Vortec 4.3 buildup

I've got a '98 k1500 with a 4.3 and I'd like to start modifying it for off-road use. Of course with bigger tires, it's always nice to have more power. So my question is has anyone here ever built up a 4.3 Vortec, and was it worth it? I like having a truck that's different so I'm open to building up my 4.3, but I'm also ok with finding a wrecked donor silverado with a 5.7 and swapping. Got some input?

Bigger motor is always best for off roading because of the torque demands, "no replacement for displacement".

i agree with jcbst12, the 4.3 just doesent have the tourqe, best to go with a 350, do you have a 700r4,th350, or manual tranny thats just as important. to tell the diffrence...
 
700r4 4-speed auto
 
th350 3-speed auto

it's a 5-spd manual. not sure what model exactly, but i'd like to stick with a stick if i can.

A manual requires more skill for 4wheelin, but its more rock solid than an automatic if mated with a heavier clutch.

quote:

ORIGINAL: jcbst12

Bigger motor is always best for off roading because of the torque demands, "no replacement for displacement".

 
Yes power is good, but this statment kinda makes you wonder why some of the best wheelers are Samurais and trackers with a 1.6L engine.....I would be more inclined to change the gear ratio in your rear end and front diff, so say a 4.88....this way you can keep you stock motor and be cheaper for you then swapping a 350 in there, and If your gonna swap motors, get yourself a 5.3 or 4.8 from a newer chev....
 
I do some funmud and rock wheeling with YJ and an inline carbed 6, only about 3 of the 30 or so guys run small blocks, and full sizes, most run Jeeps, Cherokees, Samurais, and trackers..
 
Remeber you have low range, its not about power all the time.....wheeling requires skill not HP....If I were you I would thro some gears, and full uspension lift, maybe lock the back.....but lockers are tricky as well, requires a whole new driving techniques, fun in snow....LOL

another thing to think of is weight, trackers are good in the mud because there so light. your truck is kinda heavy especially with a 4.3 your weight to power ratio is weak, you can put in different gears, and take off some weight.
 
i would still go with a bigger engine, are your gonna use this truck for off road use only?..

quote:

ORIGINAL: An89Chevy

i agree with jcbst12, the 4.3 just doesent have the tourqe, best to go with a 350, do you have a 700r4,th350, or manual tranny thats just as important. to tell the diffrence...

700r4 4-speed auto

th350 3-speed auto

 
It dont matter how much HP you have without the proper gears you wont turn them anyhow, my Jeep makes all of 167 HP last time I checked and it turns 37' swampers tires, with 4.88 gears, and whales....now one other fellow we wheel with has a SB 350, uses a 700R4, with shift kit, and 3.05 gears, and 38 boggers...in high range the truck WILL NOT turn the tires in mud, he has to use LOW RANGE......why his 3.05 gears........put some 4.10 and he is stylin..
 
HP is good IF you get it to the ground......your S10 prolly has 3.73 or 4.10 in it, if so check on 4.88 or even 5.12, this will give the umph your looking for, without dumping endless amounts of $$$ in engine and tranny swaps that never work right together..........then you need to weld motor mounts, tranny mounts, driveline angles, longer or shorter drive shafts, computers, EFI systems, or go crate and get carbed which is its own set of problems....
 
Maybe I dont off road for a career but do it enough that you want to keep things simple...breaking on the trail sucks hard core, and not knowing your own Rig sucks worse, and messing with some engine/tranny/computer/suspesion/etc, someone else did sucks even more.....if this is gonna be a solid off roader only, and you have ample $$ then swap engines....if you dont have ample $$$ gears, lift, and maybe a locker and your golden.......
 
The Samurai in my avatar is not mine its my buddies, it is upgraded now with full width toyota axles, runs a spring over, with 37 Super swampers, a 8000lb winch, all his lights, and carries all his gear in and out of the bush.....only thing NOT touched is the MASSIVE 1.6L   98hp THATS RIGHT 98HP....engine.
 
 

Samuris are so much smaller and nimble tho.  These trucks are heavy and I know from experience that without a major gear reduction big tires and low climbing speeds are going to kill a six.  But using a v8 will give you offroad power without killing onroad drivability.  You can find a better mix between power, torque, mph and onroad driving.  I do agree with the 4.8 and 5.3 enignes.  They breathe well and are pretty damn durable. 

Can't go wrong with a well tuned carb'ed 250 either.

Sorry 350 not 250.

hines182 already has 4.88 or 5.12 gears in it because gm istalled high range gears with the 4.3 engine. my 89 silverado "had" a 4.3 in it and it had 5.12 gears in the rear end. and i dont think he wants anything more then that, so if he puts in a 350 then hes going to have one hell of a bogger.

