I am working on an 89 Camaro RS and the stock ignition cylinder bit the dust. The stock cylinder is a VATS style. The owner wants to put a regular style GM ignition cylinder in the car. The car has a carbureted 350 in it, but the computer is still plugged in. I have read threads about people illiminating the resistor on their vats key and soldering in resistors, but I haven't read anything about people going to an 'old school' ignition cylinder. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

You can just use a regular non-VATS cylinder. The computer may be "plugged in", but it's not being used for anything - since there's nothing 'plugged in' to it - might as well unplug it and toss it.

VATS does 2 things...

1) provides a ground for the starter enable relay so that the starter turns
2) gives a signal to the computer to enable firing of the injectors

Find the starter enable relay in the driver kick panel (usually under the black goo where the hood release is), and just supply it with a ground, and then install regular key switch, and you're golden.

But - while you have the car ...

1) Is it an automatic?

- if so, needs a method of locking the torque converter, since this was a computer function and now the computer is no longer functioning
- if so, needs a TV cable geometry corrector for the aftermarket carb

2) They swapped to a vacuum advanced distributor right? Can't use a computer distributor with an aftermarket carb

3) Are they using the in-tank pump?

- if so, then are they using a RETURN-style fuel pressure regulator like the Mallory 4309?
- if not, did they remove the in-tank electric fuel pump? Can't pull fuel through a non-working in-tank fuel pump for long - too much restriction

 

Thank you for the info.

I am heavily involved in a car club at University of Wisconsin-Platteville and had a lot of involvement in the building of this car.

We have an adjustable fuel pressure regulator (Mallory w/ return) so we are using the stock electric pump.

The TV cable is not connected with a geometry corrector but is much better than not having it hooked up for the time being.

We are also running an HEI distributor with vacuum advance.

The ignition switch failed in the start position so we still have key power. We have the starter on a toggle switch for now.

We don't have lock-up hooked up manually. We might do that in the future. The motor has only 300 miles on it so were still breaking it in first.

I was concerned that the computer may have something to do with the electric fan turning on as well as the stock gauge cluster working. I haven't looked into it so we just left everything plugged in.

other mods are: headers, 600 cfm edelbrock, edelbrock performer intake, 882 heads.

 

Nope - without having the ECM connected to distributor and injectors, it's just collecting dust now - all gauges etc. will still work just fine.

Summit sells the geometry corrector (their brand) for about $21 - they are specific to the carb, so get one for an Edelbrock when you do.

Sounds like you're creating my car The 882 heads aren't the best in the world, but the 350 will surely have more pep even with bad heads than the 305 had.

Most TC lockups require dropping the pan and installing a new 4th gear solenoid and switch, running a new pigtail, and then wiring to a vacuum switch. Vacuum switch never worked well for me, and I just use a toggle - I turn it on at 50mph+ to save some gas, turn it off under 50mph. There's a sticky in the carb section on TC lockup, explains it well and shows wiring diags for switches and such. There actually might be a way to rig your own without opening the tranny pan, but I haven't tried it - I had my tranny rebuilt when I dropped in my 350 anyway, so I had it out of car and it was easy to do.

Sounds like you got it all under control - I was asking about the other stuff because I had the impression this was a customer's car you were working on, and thought maybe you could make a few extra $$ if they didn't have all that other stuff right.

Oh well - Have fun!

 

Thanks again for the input.

The 882 heads work surprisingly well with the parts combination. It also has a stockish upgraded cam w/ about 463 lift with the stock rockers