Hi everyone,
I've been lurking for some time now, but feel I need to ask this. I have an '81 that started life as a v-6. When I purchased it there was no eng/trans. I've since acquired a four bolt 350 and turbo 350 to go into it.
My question is about the electronics. Can I eliminate the computer altogether, or is it needed for gauges and other warning systems. I know it is supposed to run the emissions, but that's about all I know. The car still has the original wiring harness complete with the connectors in the engine bay. I have schematics and am pretty adept at reading them. Has anyone ever accomplished this, and if so, which wires stay and which don't?

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

 

Very easy to do,if the original motor and tranny are gone,no need to keep the computer.It doesn't run the gauges or anything,all it controlled was the carb and distributor,so as long as you have a traditional carb and distributor on the new motor,your good to go.The computer is under the front of the console,just unplug the harness from it,and all can be removed.

 

Just don't forget to find original style sending units so your gauges will work.

 

Does the car have idiot lights? The sending units are different for gauges and lights. But otherwise they are usually the same for any GM from that time frame.

 

Thanks everyone for responding.
There are gauges in the console, but that probably isn't stock for a v6 car. I have not looked at the instr. panel close enough to know if there are gauges or just indicator lights. My assumtion would be lights due to the console gauge thing.
So, I can just strip all the wires that go to the computer out of the harness and I'll be fine? Are there any sensors, like possibly the water temp, that hook to the comp.?
Oh, and what about the inspection guy who has the plug in hand and finds no mating recepticle in my car?

 

Gauges in the console isn't stock period. I doubt the water temp hooks to the "computer". Its pretty old.

 

You're talking about an OBD II (1996 & newer) test. Your car never had a diagnostic link.
If the inspection guy comes at your car with a plug in hand, he needs to find himself another job that doesn't require using a brain.

 

Bwahhhh! Wow you should look under the dash. Like I said its not really a computer in there to begin with. I have never had one open but I would guess no more power than a calculator.

 

Perfect. Thanks for your input.
Getting the engine and tranny in are a long ways in the future. I'm just trying to head off potential future issues and get as much info as possible about this car.

I'll have to get a picture of the console. I had a '69 Z, in a previous life, that had them up in front of the shifter in the console so I thought maybe an '81 Z might also have them. It is NOT a 1st. gen console.