True you need a balance, but the 4.3 vortech are pretty torquy engines, with 4.10 and say running 35s, should be fine, if you need more like I said you have low range, I dont know its your truck, but engine swaps never seem to stop sucking $$$....if you hvae lots of extra $$ give er...dont know about the US but crate engine here for a 350 my cost is just over 3500 bucks, then you haveto buy the carb, headers, dist, wires, yada yada,  more $$$, weld motor mounts, wiring, computer, set the carb, match the right jets for HP...$$$$  or go EFI...even more $$$ and more  complicated wiring and computer ****.....now you have to mate the trans, either yours, ora new one...either way a new trans of overhaul is required...more $$$....now you have to get custom drive shafts....more $$$, the added hp and torque means you are bound to break something, unless you upgrade axles and all at once, BIG $$$$....

me before I spent a crap load on rebuilding your S10, go buy a nice older blazer, jeep, short box chev, or the like with a V8 or bigger 6, and wheel it and keep your S10...cost you about hte same.....actually be cheaper prolly to buy a second rig.  got my Jeep for 1200 bucks and so far have sumped around 5-6000, on off road goodies...its not a cheap sport, if you go even just weekends you are going to break stuff, as you do it you replace it with bigge and better.....**** good off road tires will run you over a grand...and then you need bigger wheels to mount them on cause any factory is only 6-7.5 inches wide....not wide enough for a 10' wide tire, or like mine 14.5'  
 
S10 dont make great wheelers anyhow, like I said buy a jeep on the cheap, and go, they are VERY wheelable right out of the box.....and stuff is well not cheaper, but parts are everywhere, and anything can be mated to them.....**** doing a spring over on mine now and going to full width axles from an old full size blazer....

Fun sprot but can be expensive......

Aftermarket maybe $1500, Complete $2500
GM Performance $2000 and up
Boneyards - You can sometimes get them for next to nothing! 

quote:

ORIGINAL: An89Chevy

another thing to think of is weight, trackers are good in the mud because there so light. your truck is kinda heavy especially with a 4.3 your weight to power ratio is weak, you can put in different gears, and take off some weight.

i would still go with a bigger engine, are your gonna use this truck for off road use only?..

 
Oh no. It will still be my daily driver. I'm starting to think MalibuMaxxSS might be right, at least for now. I could do a gear reduction, 6 in" lift and some minor bolt-ons for the 4.3 and I'm sure I could handle 35"s ok and i'd have something unique. Eventually I think i'll swap to the v8 and put in a solid front axle and probably a beefier rear end. I'm not sure what my gear ratios are now, but i know i can do like 75 in 5th gear at about 2500 RPMs which is really not bad. I would be willing to sacrifice up to 500 RPMs at highway speed (i know i'd sacrifice more in mpg).

LOL and it's a silverado dammit! not an S10! haha.. If it was an S10 I'd be fine with the v6 but it's fullsize and I need a fullsize pickup so I won't get rid of it.
 
But I'm just thinking how hard can it be if i find a totalled out body and maybe even frame attached to a '98 silverado with a 5.7 or something of the like? I mean all the parts would be there and if they put 5.7's in k1500's from the factory then it doesn't seem like it would be REALLY hard to swap on out of a donor truck. Does that seem feaseable or is there something way bigger to consider here?
 
lol I think I really just need to get a build sheet for my truck.
 
I'm also wondering how well the rear and front end components will hold up in that 1500 with 35"s?

quote:

ORIGINAL: An89Chevy

hines182 already has 4.88 or 5.12 gears in it because gm istalled high range gears with the 4.3 engine. my 89 silverado "had" a 4.3 in it and it had 5.12 gears in the rear end. and i dont think he wants anything more then that, so if he puts in a 350 then hes going to have one hell of a bogger.

 
GM never used anything steeper then a 4.10, so if your S10 had 5.12, someone put them in.......
 

quote:

ORIGINAL: hines182
 
But I'm just thinking how hard can it be if i find a totalled out body and maybe even frame attached to a '98 silverado with a 5.7 or something of the like? I mean all the parts would be there and if they put 5.7's in k1500's from the factory then it doesn't seem like it would be REALLY hard to swap on out of a donor truck. Does that seem feaseable or is there something way bigger to consider here?

if your thinking this then go with a 200ish then you get the 5.3 or even a 4.8 I would take over a 5.7......5.7 is hard on has and dont have the turque.....BUT by the time you do allllll this, dude you could BUY a rig already done for around 5000ish bucks.....its gonna cost you that to swap engines, trannies and hte like.......

 
build sheet....PM me your VIN i can provide that
 
and your rear end and front will hold up to 35s fine....your wink link will be your ujoints and axle shafts......if it is a Silverado and a 4.3 it prolly has 4.10s in it.......its your truck...
 
Me I would swap hte gears for 4.88, REMEMBER YOU HAVE LOW RANGE FOR ANYTHING...and I dont care WHAT HP you have low range will crawl your ass out of anything that needs be.....I have a posi lok system in mine which allows me to go LOW RANGE 2WD, and that is how I wheel, soon as I hit dirt it goes low range, just easier...dont have to ride the clutch as much and worry about hopping around.......from there a 6' lift some 35, wheels, and go......
 
