Ok so I have a 1989 Camaro RS and it's running a tiny 2.8l motor that came stock. I was at the junkyard the other day looking at motors and I found 3 v6 vortec 4.3l motors all in blazers. Im not positive whether they were carb or fuel injected but heres my question. They're running for a dirt cheap price of $230 a peice. I wanted to know if a v6 vortec from a blazer would go right into my camaro. If not what all do i need to make everything work? My dad is a master mechanic and can show me how to do everything such as pulling the motor out and puting the 4.3l in. But I want to know if this motor will even work for my car because its a steal for only 230 bucks. If this works i will go to the junkyard today and get the motor. ALSO im going from a 700r4 tranny to a manual 5 speed. My dad has it laying around and it even has the interior peice for my model of camaro and everything. He said it was running a 350 or something of the sort and could handle 400hp without problems. If i get the v6 4.3l im going to bore it out and do a few mods to it to make it put out a little more power and ill tell you why. IM SICK AND TIRED OF MUSTANGS LEAVING MY *** BEHIND lol. The next time a mustang pulls up to me I want the driver to cry his ford eyes out while I let him have a full course meal of my dust.

Thanks to all of you whom reply!

P.S. The blazers were year 1993-1997

 

The 4.3L Vortec V6 is basically a 305/350 engine modified to a 6 cylinder. The work needed to put a 4.3 in your car is the same amount of work needed to put a V8 in it. Move engine mounts, different transmission, etc.

For a direct swap, what you are looking for is a 3.4L V6 out of a 1993-1995 Camaro or Firebird. That is a direct bolt-in swap, you basically take out the 2.8L long block and put in the 3.4L long block.

 

Then they would be injected.

If you are tired of Mustangs outrunning you, then you're going to need more than a 4.3 (or a 3.4). Maybe with a supercharger. Boring it out is a rebuild operation, not a "more power" operation.

I would highly discourage this swap. Neither the V6 nor V8 3rd gen engine mounts work for a 4.3. The injection system is not well supported by the aftermarket. Headers will have to be custom fabricated (many $'s). Performance will be disappointing.

You want to outrun Mustangs, go V8. LS would make it even easier (but it's going to get expensive).

 

A $5000 pickup truck with a V-8 will outrun mustangs if outrunning mustangs is what you are mostly about.

The 5-speed will make the 2.8 a lot more fun to drive.

If you want to win head-to-head drag races, you need something other than a third-gen unless you want to spend a LOT of money on power and suspension.

By the time you can get a third gen into the realm of serious-contender in drag races, you will have more into JUST THE TRANSMISSION than you probably already have in the whole car.

I see guys selling $15K third-gens with ALL the mods that will make the car a quarter-mile car. You gotta wonder why they are selling. Probably because after spending all that money, that third-gen still isn't the winner they thought it would be.

Consider enjoying your car for what it is, rather than what it is unlikely to be.

Third gen cars are icons.
99% of the people who see you driving it don't know (or care) whether you have 140 HP or 540 HP.
Once you get it to 540 HP, you end up in the neighbor's flower bed with it, and that's just not the way to go.
I actually get immense amusement about running my 2.8 like a dog, and then looking down at the speedo, that says "40 mph," and I just laugh. I've never had that much fun driving so slow in my life.

Put a loud muffler on it, and have some cheap fun.

 

For fun sake, the motor mount plates on a 93 c1500 would place the motor in the right place. It had to be equipped with a 4.3. Sadly a 97 4.3 vortec would give a 305 tpi car a run for its money. Scary