Just took a major step on adding fuel injection to the Olds

Well I just took a HUGE step in adding fuel injection to my Cutlass ('80). Awhile back I bought a '91 Corvette TPI manifold setup from a fellow GRMer, unfortunately it did not have the harness or ECM.

Well originally I figured on doing a Megasquirt though right now I want to get the car up and running before the summer is out. Today I got a decent wad of cash and will have more coming in over the next month or so. I figured I would do something I have not done in awhile and check out EBAY. Well I found a '91 Corvette ECM minus the prom for a good price and then found a flashed PROM (VATS disabled) that was ending soon. Well all in on the ECM and PROM I just spent a little under $100. I also ordered a new wiring harness and the gasket kit to rebuild the intake.

Next week the block goes in to be hot tanked and the heads are going to get worked on. Figure that by the end of the week I will have picked up my full rebuild kit. I need to get all my parts together to setup the manual transmission and the conversion parts to bolt in my 12 bolt rear. Shoot I might actually be able to bring it in for under challenge prices.

post updates on this, any carb to efi conversion is 'interesting' in my book!

I assume you're intent on putting a Chevrolet engine under the hood of your Olds then? Did it originally come with an SBC or have you done a swap or what?

The car originally had a diesel in it, then someone stuck a Pontiac 301 under the hood (could have been fun if it was a turbo). Anyway the plan as of now is drop a earlier Chevy 355 in mated up with the Corvette TPI and convert the car over to a 4 speed from an auto. I also have a 12 bolt rear to go out back to help with the increased power.

The sending unit and fuel pump for a Grand National should drop in and deliver enough fuel, the GN tank may also be baffled, I don't remember.

And I thought you were going to talk about Olds EFI.

Did you guys know that the 75-79 Cadillac Seville had a multi-port fuel injected Olds 350? I have an aluminum intake manifold from one. Pretty damn cool actually.

rebelgtp wrote: plan as of now is drop a earlier Chevy 355 in mated up with the Corvette TPI

IIRC the TPI units used the later 86-up intake manifold pattern so if you're using earlier heads it may not bolt up. There might be adapters available but I don't think so.

Junkyard_Dog wrote:

rebelgtp wrote: plan as of now is drop a earlier Chevy 355 in mated up with the Corvette TPI

IIRC the TPI units used the later 86-up intake manifold pattern so if you're using earlier heads it may not bolt up. There might be adapters available but I don't think so.

I didn't know this until the thread where GTP bought this TPI setup (which is from a Corvette)...but apparently the Corvettes were the exception to this rule...they kept the Pre-'86 head/bolt setup.

However, My understanding is that it's a pretty easy work-around when you do have a mismatch (I've never done it, though).

Silverfleet who knows maybe I will do something with the Olds 350 later on and doing EFI on it might be interesting.

Yep as Clem mentioned the Corvette retained the old style head pattern up until '91. I didn't find this out until I started looking at my options for this car.

I always thought someone should make a manifold for adapting TPI (or something) to an OLDS block (like a 455...yeah!).

Looks like there's at least something...cool!

I have thought the same thing Clem...sadly it would more than likely be a one of a kind as I just don't think there is a market to sup up the BOP engines when it is so cheap (relatively) to build a Chevy.

There's a few aftermarket options for Pontiacs these days for EFI, but Buick and Olds usually get left out. I've seen Olds small block and big block EFI manifolds that somehow incorporate TPI upper plenums onto a custom lower section. Those are pretty cool, and also pretty expensive. It would be better to probably go with that factory Seville intake with some mods. I guess the aluminum ones are extremely rare to the point where it's been debated that they were even made, but as you can see in my pic, I've got one!

The intake on my T/A's Poncho 400 right now has bosses for either port nitrous or injectors, and it has tabs to hold fuel rails, just in case I want to go EFI later on. Pretty cool, and it was $250 for the pretty polished one that I got.