Thread: 59 Willys Utility Wagon TBI upgrade.

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I have a 59 Willys Utility Wagon I helped my dad build some years ago and he has now given it to me. We have been discussing putting fuel injection on it. We have the opportunity to pick up a 94 @WD Suburban that has a 350 w/ TBI and 4sp auto. I know I'll have to do something about the fuel delivery system.
My question is with acess to the entire vehicle how easy is it to use the factory computer on this swap? Should I try to use the factory setup. I'd like to keep my cost down as much as possible but if I have to get something to drive it I will. Any help it greatly appreciated.

Well, I'm certainly no fuel injection/ computer expert, but no one is jumping on this one, so maybe this will start to help you.

I would make sure you drive the donor truck first, or at the very least, make sure it runs ok. Reason I say this is because once you get your Jeep running, you may have a problem, and you won't know if it came with the swap or if it is something you did wrong during the swap.

2nd: Make sure you get every little piece off of the donor, and make drawings, and mark each wire as to where it goes. Take exceptional care to do this, or you will be going nuts later, trying to remember where every piece fit in.

Essentially, it would be just as if you could lift every component intact from the donor and transplant it into the new car. Try to disturb as little as possible during the swap, so you don't have to play detective later on. Have a motor manual for both vehicles to reference.

We swapped a complete '91 Mustang drivetrain into my one Sons '88 Mustang, and for 3 weeks I was going to the library every night trying to figure out why the injectors wouldn't fire. Finally found out Ford made a major change in 1990, so we had to go to a junkyard and get every bit of wiring harness out of a '91, and turn the '88 into a '91. Even the horn and parking light circuits were screwing up our setup.

Some of the others, who are more modern and smarter than me on this forum, will probably have better info.

I've got a Jeep too, except with a 5.0 Mustang, but I took the cowards way out, and converted it to aluminum intake and Edelbrock carb. That is stuff I understand.

Don

I know the doner vehicle drives well. As far as the wiring diagram on the 94 Suburban, that's a good idea. The 59 Willys is very simple. I just need to see if I am going to have to modify anything on the compouter to make it work.

Hi 59: You can use the doner vehical, you need to set your budget and go from there. The wiring harness can be a issue and how much of the GM system you are going to use or modify, if you are going to try and use the oem harness get a GM factor wiring book. The fuel system, 3\8 feed 5\16 return, you will need a return line to the tank, mod the origonal or have a new one built and decide if you want a exturnal pump or intank. The TBI system is a low pressure one the FPR is set to about 13 lbs so you wont need a real hi PSI pump. The 94 has the front diff on the left side and the Tcase, you will need a R hand 241 or 208 Tcase, the rear end on the Willys D44 is offset to the R and the GM is centered and wider than the 44 you can mod or replace it. The U joint on the Willys are a 1310 and the GM is 1330(metric) a TH400 slip yoke (1310 or 1350) will fit the 241,208 TK. I used a D60 (1350 yoke) from a 65 Ford F100 with a 5 x 5.5 bolt patern had to put new spring preches on. You can use the stearing collum and convert to power stearing. I used Advanced Adapers motor mounts and made mounts to use a 89 suburban trany cross member. If you want more info PM me DAVE

My Willys is a 2WD and the donor vehicle is a 2WD also. This is a street rod. I've got a mustang II frontend and a mustang rearend. The thing drives great but with the 10 or 11 gal gas tank and the turbo 350 trans it drinks gas. I'm looking to make something that can cruise on the highway w/o the rpm's running high. My guess from the tired motor that's in it if I swap out the motor and trans I could get lucky and maybe get around 20mpg and have something with a better throttle response.

A lot will depend on your gears in the rear and tire size. The OD will help your target is about 1800-2200 RPM so you will have to do some math. You could use a Painless wiring kit or Ron Frances kit it would make it a little easier to wire and custom taylor it to your needs