4.3 Chevy Swap (1 Viewer)

[85 SA Toy]

So I started my conversion this week...... I pulled the motor out and started to take the accessory bracket off and exhaust manifolds......


here some crappy teaser pics I took w/my cell phone, digitial pictures to come in future updates


The donor 1988 Chevy Astro van (high output version of 4.3 liter)

Engine out of van and ready to start disassembly

Disassembling motor

Some of the parts I took off....... So far I have the bracket off and the exhaust manifolds, all accessories... The task for this afternoon is to have the intake manifold off and the cylinder heads off........ More pics to come

 

[hawkeye]

Is this the turbo? I heard somwere that the astro had a turbo for a year or two.

 

[inkpot]

Is this the turbo? I heard somwere that the astro had a turbo for a year or two.

Howdy! I have never heard of a factory turbo on the 4.3. But, I have heard of them putting a turbo on the 4 cylinder that was the base engine, usually found in the econo delivery models. I currently have a 98 Astro with only 88,000 miles on it, and hope to someday put the engine in my 85 Hilux. What transmission are you going to use?? Keep the pix coming, as I will be watching, and hoping I can do this soon. Thanks. John

 

[beyondlogic]

the only turboed 4.3 i know of was in the cyclone and the typhoon.

GMC Syclone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
GMC Typhoon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[85 SA Toy]

Howdy! I have never heard of a factory turbo on the 4.3. But, I have heard of them putting a turbo on the 4 cylinder that was the base engine, usually found in the econo delivery models. I currently have a 98 Astro with only 88,000 miles on it, and hope to someday put the engine in my 85 Hilux. What transmission are you going to use?? Keep the pix coming, as I will be watching, and hoping I can do this soon. Thanks. John

I'm going to be using a W-56 from a later model pick-up....

I will post more pics as the things come along

 

[inkpot]

I'm going to be using a W-56 from a later model pick-up....

I will post more pics as the things come along

Kool. Wa 85 a crossover year? Were there two different 5 speeds available? Like, maybe one for carbed, and one for EFI? John

 

[Downey]

Inkpot, for Pete's sake keep the 4L60E with your 98 Astro Van engine. PM me and I'll tell you the zillions of reasons why.
Jim

 

[85 SA Toy]

Kool. Wa 85 a crossover year? Were there two different 5 speeds available? Like, maybe one for carbed, and one for EFI? John

yeah the carbed trucks came with a g series tranny (weak)
efi trucks came w/ a w series tranny

Inkpot, for Pete's sake keep the 4L60E with your 98 Astro Van engine. PM me and I'll tell you the zillions of reasons why.
Jim

Different strokes for different folks... I have the 700r4 from the astro but i would rather not convert it over to 4wd I like the manual trans a lot more................ gotta get to work more pictures tommorow morning

 

[liljlandon]

yeah the carbed trucks came with a g series tranny (weak)
efi trucks came w/ a w series tranny



Different strokes for different folks... I have the 700r4 from the astro but i would rather not convert it over to 4wd I like the manual trans a lot more................ gotta get to work more pictures tommorow morning

I agree, but in statistics the W Series tranny is only good for 150horses while the R4 is good for almost 400.

When I do work my 4.3 into my budget, which may be a while, Im going to go 700R4 or NV4500

 

[Hilux]

I would say it'll just wind up costing you more in the long run, but...

 

[85 SA Toy]

I agree, but in statistics the W Series tranny is only good for 150horses while the R4 is good for almost 400.

When I do work my 4.3 into my budget, which may be a while, Im going to go 700R4 or NV4500

Well we will see.. if this w 56 blows up then I guess i'm going to have to buy one of those marlin crawler hd units

I would say it'll just wind up costing you more in the long run, but...

Well we will see....... I have more pics to post. post tommorow too lazy to upload to photobucket and post over here...... But i got the block down to nothing and have the cylinder heads at the machine hsop getting the edelbrock true seat springs installed... gonna take the crank and block monday to get inspected...

 

[Blaze]

You'll see

A marlin hd is still a w-56. That is not the only problem you'll have. I have broken thre t-cases one of them completly in half. I would definetly keep the 700r4.

 

[bigndn]

You could always go with a R150F. The W56 won't hold up to the 4.3L.

