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Swapping in a TBI vortec 350 in an old K5....

Fred_M1010

Fred_M1010

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A friend of mine has an old Blazer which is in need of a new engine,
but he can get his hands on a vortec 350 with a 4L60E from a -00 Chevy 1500 truck for cheap.
Which I'm trying to convince him to install...:rolleyes:

The transmission however is a 2wd unit, so we'll probably not use that.
Swapping rear shaft didn't sound like so much fun,
since we'd pretty much would have to strip the entire tranny from what I've heard :doah:
Or is that exaggerated?
He could really use an overdrive tranny though...

It comes with a supposedly complete wiring harness and computer.
But what about using it with an old mechanically governed th350?
Is it one computer for both tranny and engine, and if so will it work without tranny?
Or are there seperate units?

Can you guys think of anything else that we should look into?
I've got very little experience with newer fuel injected engines.
 
Last edited:
A Vortec 350 will not use TBI. You can buy a TBI intake to use on a Vortec engine.

Martin
 
Maybe get the ECM flashed for a manual trans and run something older?

I would replace the output shaft, that way everything will work together correctly, and he would have the electronicly controlled transmission, and an overdrive.
 
Even with a manual transmission, that ECM is going to want to see a VSS.

Martin
 
82355 said:
A Vortec 350 will not use TBI. You can buy a TBI intake to use on a Vortec engine.

Martin
Click to expand...

Are you sure, I thought only the LT-engines had TPI, and some erlier corvette engines :confused:

Anyway, it sounds like a carburator would be an easy way out...
As he would need a new speedo for the electric VSS.
 
Corvettes used Cross Fire Injection, which is a silly TBI set up in 1982 and 1984. They then used TPI from 1985 till 1991. From 1992 to 1996 Corvettes used the LT1 engine that used a multi point fuel injection system similar to TPI, but not called TPI.

Camaros and Firebirds used Cross Fire in 1982 and 1983 (it was optional). They had TPI from 1985 to 1992 (once again, optional). The base Camaro/Firebird engine started using TBI in 1987 and used it through 1992. From 1993 through 1997 Camaros and Firebirds used the LT1 engine.

Pickups began using TBI in 1987 and continued through the 1995 model year. In 1996 they switched to the "Vortec" engine. They used a bastard child multi port EFI system that is not TBI, but is different from a TPI engine.

Martin
 
Thanks for clearing things up :waytogo:
I thought all TPI's had the throttle body in the front, and everything else was TBI :doah:
That shows how much I know about fuel injection :o:
 
TPI was just a name given to a multipoint EFI setup Chevrolet designed for the Corvette and used optionally on Camaros and Firebirds.

Martin
 
Although that new of a vehicle does probably want VSS reference for the injection since its OBDII I bet you can have it flashed out of the computer. TBI ran for a long time with either no vss at all OR no actual calculation from the vss for injection tasks.
 
Fred,

I wouldn't run an old slush box behind the newer 5.7L. You can definitely make them work, but you loose a ton of driveability and don't get the OD gear. As you figured, to convert 2wd to 4wd you have to swap the output shaft which requires a full teardown of the transmission. You'd be best off just buying a 4wd transmission to put behind it.

The Vortec PCM controls both the engine and the transmission btw. You will have to flash the anti-theft out of the PCM, along with some other emissions systems etc. Installing it will be pretty much a bolt in. Fuel system involves installing a high pressure pump and running proper fuel lines. Exhaust will need some modification. If you don't want cats, that'll be another thing to program out of the PCM (rear O2 sensors / cat codes)

The wiring would be your biggest challenge, but there are plenty of diagrams available to help you make your way through it (alldataDIY.com is a great source of information)
 
Stomis said:
Yes it would. Vans held on to gen I small block for long after GEN II, III, and IV came out.
Click to expand...

He said it was a truck though. a 2000 Chevy 1500 pickup would have a 5.3, or a 4.8 for a V8.

However things may be different with whats available in sweeden. I have no knowledge in that area.
 
79rustyk10 said:
He said it was a truck though. a 2000 Chevy 1500 pickup would have a 5.3, or a 4.8 for a V8.

However things may be different with whats available in sweeden. I have no knowledge in that area.
Click to expand...

Doh stupid me. Must have made that connection cause thats the only thing that makes sense to me to have a gen 1 in a 2000.
 
Ya can pick up a 4wd 4l60 pretty cheap in a yard somewhere. If you are going to keep it fairly mild the stock injection, even with its obvious injector limits, would be a good idea. It does work better than the tbi but it has a few more sensors and alot more wiring. So it does complicate the install, but thats part of the joy we call "hotrodding" or whatnot :haha:

and you can find an electric VSS Chevy tcase anywhere in a yard, use that and youv got a 98 multiport old school blazer not a bad setup
 
Problem is he is in sweeden. Im guessing 4L60E's arent scattered all over the countryside like they are here in the states. Used parts availabilty throws a wrench into this machine.
 
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