Budget gm efi engine swap needed

I want to replace the engine in my sons car with the most cost effective efi engine.I want a decent runner for my 15 year old's first car.It doesn't need to be fast,don't want to get him hurt.Any efi gm 4,6,8 cylinder will fit.I prefer to use an aftermarket harness,which I know isn't budget but I'm not up to a megasquirt build.All help appreciated....

Can you provide more constraints to the question? Reading your post, I'm not sure if we're shopping for a car for a kid or we're shopping for an engine for a car. What are your hopes for this... is it a project? A solution to a problem?

Good point thanks.I bought him a 1982 amc spirit for his first car .I have a year before he turns 16 to get it running nice.It came stock with a 2.5 iron duke engine.It smokes and has several other problems.The engine compartment in these are huge compared to most cars its size.You can bolt in amc's largest V8 (401).We are on a budget as we are painting it,upgrading the suspension,brakes,etc.I don't want ls type power as I want to run the stock drivetrain.I want a gm engine as the trans bellhousing has the sbc bolt pattern.I'm not good at electrics so I need a plug and play harness,or close.Really need the help so let me know if you need any more info,thanks.

Find a running/wrecked GM TBI truck/car; strip engine, wiring, ECU; done. They should be dirt cheap.

Yup. Tbi small block. Currently doing one in my 64 el Camino. So far the hardest part has been getting the damn bulkhead connection apart to clean up the harness and the most expensive has been re-engineering the fuel system for efi and autocross.

Also remember, I built a 81 spirit with a ford drivetrain. Mustang headers and such fit perfect.

Whack a full coil out the front, 2 inch blocks in the rear, 235/60/15 fit perfect and the stance is nailed.

x3 for tbi small block, and the stand alone harnesses are cheap. tbi wiring is so simple though that it is not hard to convert a truck harness to stand alone.

i'd get a 305 because nobody wants them so they are cheap. the local yard sells me tbi 305 or 350 engines complete for $200 pulled and loaded into my truck.

find the best 4.3 v6 you can.

4.3 has more complicated EFI, IIRC.

I put a 3.4 with TBI into my truck, but for you I'd also suggest a small block.

tom you is off a bit.

4.3's came in tbi through 95. same tbi as a v8 or any other gm. so much the same that OP could actually do a 4.3 tbi engine, then down the road just swap mounts and computer chip and put in a small block. the wiring is all the same. heck i put a 454 tbi in place of my 4.3 and the only wiring was changing the IAC plug. you can literally run a tbi engine and computer with about 25 wires.

I can't think of a single reason to go with those v6en vs a tbi 305.

Camaro V6 use a factory harness chop off the computer connectors and splice in a MS harness. I've done a couple of these with great success. Is the spirit front or rear steer? How much room for exhaust?

Or a 4.0L I6 should bolt in with factory stuff. Run it on an MS and it will rip.

If you want to keep it simple and reliable, then stick with the stock engine family or keep it within the AMC family tree.. also, keep it carbureted if you don't have efi knowledge. There is nothing wrong with a properly rebuilt and setup carburetor and electonic ignition and they are extremely easy to troubleshoot and fix..from a driveability standpoint, the only difference is the need to pump the gas to set the choke and maybe a few seconds of cranking over if there is no fuel in the bowl.. if your kid wants to upgrade his car from what you give him, then let him do it..

novaderrik I'm 50 and have owned only carbed cars until the last 10 years or so.I have a couple carbed cars now as well as my dd late model.I don't know if you're an amc guy but the "stock" engine in this car is a gm.I'm not able to scratch build an efi wiring loom but I'm quite up and how a efi system works.I've built countless cars over the years but do admit this is my first efi build.I do appreciate your advice though.

bentwrench It is front steer and just for reference an amc V8 is about the same external size as a big block 400-440 mopar engine.Looks like plenty of room for exhaust.

rebuild the Iron Duke, and if you must efi it hit up a junkyard and get the wiring harness, sensors, throttle body, and ignition off an 87-90 Celebrity with the 2.5... those were still the Iron Duke but had a throttle body and distributorless ignition, and it looks like they actually kept the engine wiring pretty self contained so it shouldn't be that hard to separate the efi stuff from the car body stuff.. then it's just a matter of figuring out which 4 wires you need to hook up to your car to make it work, mounting the ecm, and setting up the fuel system for the slightly higher pressure (15psi) that the system runs at and running a return line.

novaderrik thanks for the info it's much appreciated.

+1 for EFI iron duke. If yours is shot just replace it. If you think a tbi 305 is cheap-most people on here would pay YOU to take away a perfectly good iron duke. If you want more power later, teach yourselves about turbocharging a tbi setup

Edit: if you haven't already get in contact with the local AMC and /or Jeep community. You might end up with more than one spare engine as most of those guys swap in 4.0Ls and just want the iron duke gone.

Junkyard_Dog I follow a lot of amc/jeep forums.I actually have a good complete 4.0 out of a Grand Cherokee in the corner of my garage.The 4 cylinder crossmember needs changed to a 6 cylinder crossmember to clear the bottom of the engine,etc.I bought it swap it and a t-5 into my hornet that has a 232.I drive it off and on quite a bit so haven't got around to the swap.

If this really is a AMC engine bay you are not kidding that there is a lot of room in there. That V8 looks positively small in there!!!

dean1484 That is an amc engine bay in your pic.The V8 was available stock and they are huge.

I think your on a good track, a 305 or 350 tbi out of a truck or van will be cool enough and have a nice sound but he sure won't get into too much trouble with it. Screw the iron duke

singledownloop wrote: I bought it swap it and a t-5 into my hornet that has a 232.I drive it off and on quite a bit so haven't got around to the swap.

Tell us more! You need to update your garage