Originally Posted by Schurkey

First Guess: You'll save time, money, effort, enthusiasm, and headaches by grabbing a TBI system from a 350 Chevy and adapting it to the 350 Olds, including the in-tank sending unit and ECM. The only difficult part would be the distributor wiring and the manifold-to-TBI spacer. If there's hood clearance, the best you could do there is to use an OEM TBI-to-manifold adapter from an early TBI 454.

I wouldn't expect a hearse to need high-rpm power, therefore it's unlikely you'll need a monster fuel pump or big-block injectors. That hearse would value low-to-midrange torque, though.

That "crappy Q-Jet" is among the better ones ever produced. You don't want it...I'll pay shipping. Good luck getting much in the way of improved fuel economy over a properly-functioning Q-jet.

Spectre air hat and cold air intake? That car already has cold air intake, although it's in the form of a stock, boring air cleaner housing and fabric tube; and it would need to have one vacuum hose removed and plugged. It may not fit the TBI unit, though, so I'd be sure to grab the air cleaner and cold-air ducting from the donor vehicle.

Second Guess: You can convert the hearse to TBI using 350 Chevy take-off parts for half the dollar amount you would by buying all those un-needed aftermarket "bling' parts.

Third Guess: Fix the Q-jet and you won't be tempted to install all the TBI stuff. The Q-Jet is a world-class carb when calibrated to the engine, and working properly.

Originally Posted by The Stickman

Yes because why would anyone wanting a carb come to a FUEL INJECTION SECTION!!!!.

Originally Posted by The Stickman

Also what Distributor would you suggest to use from an Oldsmobile V-8 that would actually be FI compatible?

Originally Posted by The Stickman

Keep in mind I have all the parts save the fuel pump and sending unit.

Originally Posted by The Stickman

So why would I take any of these ideas?

Originally Posted by Schurkey

Hating carburetors is not the same as wanting Fuel Injection. Your reference to the "crappy Q-Jet" says a lot about your experiences and biases. What I said is still true: Good luck getting much improvement over a PROPERLY FUNCTIONING and nicely-calibrated Q-Jet. The issue at hand is how close to "properly functioning and nicely-calibrated" is the Q-jet in question.


Kinda depends on the FI system. I'd have started with the typical 7-pin "computer controlled" module HEI; perhaps with a conversion to the newer 8-pin HEI module, as used on the OEM TBI systems, moved to a separate heat-sink outside the distributor--and properly shielded from the elements.

If Megasquirt works with the 7-pin module, an OEM Delco distributor is a drop-in. I don't know Megasquirt, though.

If using the TBI computer, the 8-pin module might be preferable. It's certainly compatible, since that's how GM configured the TBI vehicles to begin with. A person could also get wild and one-off an Olds version of the Chevy TBI distributor; that way the pickup coil, ignition coil, cap and rotor would be "TBI authentic". Not as hard as might be thought at first--the GM TBI distributors used a cast-aluminum shaft housing with a stamped-aluminum plate on top. Easy enough to grab the plate from a Chevy distributor and secure it to a modified Olds housing. Cut down a Chevy TBI distributor shaft to Olds length and add some bushings to return the shaft to 0.491 diameter...Wallah! TBI Olds distributor.

There's probably aftermarket distributors that would be compatible with various designs of fuel injection also.


Don't you think it's unrealistic to 1)not mention any of that in your first post, then 2)get peeved when my reply doesn't take that into consideration?


Because in the context YOU presented, they all made sense. Not my fault that the context YOU presented was overly-simplified and incomplete.

As always: The responses you receive from your forum post will need to be filtered and processed by you. Take what you like, leave the rest.

Originally Posted by The Stickman

the engine when new came with a 600-650 cfm carb. So why would I want to use a 450cfm TBI when I can have a 670 cfm tbi without any mods?

Originally Posted by The Stickman

My only big question revolves around the fuel lines.

Originally Posted by Schurkey

That Q-Jet should be an 800 cfm unit. It's a terrible, horrible carburetor. Put it in a box and send it to me. I'll save you from it.

The issue with the TBI is getting the little Olds to idle- and idle-transition properly when using big injectors. Has nothing to do with the size of the throttle bores.

How high are you going to rev this hearse engine? GM used the small throttle bodies on the 305s and 350s because that's all most of them ever needed based on how they were driven.


Fuel supply plumbing should be adequate for TBI except for the existing rubber hoses and clamps which MUST MUST MUST be replaced with higher-pressure (fuel injection-rated) hose and hose clamps. This assumes that the metal tubing isn't rusted, kinked, or otherwise damaged, and can be adapted to the new in-tank sending unit/fuel pump hanger. I don't actually expect problems there.

The return side will need full replacement. I expect it is 1/4" tubing and the OEM TBI installations used 5/16, I think. Anyway, the return plumbing is almost certainly too small and restrictive.

I've debated how best to connect OEM fuel plumbing to repositioned/aftermarket TBI unit; and I still haven't solved my dilemma. The TBI unit is--or can be converted--to pipe thread. I'm thinking of using pipe-thread to 37-degree flare fittings, 37 degree flare hose ends on Teflon-liner hose, connecting to 37-degree flare fittings that clamp directly to the metal tubing using a ferrule.

Then I step back and ask if I'm really comfortable with a ferrule compression fitting on a pressurized gasoline system. Some days I am, some day's I'm not.