1987 TBI intake and heads on early style block

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Burb restorer

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Good morning to all. Just wanted to know if you can put a TBI Chevy 350 intake and the TBI heads and put them on the earlier style Chevy 350 block assemblies. When I say earlier style Chevy 350's, I mean the carbureted ones before the angle of the intakes and the bolt through the valve cover engines were changed over. And what about the distributor assembly? I would think the TBI style distributor would be a match set for the TBI intake and the TBI heads.
 

Green79Scottsdale

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Yes, if you are swapping the heads and intake. The heads contain the holes with different angles. Keep them together and you are good to go. TBI distributor should be computer controlled. Are you staying TBI or going carb?
 

1987 GMC Jimmy

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It’s certainly an option if you’re swapping in an older short block but keeping TBI. If you’re doing carb for whatever reason, I think almost any older casting will be better than the swirl ports
 

Ricko1966

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Tbi castings are going to be low 60"s on combustion chambers cc's most other 350 castings after 1972 are going to be. 72cc's tbi heads are a cheap bump in compression, and actually have excellent exhaust flow characteristics and. Decent intake until around 4000 rpm.Perfect for a low rpm truck engine, which is what they were designed to be on. I do not know why your asking, so I'll just volunteer this little tidbit up also .If you need to put a tbi manifold on early heads or an early aluminum manifold on Tbi heads you can elongate the center 4 bolt holes on the manifold and bolt it down, they used to make special washers just for doing this.
 
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waterpirate

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Just performed this swap with lots of help from the folks here. 85 donor motor, installed tbi heads and the tbi from my toasted 87 motor after trip to machine shop. Very happy. Worked the truck yesterday, runs like a swiss watch.
Eric
 

idahovette

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Just performed this swap with lots of help from the folks here. 85 donor motor, installed tbi heads and the tbi from my toasted 87 motor after trip to machine shop. Very happy. Worked the truck yesterday, runs like a swiss watch.
Eric
Tick. tick, tick???
 

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I put a set of the 87 TBI heads, 193 casting with the 1.95/1,50 valves and 65CC combusting chambers, on a 75 350 that's bored 60 over with a 252 Comp Cam. Has an Edelbrock Air Gap intake with a Holley 4010 650 and early type HEI.

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waterpirate

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Where did you get your plug wire brackets? My wires are a hot mess compared to yours. lol
Eric
 

custodian

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Where did you get your plug wire brackets? My wires are a hot mess compared to yours. lol
Eric

Ebay. They're called "Smoothie" spark plug wire loom. A bit of a pain to install, but the outcome was good.
 

MrMarty51

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I put a set of the 87 TBI heads, 193 casting with the 1.95/1,50 valves and 65CC combusting chambers, on a 75 350 that's bored 60 over with a 252 Comp Cam. Has an Edelbrock Air Gap intake with a Holley 4010 650 and early type HEI.

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Where did you get your plug wire brackets? My wires are a hot mess compared to yours. lol
Eric

yeah, i too wanna know that.
Okay, I guess we founded out.
 

Burb restorer

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Tbi castings are going to be low 60"s on combustion chambers cc's most other 350 castings after 1972 are going to be. 72cc's tbi heads are a cheap bump in compression, and actually have excellent exhaust flow characteristics and. Decent intake until around 4000 rpm.Perfect for a low rpm truck engine, which is what they were designed to be on. I do not know why your asking, so I'll just volunteer this little tidbit up also .If you need to put a tbi manifold on early heads or an early aluminum manifold on Tbi heads you can elongate the center 4 bolt holes on the manifold and bolt it down, they used to make special washers just for doing this.


Just wanted to know because the 1987 Suburban I just restored has an engine code for a 1969 350 V8 but, it retains the original fuel injection unit, looking to see "IF" it was a four boult main too, well, it's not. I used a Harbour Freight borescope to look inside the oil pan from the oil drain bolt and it is a 2 bolt main. Not a big deal but wanted to know. I have heard years ago that the early 350 blocks have a high nickel content which is supposed to be good. Just doing some homework.
 

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