DeCaff2007
I'm Awesome
sorry slight thread hijack,,,, another interesting thing about them malibu's, all had, you guessed it AC.
the V6 was a 3.8 IIRC.
No worries! I always find it very interesting to see where threads like this can go. Good reading, indeed
So, here's my options/thoughts so far. I don't need to burn the tires off at every traffic light. This trucks primary purpose in life under my ownership is a secondary daily driver/transportation to work in the winter.
Granted, the 4.3L was probably a decent engine back in it's day. But IMO, this truck needs a period correct V8. A 5.7L seems to fit the bill the easiest, because that's what's meant to be under the hood. Not an LS, not an LT1 (although, those are no slouch, either) Actually, a Buick 3.8L (NA or SC, doesn't matter) is a pretty damn solid engine, but that would be a sh1tshow to make it work.
With that: I have an 83 Grand Prix waiting its turn (now THAT'S an LS swap candidate!). It's a V8 5.0L, but with a little TLC (and a fuel-injection conversion), it could also fit the bill. That's a no brainer, eh? Pull the TBI V6, drop in a carb'ed SBC, and now convert that to FI. Oh, and that's a CCC (computer controlled carburetor), at that. Maybe not worth the effort for a 5.0L
Here's what I'm likely going to do: I've never had a crate motor and I want to drop one in. My biggest issue is getting a STRAIGHT ANSWER on what to do about the computer that's already in the truck? The most common answer I've read (and it's a vague answer, at that), is find a junkyard computer that matches the engines displacement and the rear gear ratio. Get it flashed. Actually, "flashed" is the incorrect term here. To flash a computer, or any EEPROM, means to ERASE the data that's already on it, leaving it blank. It would need to be programmed afterwards, so:
WHAT IS THE POINT OF PROGRAMMING A COMPUTER IF IT'S SUPPOSED TO ALREADY MATCH? That, and junkyard electronics are a crap shoot. No way to know if they work.