350 TPI/700R4 into '86 442

[85cutty]

im new her but i had a question.
i have 350 tpi from a corvette im goint to be putting in mycutlass
i was wondering what headers/exhaust manifolds you used

 

[xitabl442]

I ebayed a set from Skip White Performance in Tennessee. They were what he refered to as mid-length headers. They fit really well, but a little snug on the left side, I had to move the emission pipe up to clear the flange. They end in 45 degree angles with a 3" flange. I bought a pair of 45 degree mandrel pipes from Summit and trimmed them to fit and welded them to the reducers included with the headers. I'll have to get my pics posted soon. I have a rattle when I get off the gas, but I think it is my transmission mount and not the headers. I'll research that more when I get my ECU chip back and it runs better.
David

 

[86cutlasfreak]

350 TPI/700R4 into 86 cutlas

considering this myself.did you finish it?

 

[xitabl442]

I've got it running pretty well, still don't have all the little stuff done yet like the A/C and such. Wow, this thing has got some serious power on the bottom end! The little stock tires don't stand a chance, I smile every time I light them up. I accually don't have the exhaust completely done yet.
I barely got to work on it this winter. I ended up driving it most of the winter because my wife wanted a ..... I can't even say it. Anyway , until I got her way-cool European touring sedan sold and that other thing fixed up it was new baby time and no time for Dad's hotrod.
I am putting together a side exhaust setup with cutouts (I refer to them as the volume control 😀 ) that will all exit out the same place. Not much room under there for that I tell you that much. I ended up getting a pair of Dynomax straight-throughs and made baffle for inside them because of the lack of room.
Hopefully I can get some pics of it all soon.

 

[86cutlasfreak]

would like to see more pics of it. i found a '90ish trans am with TPI 350 and 700R4.how did you do the wiring,cut and splice or did you use the whole thing.i found a harness that will hook up to the instrument panel.just curious as to spend the money on the harness (which is expensive but should bolt up) or if it wasn't to bad make the harness.did you use the stock vette computer?sorry for all the questions.thanks

 

[xitabl442]

I had bought a complete TPI setup complete with wiring and ECU off E-bay a few months prior to buying the Vette motor/transmission. It was an aftermarket setup from Affordable Fuel Injection in Michigan. It was stripped of all uneccessary wiring and runs on the basics. No EGR or knock sensor, just temp, TPS, etc. It was also setup for A/C and automatic trans. If you visit their website I think their harnesses are available separate, with or without ECU. Mine also has their performance tuning I think, because I had a 1990 Vette a few years ago and it didn't have the smoke that this thing does.
How much can you pick up the eng/transmission with wiring for, if you don't mind? I could have had the wiring and computor with my motor for another $100. I paid $1800 for the rest, it was complete with acccessories, starter, everything but the wiring and ECU. I stripped off the smog junk and gutted the smog pump. So it doesn't do anything but hold the belt now.
I ran the computor harness out the right side of the cowl, the same as factory. The harness on the left only has a handful of wires going to the engine, i.e. tach signal, ignition power, and I think the oil light is in there. For the left side I found another harness to chop up only so I could keep my original intact in the event the car ever goes back to stock.
I kept the battery on the left side and used the original power lead to the starter off the 307 since it is about a mile long. I also made my own transmission cooler lines and just ran an aftermarket cooler up front since the cooler lines out of the transmission were bigger for the Vette than my 200R4's were. I also had to have the driveshaft shortened.
I need to get on the ball with pics. I lost he originals that I took as I went, so there aren't any of the motor in the car without the nose on.
I don't mind the questions.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

How did you use the Vette transmission? All of the C4 TH700-R4's I have ever seen had no provision for a conventional trans mount.

 

[86cutlasfreak]

i had just stopped at the junk yard today to talk about the price and the guy was gone.i seen it this past weekend talked to the guy about another motor and seen the T/A as i was leaving.all i got was that it needed rebuilding and there was no title to the car.he said it ran but rough.so im guessing anywhere upto a $1000.gonna stop again tomorrow and hopefully get a price.

i found another in a wrecked late '80s Z28 but the guy is asking $800 for the motor alone.no harness or computer.

been doing a little research to get a guess of what to pay for one.

i found a guy "Jim's performance" that offers the harness to drop the whole setup in the g-body for $395.it plugs into your instrument panel. what you think?

 

[xitabl442]

I think if the price includes an ECU it should be fair. I am not sure what you'd have in a computor. My AFI harness came with a new ALDL and check engine light. I have a friend that used to do wire harnesses on the side, I'll see if he still has the stuff and what he'd want to put one together.
For the transmission I bolted a plate to the bottom of the tailstock that would bolt to a standard transmission mount.
I gotta get the pics rounded up and see if I can get them up here.

 

[86cutlasfreak]

yeah i would really like to see it in your car.and pics of the exhaust.thanks