I picked up a 1986 Camaro last week, for a song, with a non-stock engine. Found out why I got her so cheap... she won't pass emissions. She came with TBI originally, but someone had yanked the engine and dropped a 350 with a carb in. Now, I can possibly get the carb rebuilt and tuned correctly, or I can go ahead and start my project.

I called Hawks Third Gen and placed my order. Next Friday, I go pick up my 350TPI. To get ready for that, I decided to pull the fuel tank and install the TPI rated fuel pump. Five hours later, I find a small problem... there's no fuel pump in the tank. So right now, I have a fuel tank sitting in the floor, and I'm trying to decide the best path to go, whether to get the TPI/sending unit set from the junk yard, or try to find one on ebay.

 

Welcome aboard thirdgen.org.

TBI wasn't available in '86. Did you mean it was TPI originally? The 8th character of the VIN will have the answer.

Look carefully at your fuel tank pick-up. If the car was originally EFI, it had an electric in-tank pump originally. Whoever converted to carb may have just removed the pump and put a rubber hose where the pump was.

But, if it is a carb pick-up, junk yard, eBay, wherever you need to get a proper one.

Good looking car. If the price was low, there's usually a reason. As the saying goes, "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is."

Keep us posted on the progress. A 350 TPI is a decent package, and Hawks is on our side.

 

I sit corrected. I could have sworn what I found said it had TBI. Regardless, the engine digit in the VIN is an 'H', so it originally had an LG4 with a carb in it.

Which would also explain why there was no spot in the fuel line by the tank for a fuel filter. Looks like I get to take a trip to the junk yard today.

 

Picked up the engine and transmission today. 350TPI out of an 88 TA, grabbed the fuel lines too. Also picked up a T5 trans and conversion kit. I know the trans is a little on the weak side for a 350, but I think it'll last as long as I stay off the LoudPedal.

 

Now you will need an electric fuel pump.

Go get the exhaust off the donor car if you can. Much better than the LG4 (VIN "H") stuff.

Are you planning on using your '86 accessories, or the ones on the TPI engine? Some wiring changed between those years.

 

Already have the pump, I'm waiting for the in-tank mount/unit to arrive (ordered and was supposed to be here today). As for the accessories... the car already has a non-stock engine in it, so I may as well use the ones already on the 350. As for exhaust, it'll need replaced anyways... 3" pipe at the rear... with a 2" pipe from the cat to the rear. Whoever had the car last, needs to be educated.

 

Progress update. Managed to get the fuel pump replaced and the tank back into the car. I really hope I got the pump and wiring correct, as I really don't want to pull it all back out again. Dropped the rear end to do it, instead of going through the top. So, she's sitting back on all four tires again. Took five hours to get it out, and two hours to get it back in.

Today was a light day in the garage. Pulled the door locks and replaced them, since the door key I got with the car, matched none of the doors. Only problem was the set of locks I got, the trunk lock doesn't fit correctly. The original has a square peg on the back, but the replacement had a square slot. So, I'll make a call tomorrow and see what I can do about that. Would really hate to have to replace all the locks again. At least for now, I can use the trunk release in the center console. Will probably get a remote door lock unit and install it eventually.

 

Been too cold in the garage the last week or so. Finally warmed up enough to do a bit of work when I got home.
Dropped the torque arm, drive shaft, exhaust, and unbolted the torque converter. It's not much, but it's more than was done yesterday.

 

Slowly but surely coming along on this project... engine and transmission are completely out now. Need to replace the fuel lines and motor mounts first, then start installing clutch/brake pedal assembly for the T5.

 

Lots of little stuff today. Replaced both motor mounts (without dropping the lower A-arms). Replaced the fuel lines and guessed at the routing. Ran them between the steering column and the frame, so they come up in front of the master cylinder. Did misc other stuff, like pulled the cruise control unit and replaced the starter on the new motor with a geared unit. Need to install the clutch and bell housing tomorrow, then I'm ready to drop the engine in.

 

Finally, some visible progress. Went to help a friend take his block and heads to the machine shop, in return for him helping me drop my engine in.

 

I have a question if you wouldn't mind answering it. As I understand, the speedometer, tach, etc on 86 and up is all routed to the computer even on the carbureted models. If you swap the carbureted PCM out with the TPI PCM, how do you get all of your gauges and accessories to work? I would like to put a 350 TPI in my 86 bird, trying to figure out what wiring task would be involved.

 

Well, in the Camaro, they should all match up with the plug from the ECM. As for swapping into another vehicle, you'd most likely have to pick off from sensors on the engine to feed the signals to the gauges. I remember doing that for a friend, we dropped a 350TPI from an 86 Vette into his 58 Vette. Computer went under the dash, and all the gauges were fed from the sensors on the engine.

 

She lives!!!

Closed up the last bits this evening, I've put it off for as long as I could. I double and triple checked everything, I couldn't find anything left to do...

Nothing left, but to test her out...

She fired on the first try. Settled into a rumpy idle. No weird sounds, no odd smells.

Now I get to put the interior back together that I had left out in anticipation of having to do two days of troubleshooting.

 

I declare this project complete. Just finished the brake job on the rear drums, she passed emissions (needed an O2 sensor, failed the first time with high HC only), and now has tags.

It's been an interesting 2+ months. I know more about Chevy than I ever really wanted to, too many skinned knuckles to count, and a wife that through it all, supported me and urged me to do it the way I wanted, not just what would work and get by.

I don't want to know what all I spent on this project, as it was more than I originally planned by far.

 

Congratulations! Great feeling, eh?

That's the problem with Quicken - it'll tell you how much you spent (assuming you record everything).

 

I have my receipts... but that's better left for another day.

And yes, it IS a great feeling. Knowing I built it myself.