Trashed my 4.3

[RI Chevy guy]

Nah

A cam swap makes a world of difference in this engine, comp cams makes several upgrades for these (as does Lunati, but I have not used them). The factory cams in these made them quite weak, typically mated up with 3.08:1 gearing made for a less than desirable driving experience. Bumping up the cam a notch improves low end and gas milage without having to re-tune the computer, going to the next step really wakes this engine up but requires the ecm to be re- tuned. If, like me, you have the dreaded 3.08 gears, changing up the gearing in the back makes a world of difference (I went with 3.73)

 

[nobears]

No temp gauge? No oil pressure gauge?

Just idiot lights that never came on

 

[nobears]

No temp gauge? No oil pressure gauge?

Just idiot lights that never came on

 

[Trenton]

I don't see how everyone has a f**ked block after overheating once. I've overheated my '98 K3500 5.7, '98 C1500 4.3, and '02 Impala 3.8 multiple times each and they still run fine after I replace the bad cooling system parts. No misfire, no white smoke, no power loss, etc.

 

[nobears]

I have some stuff up my sleeve for when I rebuild. This motor is going to get a few performance upgrades (can, headers, air cleaner, rockers, thinner head gasket to bump compression a bit, some VERY mild port work and true duals) and will last me at least until I get the other one tore down and the block and heads checked over, then it’ll be machine work and some parts that originally came on a Cyclone/Thphoon and a little of my own magic.

 

[nobears]

I don't see how everyone has a f**ked block after overheating once. I've overheated my '98 K3500 5.7, '98 C1500 4.3, and '02 Impala 3.8 multiple times each and they still run fine after I replace the bad cooling system parts. No misfire, no white smoke, no power loss, etc.

Mine blew white smoke and is knocking now...

 

[Trenton]

Mine blew white smoke and is knocking now...

That engine is awfully screwed then...

 

[Trenton]

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.

Hey man, there's nothing semi-major about it. Amarillo is a major stop for me when I drove from home (East Texas) to where I live now (Aspen, Colorado). I love that city. If you're an hour away, what town do you live in?

 

[bowtie-72]

Hey man, there's nothing semi-major about it. Amarillo is a major stop for me when I drove from home (East Texas) to where I live now (Aspen, Colorado). I love that city. If you're an hour away, what town do you live in?

Amarillo is a major stop for anyone traveling that area. It’s the only city out there that’s why everything is there LOL. Stop there myself on the way to see my In-laws in NM. from Oklahoma. Don’t let anyone talk you out of your 4.3 motor if that’s what you want to run. I had one in a’94 S-10 Blazer that I bought brand new. I had 315,000 miles on it when I sold it and it was still sealed up tight, didn’t leak or burn a drop of oil. Back to your original question. I think it would be great to do a tear down on that motor so we could see where all those fluids went.

 

[nobears]

Hey man, there's nothing semi-major about it. Amarillo is a major stop for me when I drove from home (East Texas) to where I live now (Aspen, Colorado). I love that city. If you're an hour away, what town do you live in?

Dumas. Not exactly an hour north but it regularly takes that ling