mech. fuel pump on a tbi block?

[redneckracer305]

my brother recently acquired a running 350 that i believe to be rebuilt, out of an 87-91 suburban tbi truck. hes going to be dropping it into the el camino. my question is about the fuel pump, obviously its got a block off plate over where it mounts now cause it was a tbi with an elaectric pump. what im concerned with is if it is internally setup to run a mechanical pump. if it is or it isnt it dont matter, we will put an electric pump if necassary, but wed rather just bolt up a mechanical unit. i looked up the casting numbers on mortec and it says that the block is an 87-95 with a rollor or flat tappet cam. i think i remember hearing some where the factory roller cam wont drive a mechanical pump, but would the flat tappat in same year range drive one? i know theres really know way to tell unless we tear it down or unbolt the block off and pop an fuel pump pushrod in there and see if it will drive it. im more less just tryin to prevent him from runnin into a snag, his goal is 2 weeks to have it on the road, its been apart for 5 years so, we just dont want anymore snags. thanks

 

[anakputa]

I put a rod in mine with no problems..it is a truck engine that was TBI..

 

[redneckracer305]

i dont know where i heard that it didnt have the provision for it, but i wasnt sure. i was think we are pulling the intake any way to put a carb on so we will easly find out whether its a roller or flat tappet (duh, completly forgot about taking the intake off). i think hes gonna run a 600cfm holley or a 600cfm edelbrock on an aluminum q jet intake from a 305 (for center bolt heads), with an adpator plate, i keep trying to push a q jet on him but he wont have it. does this sound like a set up that will work properly on this engine?

 

[chevyman454]

sounds good if you have the vortech manifold and carb. best way to see if there is a feul pump enccentric on the cam or not is to pop a rod in there and with your finger on it have someone crank the motor see if there is that extra lobe on it

 

[redneckracer305]

thats what i think we are gonn do, just pop the pushrod in there and see what happens. dont need a vortec intake just an 87 to 95 center bolt intake. 87-95 heads arent vortec heads, 96-00 are. the 87 to 95s just have center bolt valve covers and the intake bolts are at a different angle the pre 87 perimiter bolt heads. a friend of ours has a center bolt intake from his monte so i figure that ought to to it.

 

[othtim]

How much psi does your mechanical pump supply? The factory fuel pumps in those years can't even keep up with the demands of the stock engine in those trucks (i have one). I replaced the factory in-tank pump with a 255 Walbro, made worlds of difference.

Oh wait. I just saw you were going to carb it. duh >_<

Either way, the block should be flat tappet. They have provisions for roller cams but didnt come set up with them, iirc.

 

[redneckracer305]

yeah he hates fuel injection for some reason, and doesnt wanna deal with the wiring and all that good stuff, hes just usin the basic long block. thanks for the info