vents is pretty wide.

The parts 84 I had, had 86 radiator fibreglass shroud, so I will take a closer look at that.

Cheers Tony

 

[AussieCorvetteNut]

Crossfire to TPI Conversion Locked in...

Hi guys,

Sorry to hijack the thread, but I am at the start of upgrading my crossfire to a TPI system.
I am picking up my TPI Injection system this week.

I have installed a new fuel pump and sender unit ( I needed a new sender anyway), and selected a unit that does 85 to 87 models.

I am retro fitting my 84 fuel lines (as I have a flaring tool), to take a fuel filter from the 85 to 87 models. I will also custom make new lines from the chassis to the intake fuel rails.

I have finished repainting the floor and have sprayed the inner wheel wells with the two tone blue combo like the Vette. It makes the suspension components stand out and will finish off the job.
I sprayed the fuel tank and fuel tank frame, came out like powder coat...very impressed.

I sprayed two-pack paint blue and matt black, and even though some would be concerned over safety around two-pack paints, my shed was well ventilated and I was wearing a spray suit and double filtered mask...if I was doing the body panels, it would have been in the booth for dust mainly.

So far, the job is straight forward and I am enjoying the job.

The TPI unit comes complete, it is an original Corvette unit, but comes with ECM, wiring harness, injectors, throttle body etc...it is complete.
I will post some pics when I pick it up.

I am also changing the heads, installing a retro roller cam, roller lifters and roller rockers.
Am tossing over the idea of putting a stroker crank in...yes it will be fine, they used to stroke the 2 bolt blocks in the sixties and seventies...as long as the compression isn't massive, we would be fine.

I can't wait to hear it fire up, but I am a little away from that at the moment.

Cheers

Tony