Bought 83 Z with blown motor. Good time to swap a 350 in. With the help of TGO and the wonderful advice and parts, soon to be running( I hope). I need some more help. The old motor did not have a Knock Sensor. The comp was hooked up and, except for A.I.R. system working, ran. The old motor has no place for sensor and I find no wiring for it that has been left off. Will the knock sensor be needed to get car running with new motor? I am hoping to run cc carb and cc dizzy with all other factory equipment. What will happen if knock sensor is left out? Will it effect power or reliability? The 350 has a knock sensor in it, just no connections found for it on the car.

 

I'm guessing you bought a later 350. No point trying to hook the sensor up since your computer doesn't want it. But you may need the computer and chip for an '87 Police Caprice 350. (Last of the passenger car carbureted 350s) The '87 chip won't work in an '84 computer.

 

oops. won't work in an '83 computer

 

Thanks for info, but would the 87 puter need the Knock sensor? It is a newer motor(90). I have made all the other changes: flywheel, intake (b/c heads r swirl port). If I have to find a specific puter, chip, and rewire the motor, I may use the vac dizzy and older Q-jet I already have. It is a budget project that has went well so far. 83 Z28, T-5, T-tops, 350 motor with 3.23 gears. Total investment: < $600 including buying car. Not intended to be a racer, just cruiser with bottem end omph.

 

Every Gen I SBC made going back to 1955 has the knock sensor mount. It's the water jacket drain hole on the passenger side of the block.

 

I believe the '87 vwill want the knock sensor, but since you don't have the harness for it, probably better to go with your other option.

 

No reason you couldn't run the 83 computer with ccc-qjet and dizzy on the 350. The timing advance was a little weaker on the LG4's prior to the addition of the KS which was in '87? The newer 350 should do fine. Just make sure the EGR works to help control pre-detonation at cruise and take some time to find the optimum advance without pinging.

Can always add mech qjet and dizzy later...or swap to an 87 LG4 or L69 harness/ECM with the KS. The only real advantage to the swap though is the slightly better timing curves...and you'll still need to swap the ESC module and KS for one configured for a 350.

 

'85.

 

I am hoping by sticking with mostly stock parts I can keep it reliable with a little more torque in the normal driving rpm range. As 57kid once said" won't be a barn burner". Using an 87 factory carb intake with EGR ports cleaned, EGR and solinoid working, stock manifolds with AIR tubes and putting air pump back on. I hope to run 89 octane or better to help keep pinging down. Block is remanufactured by AC/Delco with 40 over bore. Being a 5-speed, I'll use stock ccc-qjet instead of vac secondaries carb. I just hope the valve seals hold up!!! Trying to build a cruiser to ride, not race.

 

Ack. I've got an '85 and knew that. Must have been thinking of the electric fan and fuel pump. In other ways '87 was a special year-except for the transmission.

 

Electric fan - '86.

Electric fuel pump - '87.