Motors w/ center bolt valve covers ID?

[Ben B.]

My dad has an '88 K5 350 TBI with the center bolt vavle covers.

I'm looking at a motor for sale out of an '87 with the center bolt vavle covers that look identical to my dads TBI motor. The motor i'm looking at buying has an aluminum intake and Holley 4bbl, but i'm wondering if this was swapped on and TBI taken off?

CLIFFNOTES: Do all TBI engines have center bolt valve covers or not?

 

[slyguy_22]

think 87 was a half year with the tbi's not 100% sure. i always thought that the 87 were carbed but someone told me otherwise. but any how the tbi motors (heads) all used the center bolt valve covers. you can take a tbi intake & heads and put them on older blocks and vise verse.

 

[Thunder]

Yes all 87-95 TBI motors have centerbolt heads. Vortec heads are also center bolt valve cover..
Someone prolly swapped it over to a carb.

 

[bowtieboy4life2000]

i have an 87 tbi with center bolts

 

[4X4HIGH]

I'm assuming the aluminum intake is an aftermarket one which would tell you someone swapped the TBI intake for the intake and carb that is currently on the engine.

 

[Ben B.]

Alright cool, although they're not powerhouses, the TBI engines did make more power than carbed ones, so that's a plus.

my '78 K10 has no emmissions stuff on it, this '87 350 has all kinds of wires and stuff on it, even though it's been swapped to a carb setup, I wanna take off everything I don't need, basically all the emmissions BS. What all can I take off and still have the engine run as it should?

 

[scrappyk5]

my motor is 87 tbi that was coverted with an intake and carb from a 84 motor.