CraftyUk

I've got a late 70s first gen small block that I'm considering swapping over to a TPI setup. From what I gather the manifold will bolt straight to my heads ? will all TPI ( i.e. pre LT1 ) manifolds fit or do I have to stick to particular years ?

From what I can work out some if not all the TPI setups still have manual ignition ( i.e. not controlled by the ECM/ECU ) ? I see that the TPI setups on ebay have a couple of different distributors - do any of these just run a hall effect sensor rather than a normal distributor ?

I found this picture through google that doesn't have a distributor, instead it has some sort of blanking plate with what I presume is a sensor inside ? http://www.scirn.net/images/tpi.jpg is this a late tpi setup ?

My plan is to use a stock TPI plenum, build my own wiring harness and use a mappable ECU, but I want the ECU to control ignition as well, so if I can use a stock hall effect ( or similar ) setup it will be much easier than building my own. I'd probably go speed density rather than a MAF setup, but seeing as I wont use a stock ECU thats not a huge problem..

thanks!

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Okay, first let me say that by no means am I an expert, but what follows is what I do remember (correctly or not):
There was a change made in '87-the two center intake bolts on each side are canted 15 degrees, so you would have to modify the manifold slightly to make it work with '86 and earlier heads.
The big and the small cap HEI distributors were both used with the TPI, they changed to small-cap/remote coils relatively early, but the early ones did use large-cap distributors. BOTH styles are computer controlled and are interchangeable.
That manifold you have a picture of is not blocked off where the distributor goes. If the "plate" you are talking about is on the left of the picture, just lower than halfway down, below the two nipples and partially obscured by the schrader valve on the fuel rails, then you are looking at the fuel pressure regulator. The hole for the distributor is a bit lower and to the left.
Some manifolds have a cold-start injector. I don't think it will effect anything if you just bypass it. You may have to plug it. I just don't remember.
You can use a program to access program new chips for the stock ECU, so using a stock ECU might be easiest.
MAF systems are more flexible when it comes to mods, but slow the airflow a little.
Speed-density allows for the most power, but the programming has to be right.

CraftyUk

thanks for the reply.