Ok, When I get back from the Lake of the Ozarks I'm puttin the 350 in my camaro..but I have one last question...

I've got an old 305 from an 85 Camaro..its got the q-jet on it..and i was wondering..since i can't afford to get a new intake and carb, or do a custom chip (which i have decided to never do ) i was wondering..if I took the intake, carb and distributor and hooked it up to the 350 in my new camaro..would that work? If it could be done should I put the old chip outta the 85 into the 89? I'm confused on what to do..its either that or keep the TBI setup thats on the 305 now and put it on the 350.. Give me some advice!! (note: chip burning isn't something I can, nor want to do)

Thanks Guys!

 

All three from your 85 305 should be able to swap over to your 350. However, I don't think your computer for your TBI will talk to your CC Q-jet. Keeping your TBI for the 350 would definitely require chip work, probably larger injectors too. I'm sure there's threads on that. However, if you want you could find a non-computer q-jet like from a junk-yard then you could avoid the computer altogether.

 

how hard is it to take out the computer from the 85 and put it into the 89? I've never really looked at it, so I don't know much about it.

 

Electronics really isnt my thing, but I believe the computer from you 85 controlled the carb only and thats it. I think, but I'm not sure that the computer in your 89 contolled the TBI and a few more things, possibly gauges, fuel pump? So you'd have to check that out.
Is your 350 going in your 89?

 

yeah, the 350 is goin into the 89. it wasnt the stock motor from the 85 tho. had it in there for a month and had an engine fire..so got this new car to put the engine in, and its goin in next week and i gotta figure out what to do...lol

 

jc265,
The Carb, Intake, and Dizzy will transfer to the 350 with no problems (my son an I are basically finishing up the same basic swap).

The computer is a piece of cake to transplant (only two screws and a couple connectors) However, the problem is not the computer but the WIRING HARNESS! Your TBI harness will not work with a Computer Controlled Q-Jet. If the the harness of the '85 was for a carb and it wasn't damaged in the fire (probably unlikely)..... move the harness, the computer, and all the sensors etc to the 350 in the '89. If the harness was damaged you can probably get an entire harness from the J.Yard for about $50.

It looks like a major undertaking but it's really not too bad and can be done in an afternoon. The only item that will most likely need to be changed on the harness/engine is the Knock Sensor and Module. Several people say it HAS to be changed some others disagree. We're going to TRY the 305 sensor and module but we're planning on purchasing those for a 350 immediately if we see them in a J.Yard or if the 305's don't react properly to the 350.

The stock TBI fuel pump is going to provide too much gas pressure to a carb and will need to be disabled/removed and replaced with a mechanical pump on the block (or have a regulator installed in-line to drop the pressure). But I don't believe a carb harness has a provision for the pump anyway.

Avoiding the computer all together is what some folks like but I prefer the computer controls. If you have emissions inspection requirements you pretty much have to have the computer set-up as a bare bones set-up is unlikely to pass.

If you need any info about swapping the wires we've just finished swapping an entire '86 carbed harness & computer into our '82 cross-fire (TBI x2). We also just trashed the 305 and will install a 350 this weekend. We've had a long running thread "Unfortunate Engine Swap Victim......" the last couple pages may provide you with some good info on our swap...

Sincerely
Kurt