Just picked up a 1984 Corvette (originally a TBI) but punched out to a 383 which is now carberated. Trying to transplant it into the El Camino. Still being run with the electric fuel pump. Does anone know if a mechanical pump can be installed in the C4 350 block? Without the fuel injection, I'd rather not go through the gas tank swap etc.


Thanks in advance....

I'll try to answer this without being too confusing. Look to see if the block has the casting for a mechanical fuel pump...if it does, and there's no fuel pump block off plate bolted to it, you'd have to have the hole drilled for the fuel pump push rod, by a machine shop. If there's a block off plate than remove it, install the mechanical pump and rod and install the fuel lines.

I'll try to answer this without being too confusing. Look to see if the block has the casting for a mechanical fuel pump...if it does, and there's no fuel pump block off plate bolted to it, you'd have to have the hole drilled for the fuel pump push rod, by a machine shop. If there's a block off plate than remove it, install the mechanical pump and rod and install the fuel lines.

If there is no blockoff plate, does the cam have a lobe for the pump push rod?

Doug

Yeah I neglected to mention that...no the cam more than likely does not. If it doesn't have a block off plate, but the casting is there, I didn't think you'd want a machine shop to machine the block for the fuel pump pushrod anyway...this would be expensive to do as it would require you to completely tear down the engine to have the hole drilled by he machine shop, rebuild the short block (at the very least) and then purchase and install a new cam with a fuel pump lobe...rather expensive endeavor just to install a mechanical pump...lot cheaper just to install an electric pump with an interior mounted hidden cut off switch as an added theft deterrent.

Thanks on both responses, I believe it does have the casting for fuel pump, I did notice a blocking plate for it. Not sure about the cam though. I will post some pictures.

To stay with EFI I would need the tank/lines etc correct?

Somewhere in the discussion two years ago--when I was laying out my FI swap--there was some advice that the fuel pickup for a late 80's TPI Camaro
would fit the un-baffled fuel tank in a carbuerated 5th gen El Camino. Found one at a local wrecking yard.
But in doing the swap, I discovered that the fuel tank in my El Camino did have the internal baffles, so the Camaro pickup did not fit. But I could see how the Camaro pickup might fit a tank without baffles, but I can't say it worked for me.
I got the fuel pickup for a V-6 TBI Monte Carlo and put the TPI Camaro pump onto it. That has worked fine for me.

If you are sticking with a carbuerator, your simplest solution would probably be an inline fuel pump. Mount it to the frame just ahead of the rear axle.

If I get an inline pump, what about the return line to the tank?

If you keep the carb on the engine, you don't need a return line. Use an electric pump made for carbuerated engines (about 7psi). Summit and Jegs have them, plus your local parts store if the guy in the store has the smarts to get beyond looking up the stock part in his computer...

If you change back to fuel injection, you need a return line. You can use either high pressure rubber line or bend up a steel tube and just use the rubber line for connections.