carb to FI

[hobsiscool]

Ok i know i have asked this before, but...

I have an inline 6 in my 81 truck w/ a carb.
I have a 350 V8 in my 89 truck that's FI

what is all involved in swapping the FI engine to the carb truck?
-Is this a very expensive thing to do if I were to pay a mechanic?
-can you go from FI to carb? what would be involved in this?

I have the computer and engine in the FI truck obviously and it has the t350 transmission.

any help is much appreciated!

[Captkaos]

If the 89 is running, you can pull it and all the wiring and do the swap. The transmision will work, but you probably need a different stall..
What kind of trans is behind the 89. Why not use it?

[hobsiscool]

I want to use the trans w/ the 89...i think it's the th350...need to check on that...engine and tranny both rebuilt a couple years ago...so take the engine and harness out and that's about all it would take?

[Captkaos]

well, in a nutshell yeah..

[DirtyLarry]

What is the ’89? C/K (new body style for ’88)? or R/V (old body style)?? Depending on what you have you may either have a TH400 if a 2500 series or a 700R4 if 1500. TH350’s went away long before 1989.

1) Everything is expensive if you pay a mechanic. You pretty much have to do the work yourself in order to modernize these old trucks (or to own one for that matter) while trying not to break the bank.

2) What is involved? In your case, engine towers will need to be changed from the I6 to a V8 as well as a wiring harness change and the addition of an electric fuel pump. If you use the donor vehicle trans no torque converter change is needed. Use the torque converter that is already in the trans from the donor. The driveshaft will probably need to be shortened if you swap in a 700R4 from the donor.

1989 was 19 years ago! I would not recommend using a wiring harness from a 19 year old donor vehicle as the end connectors are going to be very brittle and will probably break as you start unplugging them. The wire strands in the actual harness also gets stiff and there is way more circuitry in the original harness that you would need for such a swap. A new TBI harness is only $325 from Howell Engine Development and well worth the price.

I just swapped a TBI 5.7L from a 1990 G-van into a 1972 C20 by using the Howell harness. I originally planned on using the van harness until it fell to pieces in my hands while gently trying to unplug and remove it from the van carcass.

Here is the tread link to my latest project. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=306106

[Big H]

The 1989 GM trucks had a surprisingly minimal wiring harness. The whole shebang mounts on the intake manifold and runs one O2 sensor and one transmission plug. You will need the newer transmission as has been established but you will find that this particular swap is not an ordeal. It would be a good idea to have the manual on the newer motor so you can refer to the wiring harness diagrams. One thing to keep in mind that hasn't been brought up yet, you will need a newer fuel tank as well due to the electric fuel pump and pressure regulator requirements of the fuel injection.

[Hoods69BadBowTie]

Time and money my friend. But yeah the wiring harness is cake not too many confusing plug ins and sensors on the early motors.