Hi l have an opportunity to purchase an 87 camaro 28z. The car originally had a fuel injection engine but the owner had changed it into a carburetor engine. Now Im no car expert but from what l was taught is that the fuel pump is in the gas tank and something needs to be changed. What needs to be done? What is the cheapest way to getthe car able drive? About how much will it cost and how long will it take? Also could you explain why. Thank you.
l would actually like to make myself a little more clear. l do not know anything about cars in this department.
For those who are wondering yes the owner has been able to get it to run. He has turned it on in his drive way but it will not be able to drive down the street.

chevy guy in making these changes it is much more trouble than it is worth,the fuel pump is electric & is located inside the gas tank & it is a lot of hell going into it.the fuel pumps on carburated engines r all mechanical ones & they r usually located on the right side.the engine block & have a fuel line feed from the pump to the carburator,the other line comes from the tank & has the job of pumping fuel from the line to the fuel pump.so if u want the headaces then this is one of them,however in comparison between the two one has a advantage & one does not the carburators will work when the electrical system is good & tight,and that there is no battery cable problems or other electrical maladies.fuel injection is great but it has to have constsnt voltage being sent out to it & this is critical for it to operate properly. good luck

Hey man, You r right on the fuel pump prob.
EF l runs at high pressure (30-45 psi) & carbs needs only 5-8 psi.

Theres a few options here though.

You can keep stock in tank high pressure pump, & just install a $100 mallory high pressure adjustable fuel reg on supply line before the carb. Then turn pressure down with it to the 5-6 psi u need for a carb.

Or u can do what l did on my 1988 camaro. l replaced the elec. fuel pump in the tank with a non EF l fuel pickup. Then used a std. block mounted mech. pump

The adjustable reg is the easiest way though. It installs in a matter of mins, where u have hours if not days involed in dropping fuel tank down

A car that uses a carburetor has the fuel pump attached to the engine, or an aftermarket electric fuel pump can be used.

With the stock setup for an '87 Z, u have the gas tank. One end of the metal fuel line goes to the gas tank, & the other end is attached to the fuel pump.
The fuel pump is attached to the engine is block, & has a lever, or arm, that reaches inside the engine block. This arm is moved up & down, by an egg shaped cam lobe on the camshaft. Pushing the arm down creates a suction force, which draws fuel out of the gas tank. There is no fuel pump mounted in the gas tank.

If an aftermarket fuel pump is used, it is usually attached to the firewall of the car. Some people have mounted it to the wheel well, but l do not recommend this. When the ignition switch is turned to the on position, electricity goes to the electric fuel pump. It pumps up the fuel in the fuel line to a certain pressure, then a pressure switch inside the pump turns the pump off. When the car is started, the engine draws fuel out of the carburetor, & the pressure drops momentarily.
The fuel pump turns back on, & delivers the necessary amount of fuel needed. No fuel pump in the gas tank.

Carburetors use about 4 to 6 pounds of pressure from the fuel pump.
Fuel injection systems use about 40 to 44 pounds of pressure.

If u have no fuel pump, l suggest an aftermarket electric one. Easy to install. You do not need a race version. Just a plain jane fuel pump will do. The '87 Z28 was not all that hot, as far as performance is concerned.

A lot of people switch from fuel injection to carb. It is very common in Camaros.

Is the car now currently running? Did the previous owner already do all the modifications to make it road worthy?

Yes, u r correct. The fuel pump on the IROCS/Z28 is with TP l (tuned port fuel injection) have the fuel pump located inside the gas tank. If the previous owner did not already do so, u will need to switch to a mechanical fuel pump. That part costs about 100 dollars. You will need to run fuel lines from the gas tank to the carburetor. l would have it professionally done by a trustworthy mechanic. It is not a major job. But it might cost u a little bit. l really do not know how much the labor might run.

It is not rocket science. Since the carburetor relies on a mechanical fuel pump to get gas to the cylinders, u have to have a mechanical fuel pump installed on the engine. The fuel sending unit in the tank can be bypassed.

Good luck with the Camaro if u buy it.

Just guessing.parts & labor, u will probably need to invest about 1000 dollars to have the entire job done- that is for the new mechanical fuel pump, the fuel lines, tuning, & so on. But l am not a mechanic. l would encourage u to call a mechanic, be specific, find out all u can about the car & the engine, & get an estimate on the costs.

Put on an electric fuel pump closest to the fuel tank as you can get it. Hook it up to the original fuel line going to the carburetor. Keep the old fuel pump inside the tank but unplug the wires to it. Fuel pump should cost around 30 dollars.

ok, i'm a little lost here.it now starts & runs so whats the problem?.is it flooding out?

here r the u r looking for.yes, on a fuel injected car the fuel pump is in the gas tank, it is an elec one that puts out about 35-40lbs pressure which a fuel injected car needs to run. a carbureted car needs only 8psi to run, so the elec pump would push too much fuel to the carb thus flooding it out unless a fuel pressure regulator is placed between the tank pump & the carb.

if it was mine i'd have 2 choices to fix it:

1) if the block of the motor has the ability to install a regular fuel pump, i'd buy a new pump ($19) & a fuel pump push rod ($6) & a plate ($10) & install the pump. then i'd take the tank off, remove the pump & insert a 3/8'' fuel line in the sender, then from where the original gas line from the tank goes to the fuel injection, route it to one side of the new pump & from the other port a line to the carb.

2) if the block can not accept a normal pump, again remove the tank pump & install the fuel line into the sender, then i'd buy an elec fuel pump ($30-$40) & a fuel pressure regulator ($35) at an auto parts store & install it inline with either a toggle switch under the dash or a wire to a ''keyed on'' wire so when the key is switched on the pump starts & when the key is off, the pump stops, then route the lines to the carb.

time to do either depends on what u have for tools & a jack & jackstands, & ur knowledge of how to do the job.

a suggestion to u might be to go to ur local high school or college that has an automotive tech class & talk to the teacher, many times they take cars & the students do repairs with teacher supervision for school class grades & only charge the price of parts, not any labor as its part of the students education.

good luck & GOD bless.