Trashed my 4.3

[nobears]

OK, this story has way too many variables in it to ignore...

Did the truck have ANY problems what-so-ever BEFORE you took it to get this 'tire shop' to get your tires replaced??? The tire shop was discount tire. Literally all they did was put 5 new tires on it.

Was the exhaust smoking at all that you noticed? Not until it overheated

Is the underside of the truck covered in anything and if so is it oil or coolant? Oily coolant

Have you contacted the 'shop' at all since this happened and what did they say?? Nope. I watched through the window while they did all of the work. Nobody ever even popped my hood. It was literally just 5 tires

And lastly, FBI style, Do you have any enemies or people that wish you harm that could have worked at or paid off somebody at this 'Tire Shop' to destroy your truck?

A lot of people

 

[nobears]

Read quoted text above. I answered questions in the order asked

 

[nobears]

Damn, sounds like it all went out the exhaust if it isn’t outside the motor anywhere. You must have been putting out one hell of a smoke screen for awhile. Cracked head or block?

Don’t know. Hence why I grabbed a good deal on another motor. I will also add I was doing 75 up a semi longish grade when it overheated. I live an hour away from the nearest semi-major city (Amarillo) and had to try and limp it home, hence the second overheat.

 

[nobears]

Yes, the more you think about this the harder it is to imagine. If he was able to drive it home with oil and coolant then he would have been able to do some diagnostic work on the problem. This would be more than just a stuck thermostat if all the oil went away. Besides, I don’t know about you, but if my motor starts to overheat I immediately shut it down and check it out to save it.

Wish I had gauges to tell me how hot it was. It literally ran fine until it died.

 

[nobears]

It'd be a good excuse to upgrade to a V8

Nah

 

[nobears]

It'd be a good excuse to upgrade to a V8

Nah

I just wanna know how he drove to the tire store without noticing he was losing 5 quarts of motor oil along the way........

it’s an hour away.

 

[alpinecrick]

No temp gauge? No oil pressure gauge?

 

[Schurkey]

Putting money into a V-6 seems like a total waste to me. I guess other folks have different priorities.

My original 5.7 and the "crate engine" replacement had BARELY enough power to be a satisfactory vehicle.

 

[Erik the Awful]

When these trucks were new, the 4.3 was the 'quicker' motor, and got better gas mileage. You only got the 350 if you needed to tow. If OP wants a 4.3, he has his reasons. I personally see no point in owning one of these trucks without a V8.

 

[Markmartin01]

4.3 with some tweaks here and there is a monster of a motor. My cousin had one in a RCSB S10 with mild cam, basic head work and some mild tuning and it would lift the front wheels off the ground in 4low turning 33" grip spurs. Good little motor. I've thought ab building one just as a toy to see how fast they can go.