4.3 Assembly or Build plant?

[gary sy]

Does anyone know for sure where the 4.3 was built? Im pretty sure it was the Tonowanda powertrain plant but im not 100 percent anyone ?

 

[Slyclone]

Re: 4.3 Assembly or Build plant?

This might be some useful info?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romulus_Engine

 

[518]

Re: 4.3 Assembly or Build plant?

Hmmmm. I talked to a guy a few months back and when i told him i had a syclone he said he worked for pas. I asked him what he did there and he said he assembled the engines. Is it possible they went to pas running and driving and then were disassembled and changed pistons etc.....

 

[Slyclone]

Re: 4.3 Assembly or Build plant?

What exactly you trying to figure out?

The engines were lb4 vin z provisions.

PAS specialized in the castings, including the lower intake, upper plenum, turbo manifold casting and the wheels.

Imagine a plane Jane 4.3 with the specialized stuff bolted on.

I took apart a spare complete engine I have here and wrote down all the info to look for. I just can't find it. Has things to look for, casting numbers, marks, colors.. So on to determine origin.


Just dug for it and located it suprizingly:

1988-1998 cranks 10055480- 2 versions light/heavy
All engines 1 piece rear seal are external balanced with specific flywheels/dampners
Heavy cranks used in all vinZ
Romulus rod- 818-045
Deeper dish low compression 8.6:1 pistons pn 12508702
VinZ turbo cam pn stamped on the end barrel of cam
5/8 oil pick up tube

 

[TYTILIDIE]

Re: 4.3 Assembly or Build plant?

What exactly you trying to figure out?

The engines were lb4 vin z provisions.

PAS specialized in the castings, including the lower intake, upper plenum, turbo manifold casting and the wheels.

Imagine a plane Jane 4.3 with the specialized stuff bolted on.

I took apart a spare complete engine I have here and wrote down all the info to look for. I just can't find it. Has things to look for, casting numbers, marks, colors.. So on to determine origin.


Just dug for it and located it suprizingly:

1988-1998 cranks 10055480- 2 versions light/heavy
All engines 1 piece rear seal are external balanced with specific flywheels/dampners
Heavy cranks used in all vinZ
Romulus rod- 818-045
Deeper dish low compression 8.6:1 pistons pn 12508702
VinZ turbo cam pn stamped on the end barrel of cam
5/8 oil pick up tube

Pistons were changed I believe.

 

[gary sy]

Re: 4.3 Assembly or Build plant?

Well I was trying to finde out if the 4.3 motor for our trucks were built at the powertrain plant in Tonowanda. I was unable to finde any info on their site.My grandfather worked there and I toured the plant when I was verry young.We are thinking of planning a meet again in the spring and posibly touring the plant if any are interested thanx

 

[Slyclone]

Re: 4.3 Assembly or Build plant?

So where did I go wrong ?

"People that think"?

If it annoys you so much why participate? I learned it takes years of knowledge and learning to be able to capaticate info. Not everyone is into it as far as some.. And some seem to have open ears and eyes to learn. I just don't see why you have to bash people. I just shared some info that I actually acquired through you. It wasn't all of it. But basic notes I jotted down.

I'm obviously here to learn. And hopefully capaticate some information which should be valuable in this interest/hobby I have with the trucks. Sorry if I don't know what I'm talking about.

 

[mattw]

Re: 4.3 Assembly or Build plant?

So where did I go wrong ?

"People that think"?

If it annoys you so much why participate? I learned it takes years of knowledge and learning to be able to capaticate info. Not everyone is into it as far as some.. And some seem to have open ears and eyes to learn. I just don't see why you have to bash people. I just shared some info that I actually acquired through you. It wasn't all of it. But basic notes I jotted down.

I'm obviously here to learn. And hopefully capaticate some information which should be valuable in this interest/hobby I have with the trucks. Sorry if I don't know what I'm talking about.

I don't think capaticate is a word...

 

[gary sy]

Re: 4.3 Assembly or Build plant?

