Mazdaboyracer

Hey everybody I'm a definite noob here, so be nice, ok? I'm coming here for some help and I figured this would be the source of knowledge.
My name is Dan and I am not new to cars or performance, just domestics and more importantly carbs. I have been through tech school and that is definitely not something they teach there.

Ok first off let me say this is NOT my car I am trying to help out a friend. He decided to trade off a perfectly good '80s Toyota 4runner for a 1986 Camaro Berlinetta. He tells me it's got a digital dash, but all the warning lights are on and none of the gauges work. These are not the only problems with this thing, but let's get the thing safely running first. I then find out that some genius, decided to swap in a 350 small block with a carb. It's got an Edelbrock 600 or 5 something on it and a 700R4 transmission.
So now we have gone backwards a generation in technology and are stuck with a car that runs, but is a pure bastard mutt. I assume that since it was originally a TBI car it had all that [shizzle] running through the ECU and now since the ECU is either completely blind or gone for good, it has no brain for this thing. I know this isn't a lot of in depth information, but that is as much as I know. No kind of previoius history, no what, why, or how this swap was done.

Does anyone have any solutions for this problem? I have no experience with carbs, because they are purely outdated. I would like to find some sort of cheap and easy route to get a few of the gauges working. I would like to keep the speedo, tach, fuel level, water temp, and if this means ripping out the digital dash then so be it. Although I would like to keep this as painless as possible since I will probably be the one doing all the work and fixing all the headaches.

Then again what are friends for right?

Any help would be appreciated, I'm sorry I don't have much info. I haven't even set eyes on this thing yet and it's already giving me trouble!

Scorpner

iTrader: (4)

You can set up the 350 to run without any computer if you want. Just need a dizzy that doesn't need the hook up. The tranny would need to be modified though, it's done all the time.

The digital dash is probably going to be expensive to replace or get fixed. There are some places that repair the displays if you look around. If the buttons on the side pods are difficult to use they can be re-soldered and then work fine. I posted a thread on it a while back.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Welcome aboard thirdgen.org.

'86 Belinetta wouldn't have been TBI. The only V8 available for that model had a computer controlled carburetor.

The main mistake people make when going to a non-computer carb is not replacing the distributor. That will make it run like a dog. Look for a vacuum canister on the side of the distributor - doesn't have one, you need a different distributor. Has one, you either need to make some adjustments, or something else is wrong.

I know next to nothing about the digital dash, so I can't help you much there. It would be possible to put in a non-digital dash, but you'd have to replace the dash harness as well. Or, put in a aftermarket gauge cluster (not particularly cheap).

toolegit86

when i got rid of the computer controlled carb i got it easy because of the 5 speed. make sure he has a hei dizzy and retime the car. get the numbers off the block to make sure what you are workin with.

Mazdaboyracer

Thanks for all the replies guys. I was told by another 3rd gen guy on our MX6 forums that I can make the digital dash work, but I just have to plug in the stock harness to the sensors on the new motor.
I believe the digital dash works fine, the ECU is just blind so it can't send any info to the dash. I would like to keep this damn dash in only because it seems like the easiest way to go right now.

Let's start with the speedo and tach. I am assuming it runs the tach from the distributer and the speedo from the transmission. What do I need to modify on the tranmission to make it work? The speedo gear? The cable?
As for the tach signal, can I plug in a vacuum advance (HEI?)distributer to this ECU?

I really do appreciate the help so far guys. It gives me a place to start.

MitchellDeMoor

I got a '91 RS and I am swapping in an old 350 with a 600 Edelbrock I suppose I am outdated as well?

Mazdaboyracer

Fuel injection > carburetor.. Period.

camaronewbie

I have to disagree with FI being "better" than carb, or visa versa - neither is better than either. There's 14 gazillion arguements for both.

Volkswagon - in 1966 a VW Beetle would run it's butt off, drive anywhere without 4wd, and do it on about as simple carb as you can get, and all the while getting 40+ mpg (Everyone loves Herbie!). Today's Beetle is FI, gets 10mpg LESS, runs half as well, and will get stuck in a puddle of dog ****. FI better in this case? NO!!

Should a 1968 Camaro have an FI motor? It can, doesn't make it better - just different. For this car, the carb is apart of the beauty, and the culture.

I chose carb because I wanted simple, easy, mechanical repairs instead of (to me) complicated expensive electrically programmed repairs. I don't want Lo Jack, or GPS, or satellite radio - it's none ya biz where me or my car is at. I grew up using payphones, if I could walk a mile then to a phone, I surely can do it again - you can keep your crack-berry.

It's a choice - we are a nation born of choice. Don't like my carb, GREAT! - no one ever asked you to drive my car anyway! Rather not work on my wife's FI LT1? Lovely - cause I don't let a "trained technician" near it, what makes you think you were invited?

To the OP, I have no idea about the digital dash - but for the rest of us, the HEI dizzy is just connected to the wires we have, and our tachs work - I'm assuming there's something special with the dash, and not the wiring of the dizzy, that changes the output to be displayed digitally. Check the stickies and tech articles on swapping to carb to see what color wires get connected to what places on the HEI dizzy, and see if it works. I'm assuming the same with the speedo, just a signal that gets converted in the fancy digital dash - so if the dash works at all, then the inputs should drive it correctly.

Mazdaboyracer

So if the sensors are hooked back up to the car, then the digital gauges should work? I was told this by someone else as well wasn't 100% on it.

As far as the carb vs. FI arguement goes... I'm not opposed to carbs I just prefer modern conviences when it comes to performance. I agree that carbs have their place it's just not my thing. No matter the platform fuel economy is at the hands of the oil producers who place constraints on the manufacturers to produce vehicles that are oil dependant. The most fuel efficient motor in the world got nearly 11,000 miles per gallon... true story, but you will never hear about it because the oil guys bought the setup from the inventor and destroyed it.

MitchellDeMoor

Couldn't agree with you more.