I am thinking about buying a 90 Camaro RS 305 with TBI and a 700R4. I want to convert over to Carb. The car is gonna be a nice cruiser, with a hint of some sound behind it. Has anyone else done this before? TBI to Carb..? What exactly do I need parts wise to make this happen in my 53? anyone have any step by steps/write-ups? Will I need to do anything to the 700R4?
Remove the "tower" motor mount stands from the 53 and get a Chassis Engineering motor mount set up. You'll have to buy or make a rear trans mount. The firewall support braces have to be modified; cut to clear the engine/heads. Use rear exit exhaust manifolds; don't think about using rams horns as only the passenger side will fit. 55-56 265 V-8 exhaust manifolds work also, but it takes some creative bending of the header pipes. Radiator will work. Get a Runtz resistor for the gas gauge when you convert to 12 volts. The injection can be replaced with a carb easily; only get the correct intake with the washer-adapters for the center two bolt holes on each side. You can also elongate the holes on older intakes and get creative with bent up washers. You know you'll also have to replace the driveline and rear end don't you? The torquetube driveline/rear end won't work. For more info, go over to ChevyTalk.Org and read the 49-54 forums, including the stickies at the top of the forum. Butch/56sedandelivery.
Chassis Engineering and Walton Fab makes motor mounts. If you use stock type manifolds, you'll need one center dump and one rear dump. Sanderson makes headers for this swap. Obviously, you'll have to ditch the '53 tranny and torque tube and rear end for a conventional open drive line. You'll have to buy/fab and mount new spring hangers to get rid of the narrow leafs the car has now. IIRC,, 1st gen camaros, 2nd gen Novas, and some S10's have proper width rear ends. around 60" plate to plate i think. Shitcan the E-brake all together or fab up a new system. I think thats all the major points.
Some, but not all TBI engines do not have the lobe on the cam to drive a mechanical fuel pump. It varies, and I don't know why or when. Later blocks don't even have the fuel pump pushrod hole. My 305 did not have the lobe, so I run an electric fuel pump (Carter) and an Edelbrock 500 CFM carb, with an electric choke. The stock cam will work fine, or you can upgrade. You will also need a conventional distributor. To that distributor, you MUST add a melonized distributor gear. It is GM part: 10456413 http://www.summitracing.com/search/?keyword=10456413&dds=1 If you fail to do this, the hardened steel roller cam will eat the distributor gear, sending the debris into the oil system. If your engine was equipped with a serpentine belt, you will need a standard-rotation water pump, to run conventional belts and pulleys. The serpentine version is reverse rotation. You can run a short, or a long pump (unless space in the car is an issue), the pulleys and accessory brackets just need to match. As for the 700R4, you will need a TV cable bracket, and arm correction kit, such as this one: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TCI-376710/ It corrects the swing, and thus the pull, of the TV cable. Familiarize yourself with the function and adjustment of this cable, if you are not already aware, or you may end up a really unhappy camper.
Thanks for all the inputs, I was really setting out to find an already carbed V-8. My area of expertise is is not in motors. I was planning on having a shop do all the work/rebuild and just buy the parts. What is pretty much the going rate to have the motor rebuilt? ..Or taking the cost factor of the conversion, am I better off just placing a wanted ad for a carbed V-8 instead? I am just trying to explore all avenues before I make a purchase.
Hey matt, coming apart hit the nail on the head. Mine came with a 350/350 combo in mine and had some half assed home made motor mounts. I got my chassis engineering mounts waiting for me in the box. They are really nice and seem easy to install. Im gona put a 700r4 as well so im gona fab up a mount for that myself. I belive walton fabrication sell a nice trans mount as well.
Hey Man, how have you been? yeah I decided i want to go V-8 after all, I just don't want to rush buying something without having some background first. I definitely want a 700r4. I may just put a want ad on craigslist. we'll see.
Been good man, just keeping busy with everything else but my car lol how about you? If you got the tbi motor, all you would really need different would be an hei distributor, and a carb made for those style heads. Speedway sells an aluminim intake that will accept a carb pretty cheap.
I've been good man, just working and trying to get this front end done on the car. Okay, I twisted my arm...I ended up getting the 5.0 TBI motor with 700R4 tranny...it was a sweet deal for $300.00, now time to open it up and see what the insides look like...cross my fingers!
If you decide you want to part with the TBI injection stuff, let me know. I'm looking for something like that for my 52 Chevy. Sean
Sean: That will work, give me a day or two to get the motor apart and I can get back to you. What exactly do you want?
TBI stuff is a dime a dozen... not that hard to swap over the whole thing, and with a 1990 it probably has an electric speedometer output anyways.
Depends on how much stuff you have! I'm going the opposite direction, going from carb to TBI. So, if you have intake, injection TB, wiring, distributor, etc, I may be interested in it all. The only kicker I can see is shipping. But we can figure it out.
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