Also remember the factory rear and front are not built for big tires and big power, os going bigger then 35, everyone knows everyting has to be upgraded after that...axles, rear ends, steering boxes, blah blah blah.....
 
REally consider what you are trying to accomplish here, if htis is a daily driver and sometime dirt trails, is big power warranted....

MalibuMaxxSS

GM never used anything steeper then a 4.10, so if your S10 had 5.12, someone put them in.......
 
they had to of, this truck was owned by my father before and he dident do a thing to it. and i doubt gm only did it to this truck. ill dig in my garge and get the exact gear ratio but it was 5.??.

with a  5.12 ratio you would be revving like crazy driving at highway speeds, top speed most guys get with 5.12 or 4.88 is around 100kmh, say 55-65 MPH and thats revving around 3500 RPMs, I cant remember taht far back to 89, but this woud be a weird if it did, does not make sense

Ok... so my list goes like this now..
 
-6" lift and 35" tires (and no taller tires until i do a solid front axle swap and everything that entails)
-4.88 or slightly higher gears to compensate
-Beefier axleshafts and driveshaft components
 
I still think it wouldnt' hurt to build on the 4.3 a little bit when i can afford it, though. I tow a boat in the summer (whether or not u think i oughta is a whole nother controversial subject) and it's nice to be able to hitch up the car trailer and rescue my little sis when her car breaks down (AGAIN!). You know, I'm starting to think the Silverado shoulda been offered with a straight-six for a little more torque.. But anyway.. i think then i'd have a nice rig to pick up a date in and still be able to go tear it up on weekends. Or.... when I'm lucky, do both at the same time! ;) Thanks for the help fellas, the 4.3 stays!   .......for now.. haha

ahh and the VIN for the truck is..
1GCEK19W6WE169366

quote:

ORIGINAL: hines182

Ok... so my list goes like this now..

-6" lift and 35" tires (and no taller tires until i do a solid front axle swap and everything that entails)
-4.88 or slightly higher gears to compensate
-Beefier axleshafts and driveshaft components

I still think it wouldnt' hurt to build on the 4.3 a little bit when i can afford it, though. I tow a boat in the summer (whether or not u think i oughta is a whole nother controversial subject) and it's nice to be able to hitch up the car trailer and rescue my little sis when her car breaks down (AGAIN!). You know, I'm starting to think the Silverado shoulda been offered with a straight-six for a little more torque.. But anyway.. i think then i'd have a nice rig to pick up a date in and still be able to go tear it up on weekends. Or.... when I'm lucky, do both at the same time! ;) Thanks for the help fellas, the 4.3 stays!   .......for now.. haha

 
for more torqu you go for the V8..the boat you prolly could tow, but your sister car and trailor...you gonna hurt your tranny..........you wont need axle shafts and the like with 35s, just be easy on he skinny peddel dont be an off road noob.....and a SOLID front axle swap is not an easy thing on a GM..and for all you get in strength, its not really worth it, but everyone has an opinion right!
 
....THE biggest advantage to a sloid front axle swap would be you could go higher, as IFS limits you in how high you can go, but guys here are running 38s, 42s, on IFS.......

Yeah I'm just gonna keep it pretty simple for now, just new gears, a lift and some bigger tires. i don't plan to upgrade the axle-shafts til they snap. Yeah, the car trailer thing is no easy task, i kept it in 3rd and on the backroads most of the way and only went into 4th when cruising on level or down grades and accelerated real easy.. and I definitely don't plan to do that often, I've only had to do it once so far but you never know. Anyways, I think it's off to the dealership for a build sheet for me!

one thing to consider instead of a engine swap is to Supercharge your 4.3, this will keep you mostly factory, and cheaper and easier as well, as it works with your computer and all, just some reprogramming, and you will have to upgrade fuel system.....but still cheaper, and it will give you up to say 60-100hp, depending on how many PSI you go...and as opposed to Turbo, no lag, however Turbos of today dont spool up like hte old ones I used to play with almost as good as a SC, Turbos will make more power tho from smaller engines usually....but Turbos are more complicated to install and maintain as well, and more expensive usually.
 
anyhow food for thought,

If you have a  low enough gear ratio you can stick with the 4.3.  I have a buddy who has a 4 cylinder engine in a jeep who had it geared low enough he was able to pull a Hummer (H1) out of a mud hole with no trouble at all.  Granted that engine didn't have the most torque or Hp but with the right amout of gear reduction that thing was almost unstoppable.  But.... Driving around town in that thing sucked.

Maybe 4.10s, a 5.7 V8 and a shiftkit and additional transmission cooler.  That will get you farther than you think.  After that you won't have to worry about it as it will give you the towing, daily driving and off road capabilities that your looking for.  If your hardcore into 4wheeling, beef up the half shafts, get U-joints with zerk fittings too (that helps push water and mud out of them in case they get loaded up, I haven't had this but I've seen it happen).  The drive shafts should be ok unless you are pushing some serious hp and torque.