s-10 swap with 4.3 liter - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

ozzie50 · 07-23-2009, 12:11 PM

If someone has done this swap please chime in. I am starting to pull my s-10 donor apart. Has anyone used the 4.3 liter engine? If so I have read that some have moved the engine and some have not. I don't plan on using the 4.3 liter for ever eventually a v-8 but right now the engine is in good shape. Any words of wisdom would be helpful. If this makes any reason I would rather move the engine then try something crazy with the rad and rad support.

Thadious · 07-23-2009, 02:57 PM

Kept the 4.3 that came with my donor S10 as well... I ended up moving the mounts back 3 1/2" just to gain clearance for the rad... it's just too close, that and the belief that you have to do the same for a 350 anyways (which will be an upgrade down the road if the 4.3 bites it.).

Basically, I plated the original mounting holes with 5" x 1/4" plate, welded all around and skirted with 1/8", welding the nuts to the backside where the mount is relocated to.

I also went with the TH700R4 trans as well... moved the trans mount back as well. If you leave it all at the stock height, it's sits quite well in the engine and looks like it belongs with quite a bit of space between the block and the firewall.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to holler!
Ted.

BlueJeep · 07-23-2009, 03:18 PM

I'm keeping the 4.3 in mine too, but likely sliding it back. When (or if) it dies it'll get a 5.3. 4.3's are great motors, but don't expect too much greater mileage than a v8. I have a set of 3.73's and a set of 3.42's that I'll play around with to see what's best in my application, but with the v6 it'll probably like the 3.73's best.

ozzie50 · 07-23-2009, 05:55 PM

How did everyone decide where to cut the frame horns back at?

Thadious · 07-23-2009, 06:09 PM

All in all, with the setup that I'm working on... based a fair bit on Jeffs51chevy setup... and my own mockup... I found that the easiest way to locate a good cutoff point is to look on the underside of the frame, just forward of the torsion bar, there is a 1/2 - 5/8" hole on either side.... about 1/2" infront of that is where I cut mine and plated the openings with 1/4" steel plate (this is where I'm mocking up the brackets to the front bumper mounts currently.

Cheers,
Ted.

PS Mine were originally about an inch longer than that, but had to recut them to provide clearance for the grill uprights and centering of the fenders over the front wheels.

ozzie50 · 07-23-2009, 06:34 PM

R u running a/c? If so how much did you use from the s-10

07-23-2009, 12:11 PM	#1
ozzie50 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: tulsa Posts: 89	s-10 swap with 4.3 liter If someone has done this swap please chime in. I am starting to pull my s-10 donor apart. Has anyone used the 4.3 liter engine? If so I have read that some have moved the engine and some have not. I don't plan on using the 4.3 liter for ever eventually a v-8 but right now the engine is in good shape. Any words of wisdom would be helpful. If this makes any reason I would rather move the engine then try something crazy with the rad and rad support.

07-23-2009, 02:57 PM	#2
Thadious Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Creston, BC Canada Posts: 369	Re: s-10 swap with 4.3 liter Kept the 4.3 that came with my donor S10 as well... I ended up moving the mounts back 3 1/2" just to gain clearance for the rad... it's just too close, that and the belief that you have to do the same for a 350 anyways (which will be an upgrade down the road if the 4.3 bites it.). Basically, I plated the original mounting holes with 5" x 1/4" plate, welded all around and skirted with 1/8", welding the nuts to the backside where the mount is relocated to. I also went with the TH700R4 trans as well... moved the trans mount back as well. If you leave it all at the stock height, it's sits quite well in the engine and looks like it belongs with quite a bit of space between the block and the firewall. If you have any other questions, please feel free to holler! Ted. __________________ '51 Chevy Build - In the design stages Aut viam inveniam aut faciam - I will either find a way or make one. If you don't have time to do it right the first time, when will you... My new build - https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...70#post8958970

07-23-2009, 03:18 PM	#3
BlueJeep Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Waukee, Iowa Posts: 1,608	Re: s-10 swap with 4.3 liter I'm keeping the 4.3 in mine too, but likely sliding it back. When (or if) it dies it'll get a 5.3. 4.3's are great motors, but don't expect too much greater mileage than a v8. I have a set of 3.73's and a set of 3.42's that I'll play around with to see what's best in my application, but with the v6 it'll probably like the 3.73's best. __________________ build threads: 86 Suburban 88 Jeep 6.0 swap 49 Chevy truck 54 Chevy wagon 86 Suburban lowered 4/6 54 Chevy wagon 49 Chevy/s10 mix 88 Jeep Wrangler rockcrawler

07-23-2009, 05:55 PM	#4
ozzie50 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: tulsa Posts: 89	Re: s-10 swap with 4.3 liter How did everyone decide where to cut the frame horns back at?

07-23-2009, 06:09 PM	#5
Thadious Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Creston, BC Canada Posts: 369	Re: s-10 swap with 4.3 liter All in all, with the setup that I'm working on... based a fair bit on Jeffs51chevy setup... and my own mockup... I found that the easiest way to locate a good cutoff point is to look on the underside of the frame, just forward of the torsion bar, there is a 1/2 - 5/8" hole on either side.... about 1/2" infront of that is where I cut mine and plated the openings with 1/4" steel plate (this is where I'm mocking up the brackets to the front bumper mounts currently. Cheers, Ted. PS Mine were originally about an inch longer than that, but had to recut them to provide clearance for the grill uprights and centering of the fenders over the front wheels. __________________ '51 Chevy Build - In the design stages Aut viam inveniam aut faciam - I will either find a way or make one. If you don't have time to do it right the first time, when will you... My new build - https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...70#post8958970

07-23-2009, 06:34 PM	#6
ozzie50 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: tulsa Posts: 89	Re: s-10 swap with 4.3 liter R u running a/c? If so how much did you use from the s-10

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