Engine SwapEverything about swapping an engine into your Third Gen.....be it V6, V8, LTX/LSX, crate engine, etc. Pictures, questions, answers, and work logs.
Welcome to ThirdGen.org!
Welcome to ThirdGen.org.
You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our community, at no cost, you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is free, fast and simple, join the ThirdGen.org community today!
I'm getting a 4.3 vortec out of an 97 blazer, and a 700R4 tranny. was curious if the driveshaft will be the same as the 2.8 i have, wich im pretty damn sure it is but..... just curious, the motor mounts have to be V8, and tranny as well. so any advice would be lovely, The 4.3 is my absoloute favorite motor, so thats why i want it in my third gen, any help would be appreciated, THANKS!!!!
This ad is not displayed to registered members. Register your free account today and become a member on ThirdGen!
Last edited by camarobird86; 04-13-2009 at 02:05 AM.
Sponsored Links
Registered users do not see this ad. Click here to register for free!
Should use V8 mounts and transmission but other than that it should be a easy fit. The drive shat may have to be replaced but if not its a good time to go aluminum. Personally I have no problem with the 4.3 but why not a V8? You can get more hp/tq out of a 350 and get the about the same mpg.
well i love the 4.3, i used to have an s10 with the stage 3 centerforce clutch and loved it, the 4.3 im getting is a mpfi vortec and its only 50 bucks, with the harnes and comp. and another guys got a 700r4 for free! nothing wrong with it. and a 350 is just so common, i want something diff. im getting a posi rear in like a month for 150 so, its a slow thing. and i just got new struts for the front, shocks for the back, dropzone lowering springs, and a poly bushing kit, i have the front and rear shocks, the springs will be here in a few days. the buching kit is next, this friday, next friday, is a new fender lol. i have an ss hood on it already lol, 100 bucks, cant beat it. its 500 plus s&h online, nothing wrong with it. , imma replace the tranny filter and maybe a corvette servo, and replace all the gaskets on the motor for sure. i have a 2/8 gas sipper right now thats given me no issues for 25000 miles and will drive it to cali. if i wanted to and not have a worry lol.
the 262? oh man. i have that engine in my '94 silverado and i've never broken 80mph with it....although the silverado isnt exactly aerodynamic or light. let us know how it goes performance-wise, i'd like to see what that motor could do in a car.
yeah, my buddy just got a silverado and he wants to do the 350 carb swap in it. imma see if i help if he'll let me have that one too lol, i havent heard about that 4.3 i was supposed to get like a few weeks ago. im still waiting, motor, harness, and comp. 50 dollars, shhhhhhh***t, why not, and a free 700r4, lol. just waiting, everythings like doin a v8 swap. so thanks everyone!
well if you are going to do a 6, might as well do a big 6.
if it were me, and i was set on 4.3 litres, id do a 4.3 V8 though.
have fun.
(you should turbo it)
oh man, that would make a ridiculous amount of torque...and just generally be awesome. think he could adapt a buick GN turbo to fit this? arent the 3.8 and the 4.3 incredibly similar?
yeah, except for the fact that one is a half liter bigger.
the turbo would be way undersized and be a huge restriction.
it was already too small for the GN engine.
if it was going to be turboed, i would go with a standard small block sized turbo.
it might not spool up quick, but the engine already would have a lot of torque
yeah, except for the fact that one is a half liter bigger.
the turbo would be way undersized and be a huge restriction.
it was already too small for the GN engine.
if it was going to be turboed, i would go with a standard small block sized turbo.
it might not spool up quick, but the engine already would have a lot of torque
I have performed this swap once before on a friend's car. It's not all that difficult. In an answer to your original question about the driveshaft, it will depend on how you choose to mount the 4.3/700R4 combo. Is the 700R4 a V8 unit or one specific to a 4.3? It will have to be. A 2.8 trans won't work. If you mount in the exact same location as a stock 3rd gen.,then the driveshaft will work. I have read about three different ways to mount the combination. Here's is what worked for me. I stabbed the motor as an assembly with the stock V8 3rd gen. T5. I bolted in the T5 first. Then I mounted the V8 block mounts to the 4.3. They bolt right on. Now the 4.3 will not drop onto the V8 frame mounts in this configuration. You will have to mount up the V8 frame mounts to the V8 block mounts. Center the motor and scribe in the new bolt hole locations onto the frame. Drill the frame for the new bolt holes and now mount the frame mounts and your done with the basic mounting. Of course, you'll have exhaust, type of fuel induction (carb, FI, etc). The 3rd gen lends itself well to this swap because things like cooling system are unchanged. Most of the exhaust can stay intact. You did say that you liked the 4.3 with a manual trans in your S10. Why not stay with a manual trans? Round up a good World Class V8 T5.
I know this thread is old, but Im thinking about doing a 4.3 swap into my bird as well, simply for the uniqueness factor. plus i love the way built 6's sound over 8 cylinders....i know call me crazy. But anyways, a turbo 4.3 would be an exquisite combination in a thirdgen. Hot Rod did a build on an early model (85-92) 4.3L v6 and squeezed 301HP and like 312 ft/lbs out of it! pretty impressive if you ask me. heres a link
What was most impressive about the article is the power number with the junk heads they used. This article was written before Edelbrock had built an intake for the Vortec heads (1996 or newer) which flow much better than the heads they have. I bet the Vortecs would be worth another 35 HPs over the head combo they had.
silence22, a member here from Denver, Co. has a Syclone 4.3 in his 'bird. The pictures are impressive.
yeah no kidding that really surprised me too, they did say they used larger 2.02/1.60 valves though which helped a bit im sure, but still. and edelbrock makes an intake for the Vortec 4.3s?? do you by chance have a link to that manifold or can it be found on jegs/summit?
