• DCRC 2024

350 carb to tbi conversion! HELP

strangeKowboy

strangeKowboy

Oops i did it again
Location
Springville, Ut
Ok this is last minute but I just had a buddy tell me I could come grab the tbi and whatever i need off his 1997 suburban. Shocked it was still tbi but it is, was expecting fuel injected like my truck. But anyhow, I have not really done my research on what all i need yet and dont want to miss out on getting the parts for free since it is going to the scrap yard thurs. So going over in the morning to strip what i can. The block is bad or i would try and pull the whole damn motor. I have an 1983 chevy 350 carb motor in the crawler now so the gist what can i or should i rob off this. I figure the intake, tbi, 02 sensor, distributor, ECM what else do i need to grab? BTW my crawler is stripped of everything but maybe three wires. I have nothing on the crawler now not even a speedo and it runs good but trying to keep it as simple as possible but hate stalling out at high elevation or all the other crap that comes with it
 
Raleigh

Raleigh

OMF Dave
Location
VIVA LAS VEGAS
You'll need the throttle body, wiring harness, computer, fuel pump, O2 sensor(s).
There will most likely be some relays on the harness so get those.

And depending on the intake you may need it and the heads,
 
DaveB

DaveB

Long Jeep Fan
Location
Holladay, Utah
You will also need the distributor, knock sensor, map sensor, EGR solenoid, speed sensor, and the electronic spark module. You don't have to swap the heads if you machine out the center intake manifold bolts (or come get the one I already modified).
 
B

B2-Bomber

Guest
Location
SL, UT
or just use an adaptor plate to adapt the throttle body to the carb, many manufacturers are making them. i even have one kicking around the garage.

it is a pretty simple swap, i just did another one onto my buddy's rig, where we put a gm tbi onto his ford. and we didn't even use a gm distributor and were still able to utilize the EST (electronic spark control), but on a chevy there is no reason to not use their distributor, besides in the intact harness there is a white plug a few inches away from the ecm that on the donor truck runs under the dashboard to the steering column area. that plug has the wire for the speed sensor (which we didn't use, but will improve the running of the engine if you use it) the wires for the ALDL(diagnostic) the M.I.L. (check engine light) and the "cranking signal" wire which tells the ecm that you are trying to start it. on all the gm tbi swaps i have done i just cut that harness 12" or so away from the connector to leave me enough wire to splice those into.

the other splice connections that you will need to make will be:

from the fuel pump relay to the fuel pump itself
fused 12V
system ground
switched 12v

those wires are usually in the harness that goes through the firewall on the drivers side to the fuse box, i usually just cut those at the firewall and just connect the few necesarry wires that are in that bundle to an inline fuse/ ground etc.

that's just how i do it. just a thought

here is a little info from howell, it is written as if you paid them for their parts to use the gm tbi but still has a bunch of good info anyway
http://howellefi.com/pdfs/install_tbi_harness.pdf
 
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