'86 Hilux,Mid enigned:"To V8 or not to V8?

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C

Carcas

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Rig is currently on a donor 2.8L Chev V6, 5.71 gears, welded rears, suspension stock to the core, 38s Super Swampers. "To V8 or not to V8?" , l need your takes, it's apoor man's build, so budget is tight.

Grassroots: Humble beginnings
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the 2.8 Chevy S-10 motor?
Get rid of it quick!
All the power of a half-dead Iron Duke 4, and none of the economy.
 
a 4.0 six would fit in there well, and crank out as much power as you would need.
 
Combat Chuck said:
a 4.0 six would fit in there well, and crank out as much power as you would need.
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1GR-FE?

He mentioned a budget. :lol:

Not to mention the PITA it would be.

Awesome motor though.
 
4rnr said:
1GR-FE?

He mentioned a budget. :lol:

Not to mention the PITA it would be.

Awesome motor though.
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I was talking about the Chevy 4.0, but I didn't clarify that.
Inexpensive direct bolt-in swap, seems like the easiest solution.
 
ah, never mind.....carry on.
 
so, what's the background on your build?
And, how did you cook up the mid-engine design?
I'm really interested in the transmission layout.
 
We had the engine facing backwards, we had the diffs upside down(if not, you'll have 5 speed of reverse, 1 speed forward). Then my uncle(chief mechanic) made few linkages to restore stick shift pattern.
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Here's the fuel tank BTW:
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that's so crazy!
Years back, I'd thought about building a mid-engined 22R buggy, and had a similar idea to the layout, but seeing it actually assembled and in photographs is incredible.
Great job with the build, the finished product looks really clean, and hides alot of the homebrew engineering behind it.

I really think that for a potential swap, a Chevy 4.0 V6 with the quadrajet carb would definitely work well in this build without having to change too many things up.
 
Combat Chuck said:
that's so crazy!
Years back, I'd thought about building a mid-engined 22R buggy, and had a similar idea to the layout, but seeing it actually assembled and in photographs is incredible.
Great job with the build, the finished product looks really clean, and hides alot of the homebrew engineering behind it.

I really think that for a potential swap, a Chevy 4.0 V6 with the quadrajet carb would definitely work well in this build without having to change too many things up.
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What's the engine code for that specific 4.0 sir. How about a Vortec 4.3L?
 
I'm afraid I don't know the code. GM engine codes confuse and infuriate me.

the vortec 4.3 is the kissing cousin of the 4.0, and is a killer motor, produces a ton of HP for its size.
There are kits to convert it to a carbureted intake, too, if you want to make the swap the simplest.
from there, figuring out the EFI could get costly, but could be done.

Personally, a 4.0 or 4.3 with the 4-barrel carb would be a blast to drive in a mid-engined truck like that, and pretty easy to put together.
To run it, you could keep you basic body and alternator harness, run a wire from the ignition to the coil, and a wire to the fuel pump. I imagine many of your sensors would be a direct fit, or easily adapted to fit as well.
 
3.4 V6 from Tacoma/4-runner? Bomb proof motor you can find in a yard. Keep it 'yota without the expensive Lexus V8.

Nice ugly build, I like it!

You could throw a blower on it when funds allow and have a nice light reliable high output 'yota powerplant!
 
To run a 4.3 90* V6 you would need a different bellhousing/adaptor(?) than the 2.8 60* V6 that is in there. Not sure what that costs or if it fits the budget :meh:. Then its a toss up of what is available cheep locally, a better V6 or a V8. Or you can fit a bigger GM 60* V6 like a 3.1 or a 3.4. Not sure if they're any better though?
 
V8 would be nice .. but since you said you are in tight budget .. I wonder, if you locked ? and if so are you ready ( or already have ) to spend some $$ on axles .. coz V6 4.3 chevy ( great engine with lot of posibilities ) and V8 will put much more stress on your axles for sure ..
 
the bigger 60* engines offer a little more power, but they're really car engines. Not alot of torque, and parts are pretty obscure.
If the engine is sourced for cheap, then the adapter would be the most or least expensive component depending on approach.
One could feasibly make an adapter plate, and mate it to the engine to keep the current bellhousing.
Whatever the case, any engine swap would not be the most cost-effective procedure, but a 90* V6 is likely to be the most cost-effective way to go about this in terms of power gains to dollars spent.
Additionally, the 90* approach could open the door to a small-block 8 in the future, if needed.
Personally, a built 4.3 six would trump a a small-block 8 up to 327 because the newer six has a better chamber design and the same cylinder geometry but still offers some economy in terms of consumption and size.
Another benefit of keeping it six is that there's less demand for a V6 than a V8, he could very well come across a guy building an S10 up who's decided to drop his V6 for a larger motor.
 
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