Need help!!! Truck is done!!!!

[MYYellowTY]

Well I offically HATE these trucks!!! Had a TV cable go and babied the truck for 6-8 Months.Got a new TV from Prime Gears(Miss his knowledge) and put it on.Better but slipped a bit so checked pressures and were low.Gonna re adjust on weekend and on Thursday it died on me.Crawl under and I got a ROD HANGING OUT THE OIL PAN!!! arghhhhhhhh!!! I dont have the funds to build it like I want so what should I do???

Will a Newer Stock Vortec shortblock or longblock work?

Or go older 4.3? If so what year, with balanceshaft or no,and does engine code matter???

If a 96 or so works will I only need to have intake done?Any other suggestions? I havent pulled the motor yet to check the condition of it yet too see ir rebuild will do.Want to go as reliable as possible for as little as possible. I know WRONG truck to be owning then.

Thanks All!!!!

 

[Norm]

Re: Need help!!! Truck is done!!!!

Just dump in a small block and go that route.

 

[BoostedSUV]

Re: Need help!!! Truck is done!!!!

same headaches I went through. You're better off quiting while you're ahead! I went through the trouble of building a new engine, trans etc and it cost me so much money I kind of wish I never did it!

A late model vortec motor will work but it will have to have been from a 4 wheel drive so it has the right oil pan and stuff. You will also have to run lower boost levels than your current stock level because a N/A motor has higher compression.

My honest suggestion, build a factory spec ty motor and save the further headaches. I love my truck the way it is now but it took a long time and a lot of money to get it right. I wish I rebuilt it as a stocker when i hung my rods out the pan.. would have saved a lot of money and headaches!

 

[jpalmer]

Re: Need help!!! Truck is done!!!!

go big or go home. up to you. you can build a n/a sbc for cheap and still have fun. or turbo it for more money and have more fun. i wish i had not wasted my time with a 6. i am prepared for the flack i will catch for this but i like speed and as cheep as i can get it. just being a realist.

 

[Try Me]

Re: Need help!!! Truck is done!!!!

go big or go home. up to you. you can build a n/a sbc for cheap and still have fun. or turbo it for more money and have more fun. i wish i had not wasted my time with a 6. i am prepared for the flack i will catch for this but i like speed and as cheep as i can get it. just being a realist.

I havent gotten quite as much crap about mine as i thought i would but we will see at nats. I am so glad i put the 6.0L in my truck. The more i drive the happier I am with it. The tune is still very rich but it feels stronger at 7lbs than the 4.3 did at 18lbs. Plus parts for this motor are getting cheaper and cheaper. They are way easier to find. With a v8 swap you can make the same power without pushing it as hard as the 4.3. Its just a matter of how much power you really wanna make. You can build a 4.3 that will make 500hp and if built right it will do it for a long time to come. But you start getting into the 700+ hp area and it is just really stressing that motor. At that power range your starting to look at an aftermarket crank (big $) and it is just a matter of time till it pops something. On the other hand 700+ hp isnt hard to obtain with a turbo v8 and you dont need 30lbs of boost and alcohol injection to do it.

I would say if your ultimate power goals are above 650, now may be the time to consider a v8 swap. If your looking to stay below that and would be happy with a low 11/high 10 sec truck stay with the v6.:2cents:

 

[alwayscode390]

Re: Need help!!! Truck is done!!!!

I needed to read this, because I was thinking of keeping my lower end stock for awhile and build up the top ... lol not anymore ---

 

[NecroWolf]

Re: Need help!!! Truck is done!!!!

you could drop in a l35 motor from a 4x4 s10 then it would be a straight up motor swap but you'd get better heads and rods, then slip a mild cam in and be good to go with a tune. you'd make more power with a stronger motor and buy time to save up for a bigger/stronger build.

 

[BoostedSUV]

Re: Need help!!! Truck is done!!!!

