I am thinking about doin an engine build up then swap from my V6 to a V8. Do i need to get a computer or can i run the engine without the computer? Will everything work ok? Will the gauges work?
Thanks for any help.

 

Hmm, Do you need a computer? Let's see

Are you going to run a carb or injection? If you run injection yes, carb no. Will everything work? For that information we need to know the year. Can it be made to work, Anything can be made to work.

Tell us the year and what you are going to do with the engine and we can be more specific

 

It is an 89 RS.
i plan on puting a carb on it and useing it as a daily driver and a car that i can take to the track on the weekends

 

Allright, The engine will run, however, you need to use a non-computer distributor. You will need to rewire the fan to work without the computer and some of the guages won't work ( I can't remember which ones though ). I hate the factory guages and don't trust them anyways so I replaced mine with a custom made cluster and added a B-pillar guage pod for the important ones.

 

What trans?
If its a stick, then you are ok, but if its an auto you need to do something so the torque converter still locks up or you'll burn up the trans. I heard there is a switch you can put in the trans to take care of that, but havent seen it or tried it.

 

Where are you in Canada? I believe most carbed 3rd gens came without a ECM in Canada. Also, will the car need to pass emissions where you are? In most of Ontario now, if you replace the engine with one that never came in that year/model, it can be classified as a "Hot Rod" and tested to the 1980 standard.

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1985 Yellow IROC-Z 5.0 HO, T-5 3.73 Posi, 4 wheel disks
PFCM pads, GTA wheels, Koni yellows, B&M Ripper, Dynomax

 

This is something I found bizarre...
How exactly does this computer operate?!? I have an '83 TA, built in Canada, and about the only electric article I can find on the carb is the electric choke wire.

How exactly the "computer" operates is beyond me. Luckily I don't really care.

Service engine soon light? Mine doesn't light up, period. Or do I even have one? Maybe I better bust out the flashlight and check this out...

??

Later,
Hype.