Hey all. I know this is alittle off thirdgen, but I believe the to be one of the most competent groups on the web. Anyways,

My father has a 4.3V6 in his 92' 1500 Truck. Its turning over at around 320,000 miles (drives it to Indy and back for work every day). We did pull a boat with it but its loosing compression and just about can't take another boating season.

I have a wrecked 91' Camaro with the 305 L03 engine in it just ~ 100,000 mi on it. (I do have a built 355 in a 85' Camaro just sitting but he wants good gas mileage for a 60mi drive to work every day)

What would be the obstacles facing a swap from the 4.3 to the 305?

Exhaust: For sure a cheap set of headers and your local muffler shop to run duels would be the cheapest and best.

Electronics: I am not sure of any major differences between the 4.3 and 305 throttle bodies should be an easy swap? The only thing I can think of is the 305 injectors are larger, and change the prom.

Motor Mounts: Duh

Transmission: It is bolting to a 5 speed and I don't think there are any problems there should be cut and dry.

If anyone can think of anything that I am missing let me know.

What would you all recommend doing to the L03 to make it perform ok in a truck, yet not sacrifice gas mileage?????

His goal is to not put that much money into it (just make it last until he gets mom's new Monte paid off). Then he wants to pick up a new 1500 w/ the 5.3 L.

L98 Heads? Cam?

 

Headers definitely.

Cam would be good. People report good results with one of the better LT1 cams, from a F or Y body not a B body, in an otherwise stock or near-stock L03. You can pick them up real cheap used on eBay.

For heads, the best choice would be 305 TPI heads; they also cam on 87-up LG4 and L69 motors. Casting # ends in 081.

I don't think the 4.3 accessories and brackets will swap over, so you'd need all that off the front of the V8.

 

Use the LO3 accessories.

Although I thought the 4.3 was the same on the ends as a 350, it's just the middle that's different.