gm 4.3 swap

efuentes

Explorer
I am in the middle of one, been at it for a year but motivation is running low, once you get all the right adapters I think its a fairly easy swap.

Saludos
 

Don-Key

New member
The one place that I found that had quite abit of info about the swap and all the correct parts is Advance Adapters. It's a pretty common swap, google search the swap and you should come up with alot of info
 
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98dango

Expedition Leader
i have done a few v8 swaps and what not


here is how my rig sits now

22re
w56 5spd
dual 23 spline turbo cases marlin adaptor
sas
5.29s
detroit rear
trail gear skid
trail gear high stere
rancho 5012 shocks
custom front springs
63" chevys out back
37 mtrs /35 bfgs


truck cost at this point 14K

parts list
1995 s10 vortec 4.3 compleet truck
1995 r151f tranny
r1501 to 4cyl case adaptor
AA bell housing
clutch fork
aa clutch & pressure plate
158 toth fly wheel
griffin alumnium radiator
AA heders
aa motor mounts
1984 carbed 4.3

parts cost 1300

So the plann is to strip the truck down compleetly and go from there.
This will include new frenched rear spring mounts. Cleaning the frame and repainting. Panting the cab and bed. rebuilding the front diff. rebuilding the rear diff.


DSCF1707.jpg


DSCF1056.jpg
 

ntsqd

Heretic Car Camper
When my 22R died I looked into various swaps. One of the things that I kept running into was that the trans tunnel is too small of the V8 & 4.3 bell housings. To gain enough clearance at the firewall at least a 1" body lift was needed. My '84 sits too tall now, at least for my use. Or you can delete the HVAC stuff behind the dash and use a BFH to gain the room needed. That wasn't an option either.

The starter/exhaust manifold/right side frame rail region of a GM swap (V8 or 4.3) is an issue. They all want to be where one of the others is. It's solvable, but I didn't like the compromises required.

A W56 *might* be OK behind a 4.3 if you have a light foot, a V8 would spit it out. I would decide on what domestic trans you want to use, and buy the adapter to bolt your dual cases to the rear of it.

I had the 22R rebuilt and continue to get 18-19 mpg on the highway. So what if it's a little slower going up the hills?
 

Lynn

Expedition Leader
I know that this is not what you are asking about, but back about '96 (when I had my '85 4-Runner) I ran across an online post from a guy who swapped in a Toyota (Celica or Supra?) inline 6-cyl. It was only slightly more displacement (2.4, maybe?), but the inline 6 gave a lot more torque. He said it was pretty much a bolt-in swap. I wonder what it would be like to swap in one of those turbo'd 6s...

Just a thought.
 

ntsqd

Heretic Car Camper
Supra, Celica's of that era got the 22R/22RE like the trucks. 2.8L for the 5M, 3.0L for the 7M. There were a couple of those swaps done during my time on the ORC yota list. This was prior to the 3.4 V6 being available or really a swap option. Karl Bellve, who has posted here a bit, did a 7M-GTE swap. My memory of his install was that it looked almost like a factory job. I recall that it wasn't easy getting some of the plumbing worked out. Don't recall if it was aftercooler or coolant related. Radiator position in the second gen trucks is problematic, the usual path is to cut out the core support & push the radiator forwards ala a V8 swap. Not sure with the OP's 3rd gen truck.

I would suggest taking a hard look at swapping in the 3.4 V6 if you're determined to go away from the stock engine.
 

DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
ntsqd said:
I would suggest taking a hard look at swapping in the 3.4 V6 if you're determined to go away from the stock engine.
Personally I'd do a 5VZ-FE swap instead of a Vortex. IOW coming from a 22R-E the amount of work isn't going to be significantly different, but at least things generally fit a little better. The shifters line up, the tranny hump doesn't /need/ to be clearanced (although a 1" BL does help), the engine bay will fit with headers, radiator location works fine, etc. This is even more true with the 3rd gen, which was designed around the 3VZ and the 5VZ block is the same shape and size. So you just have to weld in motor mounts from a V6 3rd gen, it's pretty straight forward.

But all that said, the honest truth is if I'd had more money and time 2 years ago, I'd have just done the 3RZ conversion instead of rebuilding my 22R-E. I think that makes the most sense, particularly if you already have the gears and double cases. The 2.7L 4 cylinder has that extra bit on the highway but isn't gonna grenade your driveline. Marlin makes a bellhousing that lets you keep your W56 and the rest of the driveline does not change position. It's easily the easiest swap available from a 22R-E.
 

98dango

Expedition Leader
the 7mg dose not last in a truck in my opinion i have done this 3 times and never got more than 10k out of the swap

a 2.7 aint gonna cut it i have one i want more

a 3.4 was an option but the 4.3 is 4 me a better choice

plus i have wanted to do a 4.3 toy for like 5 years

i will not need a body lift to clear the bell housing never have when retaning the stick on v8 swaps

i have dont them with autos needed it then

i have played this game a few times just never was able to do it the way i wanted
 

DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
madizell said:
Then what is the question?
I think we tried to answer a question that 98dango didn't ask... Asking specific questions about a Vortex swap into a 3rd gen will probably be better at Yotatech, Marlin's forum, IH8MUD or (yikes) Pirate.
 

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