I've always been a "go big or go home" person too. I daily drive my TY and I tried to build it better and stronger but everything just snow balled... Better motor, then need bigger injectors, upgrade the turbo, now you need a high stall torque converter, then have to re-tune everything otherwise it won't run right. Make great power, wipe out the trans... The list just keeps going and it isn't cheap! If you have unlimited funds for go fast stuff and patients to get it right, by all means "go big!" If you're looking to drive the truck, an easy fix on a budget go with an L35 v6 out of a 4x4 of rebuild a factory spec 4.3. That's the safe easy way to having a good running truck.


I'm ok with a small block swap, the, 350, 383, 6.0. Ls1, ls2 etc etc but I think its way cooler (despite the headaches) to go fast with a v6. Might not be logical but its impressive!

 

[TYTILIDIE]

Re: Need help!!! Truck is done!!!!

I think for everyone to expect 700+hp is insane. There is nothing wrong with the 4.3. Yes, the heads are lame but that is the worst of it IMO. I say go Vortec motor. Erue did this with great success. So what if you need to spray alky. You can get a good running truck with very few mods, if it were me and I had to do it again, I would have gone Vortec motor, 20g, alky, maybe a custom cam and called it a day. If you aren't a big race guy and you just like to drive your truck and race here and there there is no reason to waste your money on an LSx. :2cents:

 

[jpalmer]

Re: Need help!!! Truck is done!!!!

Hell! If he wants to be really cheap just drop the older sbc in it (not as cool but cheap as shit) keep it n/a for a while. you could buy a used 383 stroker for around 2g's, with everything on it. Carb it and call it done till you have more money. this would put you in the 12's probably and be way more reliable. only should be maybe 1g more to fit it in your truck at the most, most likely less.

 

[TYTILIDIE]

Re: Need help!!! Truck is done!!!!

Unfortunately, you can run the same times and be equally as reliable with a 20g and alky and spend about 1200. And you don't have to fab up a bunch of bullshit.

 

[Try Me]

Re: Need help!!! Truck is done!!!!

Yea on a budget your probably best to do as said earlier and just find a l35 shortblock and bolt it in and be done. get a junkyard special, quick hone on cylinders, slide some bearings and rings in it and be on your way.

 

[MYYellowTY]

Re: Need help!!! Truck is done!!!!

Yeah, I didnt make it clear enough that money is the main issue.By building the motor how I want I mean a nice rebuild not mega power.Im on disability so moneys the issue,not time.I have build SBC and BBC in the past and am a Wrencher.I would part the truck if I wasnt still PAYING on it.I owe about what its worth.As far as being a really nice truck its a 7 of 10 if not for the rust spots coming thru.I have a A/A IC not installed ill part with and extra ECM and second intake ill prob. sell to get going.Looks like opening it up to see how bad it is.

What about a 4x4 Vortec Shortblock with honing and low comp. pistons, and intake converted? Would that be all thats needed to be near stock?Other than a tune?

 

[NecroWolf]

Re: Need help!!! Truck is done!!!!

you really wouldn't need low compression piston with the vortec 4.3 i think they end up being only 9 to 1 compression motors which is a little higher than our motors but easily doable. the hard part of the vortec swap is the intake and head modification. there are some other little knick knack things to sort out but nothing serious. i think the biggest issue i have ran into swapping a vortec motor into my truck was the oil pan. i had to buy a 4x4 pan off ebay and put the oil drain in the pan. but all i did was drill a hole and grind it out to fit a bulk head fitting into it. then onece i mounted it up i just sealed the fitting in with jb weld. i got my motor for 425 from a local auto recycle yard, it was an 03 . it was a low mile motor and included a 2 year warrenty. i spend 25 dollars on the pan, 250 on geting the intake welded, redrilled the heads and tapped them myself. i got a set of mls head gaskets and arp head bolts to put the heads back on, fel pro 1203, i think, intake gaskets. ported out my low intake to closer match the intake ports on the heads. on mine i have to relocate my knock sensor the hole is different but pretty much everything was just plug and play. i would recommend a milling bit for making the holes in the head for the intake. then you just need to plug the original intake holes. everyone has a different idea on that. some people thread in allen head plugs, i just put the original bolts back in cut them off flush and sealed them with jb weld.

if that sounds like too much work and money a l35 vortec motor you could just swap the intake and oil pan and drop it back in.