 

[ToyotaDon]

BTW, that is not the high-output version of the 4.3L. The HO had the Central Port Injection system, not TBI. It'll still be a good runner, though, especially if you have some basic tuning mods done at the machine shop.

 

[85 SA Toy]

You could always go with a R150F. The W56 won't hold up to the 4.3L.

Like I said for now I will have the W-56 and once it blows up I will go w/something bigger and stronger.... The 700r4 is one of the bigger pieces of crap that Gm ever built I'm no interested in dealing w/the 700r4 torque converter seal issues, valve body issues.......

BTW, that is not the high-output version of the 4.3L. The HO had the Central Port Injection system, not TBI. It'll still be a good runner, though, especially if you have some basic tuning mods done at the machine shop.

History of the S-10


here is a link gives a good amount of info on torque and hp ratings...... Soooo I'm building a "REGULAR VERSION 4.3" I think that will make things better.... ha ha ha sorry for the mis-information


I really need to post my progress pics... As of now the motor sits apart the cylinder heads are back from the machine shop. They had Edelbrock Sure Seat valve springs installed, a valve job, the crank is going to be ready tommorow just needed a polish....... I need to get the parts all cleaned up and painted pics to be up by wednesday.......

 

[Hilux]

Like I said for now I will have the W-56 and once it blows up I will go w/something bigger and stronger.... The 700r4 is one of the bigger pieces of **** that Gm ever built I'm no interested in dealing w/the 700r4 torque converter seal issues, valve body issues.......

UUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! IH8 being a filing cabinet!


Not so. the EARLY 700R4's YES. The later? No. (wait, I get "early" and "late" confused ) The "old" ones, YES. The "NewER", no.

I have in a magazine SOMEWHERE about how to look at the codes and determine the good from the bad.....

!!! Somewhere...

 

[liljlandon]

700r4 is one of the bigger pieces of **** that Gm ever built I'm no interested in dealing w/the 700r4 torque converter seal issues, valve body issues.......



http://www.s-series.org/history/s10history.htm

I disagree, coming from a GM oreinted family, they will last forever if you run a cooler on them. They are nothing compared to the 4L60E, but for up to 400 horses, and a 50dollar upgrade to ensure proper operation, there great! Not to mention found cheap!

 

[Blaze]

You are right the one in the pic above is a HO

BTW, that is not the high-output version of the 4.3L. The HO had the Central Port Injection system, not TBI. It'll still be a good runner, though, especially if you have some basic tuning mods done at the machine shop.

I know they came in the Envoy and I believe it is a "W" series vin motor

 

[85 SA Toy]

Progress so far......

Block all cleaned up..... Color scheme for the motor is Chevy Orange for the block and cylinder heads...... The accesory braket of course is going to be black, valve covers and oil pan black, Intake manifold is going to have a cast aluminum finish, water pump is goin to be cast aluminum, exhaust manifolds are going to be a high heat grey...... but here are some ****py cell phone pics...... I have digital pictures it is just such apain to upload them..... cell phone pics are much easier.. Sorry


Here is the block..... Exposed surfaces were painted using some engine enamel paint forget who makes it..... But color is Chevy Orange........ The oil surfaces like timing chain, lifter oil valley were painted using an epoxy paint help the oil flow better less resistance......

Here are some pics of the cylinder heads..... They have new valves and the valve springs, the springs are Edelbrock Sure Seat Valve Springs..... Oil surfaces were painted w/white epoxy paint help w/the oil flow...

These are some pics of the trans I am going to use... Yes I know it won't live long but I'm sure it will be a short memorable run for this tranny... Ohh and the reason I am using a w-56 is because I found the bellhousing adapter for 75 bucks... That is the real reson for the trans choice............ ohh and some other goodies I am installing along w/the engine....

Like you guys havent seen one like this before.....

The goodies I am using.... (dont hate on the lepard print comforter, that is just groovy)

Edelbrock Performer Intake

Edelbrock Performer-Plus Roller Cam

Marlin Dual Case Adapter (not rotated) and 4.7 t-case gears

And this stuff I still have to clean up and paint.....

 

[ferg]

The W56 won't hold up to the 4.3L.

:whoops:

Not true!

I've been running an'85 W56 behind a '92 4.3 for better than eight(8) years now. 33's then 35's, 4:10's, MC 4.7 dual case. Been through Fordyce, 'Con and many others.

Use your head when you drive and you'll be fine.