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4.3L engine swap


Sagittarian
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I am interested in putting a 4.3L v6 into my 91 pathy. The primary reason is because I doubt I'll be able to get the HP and Torque out of a vg33e conversion, unless I put a truck load of cash into it and then I'm not sure it will be as cost effective as just converting over to a 4.3

The vg33 is rated at 180 hp and 202 lb-ft.

The 92-94 L35 4.3 is rated at 200 hp and 260 lb-ft

I know I'll need to swap out the tranny and the transfer case

I guess my question is, is it feasible?

 

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  • 5 weeks later...

It is something that I might look at again later...

With a late model 87-95 4.3 I can get 160hp 235lbft. I can also change the intake and swap out the TBI for a carburetor and get rid of the computer.

 

 

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Just sold my blazer that had the 4.3L. Had it 11 years so I feel I can honestly say I am an expert on them. It was reliable-ish. Always had a random cylinder misfire that no one could figure out. The spiders are a pain and always need replace or cleaned. Numerous timing issues. I've been on blazer forums for years and they are common issues. Most ppl have to get a new engine when they get the random cylinder misfire. I loved my blazer. It was had to let it go. But I'm glad I am no longer tracing all its issues. Just my opinion but I'd stick with Nissan.

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Huh. A friend of mine has two 4.3s in his driveway (Astro and Blazer) and they've actually been pretty good. Both are '98, so maybe late enough that Chevy had worked some of the electrical bugs out. The balance shaft arrangement is kind of a weird compromise, and the fuel spider's kinda hokey, but most of the issues he's had were from the POs running them into the ground. They're fairly simple to work on when there isn't a van wrapped around them. They might not be my first choice if I was going to all the trouble of an engine swap, but you could do a lot worse.

 

There's also no timing belt to go wrong... that has to count for something.

 

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I'm simply attempting to eliminate the need for a computer as much as possible. The 87-95 4.3 came with TBI, which I can replace with an Edelbrock intake and 4bbl carb.

I chose the 4.3 b/c of availability and baseline hp and lb-ft.

 

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The 4.3 is a heavy pig. I doubt you would see a performance gain. It weighs at least 200 more pounds than a VG, produces 60 more hp?

 

And IIRC it's much taller than a VG, so you'll have to do a body lift. And at that point you might as well put the last two cylinders back on and shoehorn a 350 in there.

 

I've ridden in many blazers, never have I been impressed by their get up and go.

 

Plus the cost of a new carb $200+ (don't buy used carbs, never ends up well)

And a manifold $200 used

And the cost of the engine 500 bucks

You could buy a wrecked zx Turbo and Turbo the Pathfinder.

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As I stated, I'm looking to get away from a computer.

The reason I'm looking at the 4.3 isn't b/c of the 160 hp.

It's b/c with minimal effort it can be around 300 lb-ft. If that block goes bad, I can pull the intake and heads, put them on another block and still be at that 300 lb-ft.

 

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I've ridden in many blazers, never have I been impressed by their get up and go.

 

Go from a 3.slow 4Runner to a 4.3 Blazer, it's a friggin race car then! (Not standing up for 4.3s, I stand by my previous comments)
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Went from a truck with maybe 70hp at the wheels, and weighs 3700lbs to a Pathfinder. I know the racecar feel.

 

Though that would keep up with my buddies 3. Slow 4runner.

 

I don't quite understand the need to ditch the computer. I get that a carb is simpler, but a computer and fuel injection can maintain a close to perfect a/f ratio.

 

You'd make more power with a TBI setup, MSD makes one that has a super simple tuner. If you really want to go with the 4.3

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Why not put a carburetor on the VG? Yes, very possible.

 

Or swap a VG33 over with VG30 cams, and then put the frontier/xterra supercharger on top? My truck on 33's with the 3.3 is night and day with my truck on 31s and a 3.0. It hauls ass for being a 5,000 pound brick.

 

Your first post mentions not wanting to dump a truckload of cash in for more power, but you're talking about doing a triple custom swap just for a few more torques that won't matter from a heavy engine that doesn't "fit".

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