Enough lurking, I love 4.3s, way more than V8s, and I want to join in. The 229 heads with 1.84" valves are still better than these swirl-port heads. Yes, these days the Vortec heads are available, and Brodix is again offering their -8 heads for the 4.3. I have an RX7, and I installed the 4.3 back in 1990. I started with stock swirl-ports, with a cam, then eventually Edelbrock's intake. Then ported swirl-ports, then stock 229 heads, then ported 229 heads with bigger valves. Then I tried the GM raving intake, then the older Brodix heads. Then back to the Edelbrock intake, and I haven't tried the Vortecs because I'd rather have the weight advantage of my Brodixs than the off-idle-torque advantage of the Vortecs.
The best 23 degree stuff, in my opinion, came right from GM. I still have a bare set of raised runner 23 degree heads and the matching cross-ram manifold. You still see these on ebay and used race car parts sites from time to time. What's cool is they come stock with 58cc chambers and smallblock valve train. The bummer is the pushrod holes need to be drilled. Here are some pictures....
Mine intake is specific for the high port heads I'm using but there may be other versions. Just for grins, I put my Vortec intake gasket up against the crossram and it matched except for the mounting holes. I bet you could use the crossram intake on the Vortec heads if you went through the trouble of modifying the Vortec heads for a standard bolt pattern. It's a far better manifold than the Edelbrock if your modifying the 4.3 beyond the standard intake, header and mild cam combination.
Update? Progress? Concerning the bolt pattern, I'd be more inclined to modify the intake than the heads. But that's up to whomever might try that pairing of heads and intake.
Okay just from having a 4.3 in my chevy astro van. GREAT MOTOR. I put 300,000 miles on that motor and still was running like a beast. They are really good. I loved it. Now putting it in our cars it would be a fantastic idea for those that have the crappy imo smaller v6's. the 4.3 will bolt up like a v8. The bolt pattern on the back of the engine is just like a 350. So using a 700r4 from a v8 would work as the 4.3 is just like a v8 just picture the back 2 cylinders just being blocked off. My uncle told me basically a 350 missing two cylinders in the back. They are a all in all a big upgrade for your v6's if you dont want to go v8 just yet.
I think this is drifting off topic, but I'm going to be a hypocrite. The 4.3 is good ONLY because it is based on the 350. The sad thing is we don't have an aluminum 4.25 L V6/90 based on the LS1. That'd be even lighter, happy to 7000 rpm, and at least 230 HP stock. But they probably woulda given us 3/4 of the 5.3 instead.
I think this is drifting off topic, but I'm going to be a hypocrite. The 4.3 is good ONLY because it is based on the 350. The sad thing is we don't have an aluminum 4.25 L V6/90 based on the LS1. That'd be even lighter, happy to 7000 rpm, and at least 230 HP stock. But they probably woulda given us 3/4 of the 5.3 instead.
That would be pretty cool, although i think the new 300 hp 3.6 makes up for it.
I read the history of the LS1 in Hot Rod Magazine. The whole design was originally a V6. The project was called the Venture. The LS1 lived on in the history you all well know and the Venture V6 was scrapped. There are photos of the V6 in the magazine. The article might be online.
Update? Progress? Concerning the bolt pattern, I'd be more inclined to modify the intake than the heads. But that's up to whomever might try that pairing of heads and intake.
Since I already have the heads that were designed for my intake, I only took it as far as making an observation. I never took it any farther.
I have a question about the 4.3L swap. Did you use the stock 2.8L V6 (fuel injected) wiring harness? I have an 86 Firebird but the 2.8L is Fubar and I can get a 4.3L and tranny pretty cheap. So I just need to know if the stock wiring harness will plug right into the 4.3L and work fine?
I've got the same as the original question and couldn't find the answer. I'm doing a swap from a 2.8L '85 camaro and a 4.3L V6 and 4L60e from a 2000 blazer. everything is in and the engine runs great but I'm having trouble with the driveshaft shaking. I used the front yoke from the blazer onto the camaro driveshaft. it's not exactly as tight as it probably should be. and can't figure out my problem. maybe my shaft isn't long enough, maybe my U joint is off, (I love chevys but fords have better u joints) or maybe its the rear seal from the tail shaft.
the main question for now is how far should the slip yoke go into the tail shaft? mines going in 2"s and I'm trying to figure out if my driveshaft isn't long enough.
Why are you guys complicating such a simple issue? No need to change slip yokes, they're all the same. Likewise for the back halves of all these transmissions mentioned. You put your third-gen's original tailhousing onto the newer trans, so you can attach the torque arm. Then you put the third gen mount on the newer trans, then you bolt that to the stock trans crossmember in the stock location where it was when the car had the 2.8 and 700R-4. Then your driveshaft is automatically correct. And You do all this, then reattach the 4.3 to the 4L60E, before trying to mount the 4.3. Advance Adapters makes some engine mounts just for putting a 4.3 in place of a 2.8. They're intended for little S-10 pickups, but they work fine here as well.
I had the 5 spd and my 4L60e is from a 2000 so it's a 6 bolt and has the electric pick up for the speedo so using another tail shaft won't work. I'm using a UMI retrofit cross member and torque arm. I found my problem is play in the slip yoke.
also I mounted the engine as far back as I could and the original slip yoke on the drive shaft was to short. the blazer had a longer one and used the same u joints. so I can drive it now but I need to get rid of that play before I really drive it. any suggestions?
The '98-'02 Z28s also had the 6-bolt tailhousing and it had the torque arm provisions, so that's the best way to go for the really late 4L60Es. Never use aftermarket where you can use GM.
