A 4.3 Vortec in a series???

[repete]

I need some advice. I have a 67IIa that the last owner poorly installed a Chevy 250 in it. I hate how it fits along with the quality of the istalation. Currently I have an opportunity to buy a 4.3 vortec for cheap in a running vehicle. I'm posting this to see if any of you have seen or used this engine in a series? I know that the transmission will be my weak link here, but I already have that issue with the 250.
Thanks for any advice or criticisms.

 

[blue bomber]

Check this out.

Thanks for appreciating my little rig. The drive train is as follows....<br />
1960 88 <br />
1997 vortec 350, Holley truck avenger 670 CFM carb,HEI with "melonized" drive gear.<br />
NP 435 with 50-3801 AA adapter<br />
1970 series IIa transfer case with "B" suffix gears, 2.88 low range ratio. AA adapter 50-9000<br />
Stock axle housings with 3/8" thick pipe caps weld on in place of the stock sheet metal. 3.54 rover type , ARB rd56, Maxi-drive 300m rear shafts. Great Basin Rover HD cvs. Roam Offroad disc brake kit ( proto type kit from BCB).<br />
Scout II power steering.<br />
Painless wiring harness.<br />
Allied wheels.<br />
Blah,blah, fun to drive and nets 17 mpg to boot!

<br />
<br />
Notice the absence of oil leaks. Land Rovers don't have to leak oil. You just have to use modern sealants and quality seals.

 

[blue bomber]

More pics...

 

[Rovertrader]

we did the 4.3 in a 90, and loved it!! Mated it to the ZF auto w/ Mark's adaptor...

 

[repete]

That's a brilliant fit! That 350 looks like it belongs in there it fits so well!
Is that a rover brake booster? I sure would like to update mine too. I'm hoping to run the rover trans until it fails.

I'm also wondering if I should attempt to keep the EFI, find a TBI, or go with a carb.

I imagine mating the 4.3 with a ZF would be a pretty bulletproof set up as well. Mine already has the SAE adaptor, so I'll stick with it for now.

Awesome pics and build! Thanks for sharing!
Please post up any advice and suggestions!
Thanks,
Pete

 

[repete]

17 MPG?!?!?!
that's amazing!

 

[blue bomber]

Don't waste your time with a rover trans. The only ones that a worth a darn are rare in the states. The lt 95 and Santana lt 85. Besides these are for full time 4 wheel drive. Your series has the part time transfer case, a different animal. You do not have an SAE pattern bell housing. You have a rover engine bell housing adapted, more than likely with a scotty's adapter. The 250 engines are great, durable, simple and reasonably efficient. I would keep the engine, clean up the previous guys sloppiness. Then adapt a dirt cheap chevrolet sm 465 four speed. Look at the above images to compare the size difference. Compare the first gear difference.

 

[LR Max]

Look around. There is a company that specializes in converting the ECU's over for "stand alone" applications like this. I think for like, 100~150 bucks they'll make your engine run without all the extra sensors (VSS is the big one).

Keeping the EFI will make the engine perform great. Once you get it running, pay the $$$ to take it to the shop with a dyno and get it tuned. You'll have plenty of power (and A LOT compared to the 2.25!) and reliability. Engine will sound great with a cat-less exhaust.

As for drivetrain, I think a complete powertrain swap is going to be cheapest and easiest. If you can pull the engine, trans and transfer case out of the donor vehicle, I think its going to be ideal. If you don't like the transfer case, there are plenty of American transfer cases that are stout and cheap.

Only thing: everyone I've ever known to swap in a 4.3, has yanked it for a 5.3 or a 6.0 V8. However these are usually rock crawler applications so that might be it. But really, its cheaper to yank this engine and drop in the bigger V8 rather than trying to build these 4.3s for more power.

 

[ShearPin]

Have a look at RiverportRovers on YouTube. He is in the process of putting a 4.3 in a series rover....

Henry

 

[blue bomber]

Riverport rovers is using an AA adapter to a high ratio series transfer case. Also an Advance Adapter bell housing.
LR Max, all 4.3 equipped GM vehicles have ****ty chain drive transfer cases that the front output is on the wrong side. Not to mention the front end is independently sprung.?? So using an s-10 to " up-grade" an old Land Rover doesn't make much sense. Engines, yes the rest no.

 

[LR Max]

Riverport rovers is using an AA adapter to a high ratio series transfer case. Also an Advance Adapter bell housing.
LR Max, all 4.3 equipped GM vehicles have ****ty chain drive transfer cases that the front output is on the wrong side. Not to mention the front end is independently sprung.?? So using an s-10 to " up-grade" an old Land Rover doesn't make much sense. Engines, yes the rest no.

I thought the IFS transfer cases were passenger drop, guess they aren't. Also the chain drive x-fer cases aren't as strong as gear, but they are strong enough for this application. Every chain drive transfer case I've seen die has suffered from getting hit or some sort of issue with the transmission mountings (which is to be expected). Oh and of course the slip yoke falling out but that is to be expected. Otherwise chain drive is fine.

Also if the donor truck has a manual trans, then that would be ideal (well, IMO, I'm a clutch kinda guy). Yes, AA bellhousings are great but I *think* those had a variation of the NV3500, a solid transmission as long as you don't put it behind 500hp or something like that.

Back to the original question: No matter what you do with the rest of the powertrain, the 4.3s are solid engines. Should produce good, reliable power.

 

[blue bomber]

The chain drive transfer cases are built for a 10% duty cycle. So out of 100,000 miles, 10,000 miles of 4WD use will wear out the chain. This is why the range rover BW transfer cases have two wide drive chains attached together. The old NP 203's also had very wide drive chains

 

[repete]

Don't waste your time with a rover trans. The only ones that a worth a darn are rare in the states. The lt 95 and Santana lt 85. Besides these are for full time 4 wheel drive. Your series has the part time transfer case, a different animal. You do not have an SAE pattern bell housing. You have a rover engine bell housing adapted, more than likely with a scotty's adapter. The 250 engines are great, durable, simple and reasonably efficient. I would keep the engine, clean up the previous guys sloppiness. Then adapt a dirt cheap chevrolet sm 465 four speed. Look at the above images to compare the size difference. Compare the first gear difference.

Yea, the series transmission is certainy fragile. I guess because it was never designed for that kind of torque! I'll see what suffix it is, and look out for a 435. That sounds like a bulletproof set up. The 250 runs great, I just hate how it fits in there! The radiator is under the core support, not allowing a hood latch. The last owner used a strap to hold the hood down! It's the tackiest thing I've seen for a while! Being that it already was adapted to GM, I'd keep it that way. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[repete]

Look around. There is a company that specializes in converting the ECU's over for "stand alone" applications like this. I think for like, 100~150 bucks they'll make your engine run without all the extra sensors (VSS is the big one).

Keeping the EFI will make the engine perform great. Once you get it running, pay the $$$ to take it to the shop with a dyno and get it tuned. You'll have plenty of power (and A LOT compared to the 2.25!) and reliability. Engine will sound great with a cat-less

I'll take a look on the Internet for that. I'd think keeping it efi would be the sweatest deal
Thanks

 

[roversam]

i am under way building a hybrid 1969 series with a 4.3, 700r4 and a np205 it worked out great and the best Co. to go to for the efi stuff is howell industries they are great.