Trashed my 4.3

[Trenton]

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

Nice, I've been to Dumas, but I always drive through it to get to Highway 87 into New Mexico.

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.

Oh yeah, no doubt, mostly. Lubbock is just a few hours south LOL. I mainly stop there just because of how many amazing country songs mention Amarillo. That, and it's almost the halfway point between home and where I live. Also, I agree on the durability of the 4.3 Vortec. I had one in my first truck, and I honestly was impressed with it.

 

[nobears]

Mine isn’t a Vortec.

 

[98 Nitro]

You might look for the 94-95 heads they were an improved design suppose to be worth 5hp by themselves.

 

[nobears]

Id need an intake too. I may for phase 2. I also have a 97 dodge with a 12v Cummins and the diesel is killing my wallet

 

[Erik the Awful]

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.

It depends on how hot the motor got and for how long, and how many times you've done it. My Suburban's motor first overheated when I was towing a 4000 lb race car on a 2000 lb trailer through a construction zone. It dumped all the coolant while I limped it another couple miles and finally pulled over. Then several months later the stupid plastic coolant tee broke, minor overheat event. After that we had to keep an eye on the coolant level, and I figured I had a bad head gasket. Then my son overheated the hell out of it *and* drove it on home. He cracked the block and heads, pinched a ring, and toasted the rest of the rings.

Is the OP the original owner of his truck? Like most of us, probably not. Who knows how many times the previous owner got it hot?

 

[L31MaxExpress]

You might look for the 94-95 heads they were an improved design suppose to be worth 5hp by themselves.

I would get the 96+ Vortec heads, marine 4.3 TBI intake manifold and marine 2" TBI myself.

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

marine 4.3 TBI intake manifold and marine 2" TBI myself.

Go big or go home, huh (I like it)? Don't you think a 2" is a little overkill for a 6 cyl?

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Go big or go home, huh (I like it)? Don't you think a 2" is a little overkill for a 6 cyl?

Its how the marine engines came from Mercruiser and Volvo Penta. They had a low rise single plane design intake manifold with a plenum divider that technically made them a dual plane and either a Q-Jet or a 2" bore TBI on an adapter.

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

Yes l got mine hot a couple months ago, forgot to check the water level before going to fetch my brother from work. Filled it back up with plain water and Bars Leaks copper liquid and changed the oil and filter (it looked like dreamsicle). So far everything is going OK, but I'm nervous about putting any antifreeze back in it. (Truck is a 99 C1500 suburban, 5.7 vortec, 184,000 miles) Pretty sure all the orange nasty stuff is out of the system, but don't want to put that back in. But summer in Houston is coming, and it needs some type of coolant. How does the regular blue/green coolant do with aluminum radiators? This is the family work truck and our only vehicle so l don't wanna gamble with it. All help and advice appreciated!

 

[AK49BWL]

The green coolant is just fine, ran it in my old 99 blazer for 13 years without any issue or leak whatsoever.