Here we go again. People that think they know what they're talking about annoy those of us that do. Here's the Cliff Notes version:

4.3 engines were produced in two plants. Tonawanda NY, and Romulus Michigan. The most significant difference between the two plants are the crankshaft machining and connecting rods. Anecdotal evidence over the years suggests that the Romulus rod is stronger, and less susceptible to bending. Romulus engine machine code on the pad in front of the right cyl head begins with a "W". Tonnawanda machine code begins with a "T". L35's as used in Sonoma GT were ONLY produced in Tonawanda. The LB4, which the RPO code for the SyTy is based on was produced in both plants. But the SyTy "LD" engine was ONLY produced in Romulus

ALL engines produced by GM have a "machine code". This code denotes the content of the engine. A specific RPO code may use several machine codes. For example the 67-69 L88 Corvette. Everyone knows it's a 12:1 huge cam monster. But there are several machine codes for 12:1 compression, aluminum head, 427 ci engines installed in Corvettes with the L88 option. SyTy's share the "VIN Z" and "LB4 "engine RPO with zillions of other S-series, and is a source of confusion. The engine RPO is not what triggers the SyTy-specific engine in a SyTy. It's the Syclone RPO "ZR9", or the /Typhoon RPO "Z79". When you look for SyTy engine parts in the parts books, if its a part generic to a 4.3 it will be listed LB4, or L35. If it is a SyTy specific part, it is listed as 91 ZR9, or 92-93 Z79. Few people recognize this. It's the Sy or Ty RPO that triggers the engine. Not the LB4.

The machine code for a SyTy engine is "LD". The engine designator will be model year first, then LD. So a "1LD" is a Syclone engine. A "3LD" is a 93 Typhoon engine. The LD-specific content is the Nodular main caps, Moller pistons, the cam, and probably the oil pan. The lower intake manifold was installed at Romulus, and was installed when the engine was painted, thus the partial paint. All engines are hot-run on natural gas at the assembly plant. The flexplate and balancer are drilled for final balance after the engine is run. This is important to keep in mind when understanding the state the engine had to be in at the engine plant. It was RUN.

Because similar engines are used in many different vehicle applications, and it is more economical to keep the basic engine simple for shipping from the engine plant, "accessory" items like exhaust, brackets, alternators, wiring, motor mounts, etc are installed on the engine dress line at the vehicle assembly plant. I am not aware of any other GM limited production vehicle that had it's engine dressed by an outside supplier.

The LD engines were sent to PAS. PAS had an assembly line where the exhaust manifolds, turbo, upper intake, fuel rails, plug wires, wire harness, were installed. The engine was mated to the transmission and T-case, and front prop shaft was bolted to the t-case. The engine assembly was then put in a truck "in sequence" with other engine assemblies and shipped to the GM plant for installation on the line.

The "sequence number" is the crayon number on the firewall. Every vehicle has one. When a worker goes to install "his" part on the vehicle, he checks the sequence number on the part with the one on the vehicle. If it matches, it goes on. The engines were unloaded off the truck, and hung on the conveyor in sequence so that the specific SyTy engine would arrive at it's specific SyTy to be installed in.

I am not certain where the front accessories and brackets were installed. At PAS, or on the engine dress line at the GM plant. I suspect at the GM plant. On the 93's there are red dots on the AC compressor, and a couple of other items that are unique to SyTy. The red "S" stickers also denote Syclone-specific parts that were installed by GM.

The Vehicle ran, and was driven off the GM line. It was hot-tested on a 4-wheel dyno and given the normal QC checks that all vehicles received at the end of the GM line. It was then shipped to PAS for installation of the cladding (the mounting holes and pucks were installed by GM), seats in the 91 and 92, wheels and tires, and some other miscellaneous stuff.

Contrary to the belief I've seen expressed by some individuals here "Incomplete Vehicle" does NOT mean GM shipped a crate of parts to PAS, and PAS assembled the entire truck. It ran and drove when it left GM.

The "Incomplete vehicle" VIN and status is because the vehicle did not meet federal regulations for bumpers and seats because they weren't installed at the time it left GM's control. PAS is the final assembler, and is responsible for certifying compliance, and that's what the sticker in the door jam is. the final certification.

There's a good thread in The Vault with info for numbers and deciphering machine code, trans assembly dates etc .

Sorry this was a little long, but if you bothered to read it, you now know the process by which the SyTy's were built and assembled. Rather than guessing.

Thankyou for the write up Dave I learned a few things today