Right now i have an 85 305 TPI. Im getting an 84 in a couple of days. I am not sure what it had in it before. How hard do you think it will be to swap my motor and trans to the 84?

 

There wasn't any EFI in '84, so at a minimum you're going to have to do something about the high pressure fuel supply TPI needs. You could swap over the entire fuel system, of course.

Mostly it's a matter of unbolting everything and putting it into the '84. That includes wiring (but it pretty much comes out in one piece and can be swapped over).

I'd allow more than a weekend to do this...

 

besides all the wiring and computer, can i just swap the fuel pump and lines to the 84?

 

Yes. The fuel pump is inside the fuel tank. I would just swap out the entire tank (and install a new pump while the tank is out). The wiring for the tank is routed differently for non-EFI and EFI cars.

I assume you're considering this because the '84 body and/or interior is in better shape than your '85, correct?

 

That would be correct. This body has just been repainted just needs a motor and a tranny. Does any of the harness from the computer go to the gauge cluster, or just all to the engine bay and can i use the 84 gauges?

 

You can use the '84 cluster, unless it had a V6 originally (the V6 and V8 tachs are calibrated differently). Swapping out the cluster is a piece of cake, though.

The main issue you'll face, if the '84 was originally a V8, is getting the electric fuel pump working and the high pressure fuel system switched over. If you route the power wires the same way they were in the '85, you'll have to put a hole in the floor pan behind the rear seat back. But, you should be able to remove all of the electrical stuff out of the '85 intact.

If the '84 was originally a V6, you'll have to move the chassis engine mounts. That's never any fun, because getting to the nuts inside the K-member is a hassle, but it's just a matter of getting the bolts off, moving the brake line to the back of the K-member, putting the V8 mounts to the forward K-member holes, and getting the bolts & nuts back together and tightened. Or, you could just swap the entire K-member (in hindsight, that is probably easier).

 

OK that doesn't sound to bad. I just called the guy and he said it had a V8 so i shouldn't have any issues with the mounts. I looked under the dash and saw that harness that goes into the engine bay and then there is another that runs to the drivers side... does this go to the gauge cluster?

 

Do you know where the harness for the fuel pump runs? I know it goes behind the back seat and then over to the drivers side... do you know where it goes from there?