I recently retrofitted a 75 c-10 350 into my 86 Camaro, and all the wiring is giving me a headache. The car runs like an absolute dog, would I be better off pulling all the wiring out of this thing and going with a retro style wiring job (it uses a serp system if that matters at all)? Or is it worth my time to use the ECM and all the wiring that goes with it?

This motor is using a Carter Q-jet and I'm having a hell of a time getting this thing to idle right. How would I be able to tell if my carb is junk or not? I was considering buying a new edelbrock 600cfm carb. It seems to run differently every time I start it. I got the car to idle earlier at about 800-1k, then I go out and start it now and the bastard wont idle after warming up for a good 5-10 mins. If I manage to make it idle now, its about 1200-1700.

Also, how is all the vacuum routed in this car? I can't seem to find a good vacuum diagram that has been straight forward. Thanks!

 

In my opinion, it is much easier to do your own wiring as long as you know how.

I had a buddy that took a perfectly good running engine out of a '79 4x4 and but it in his firebird, and it ran like junk and had no power at all. He ended up ripping the entire wiring harness out and wired it like an old car would be wired. It ran completely fine after that, good power and great idle.

 

That seems to be what is happening with this thing. I'm gonna try taking the ECM out and seeing if that cures any of my problems. I would like to try to wire it myself, I've done quite a bit, but I don't know if I would know where to start with this.

I would want everything in the dash to work, I figure a serp belt system will still work because I have my coolant fan wired to a switch inside the car.

You know anywhere that may have a guide to help me get started?

 

wiring should be nothing

as long as you retain the 02 sensor and swap all the sensors in the intake and the E4ME carb and ESt distributor and plug it all then then it would work fine

but you would alos need ot retain how the vacuu, hoses went, in which i guess you didnt do

but really the vacuum that would count is the MAP and EGR and PVC and tranny modulator valve is so equipped and the power brake booster of course


if you didnt mark hoses and stuff so that you could reconnect them then oyu could find a car to look at to see how it went alot of other makes and models chared virtually all the hose routings and parts including caprices(LG4 engine) and 4bbl trucks and so on in the '80's they were all factory EST and electronic mixture controlled carb system although the truck ECM were smaller and mounted by the gas pedal on the bracket instead of in the kick panel like cars were

if you dont have emissions equipment inspections and such and you cant hook up the few hoses that need to be connected to run the est and the carb then you would probably be better off running non EST HEI and non electronic fuel mix carb

especialy if you arent running the knock sensor ont he 70s engine, or the 02 sensor

youhave to have them all or it wont be correct and it probably wont run right the ECM will be confused, etc


the serpentine is simple its sbc to sbc, same engine block and head holes are there on both engines,

easy swap, very simple



good luck

 

The vacuum system for the camaro I assume? I never noted it down because the car caught fire so they all melted...lol