Hello everyone. I am thinking about having a 350 big-block or 454 put in my S10. The only problem is, I need to find someone who knows how to do it; I'm not the kind of person who can work on it myself. Are my chances of being ripped off pretty high by having someone put it in for me? And also, does a 350 BB run great once inside? Does anyone have a truck like this? Thanks. :)

I'm thinking, by your post, that you don't have too much experience with this or anything else mechanical or technical with regards to these trucks or motors.

There is no such thing as a "350 big-block". 350's are referred to as "small blocks".

DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT do anything to your truck or let anyone else do anything to your truck UNTIL you learn more about engines and these swaps. You will get ripped off by someone just waiting to take ALL your money.

Search this forum on S10, 350 swaps for more information.

PLEASE, research about it first. Then research again, and again, and again; until you fully understand what to do.

Here's a website that has some info on the V-8 conversion....

http://www.jagsthatrun.com/index.html

....yeah it looks like it's a site that talks about Jaguar conversions (and it does) but it covers the S10 pretty well.

Punch "S10 V-8 conversion" into your favorite search engine and you should come up with a few sites.....

Good luck,

Mike

also try v8s10s.org (or something close to that) they are a good one for help, as dugie said, the 350 is a sbc, small block chevy, getting a bbc, or big block chevy into yoru s 10, will 1, be verry verry expencive, 2 put a huge strain on your front end, and 3 rip the rear axel off of the truck or blazer, best bet if you have a 2.2 or 2.5 swap up to the 3.4l v 6 from a camaro, its a direct bolt in and shouldnt be to expenceive, or if you want more work, a 4.3 will fit, and give some searous power compaired to the 4 bangers, but if you want a 350 to say you have a s 10 with a 3 fucke 50, its easyes to do the swap if you have the 4.3l, the bolt is a direct bolt in and some electical work, your best moter would be an lt1 from a corvette from 94 to current, they were the 4 bolt main moters, and if its 96 or newer, swap the ecm from one of 95 or older, more power, less emissions problemes, your second best is an lt1 from an F body, they are the camaros and trans-am, they have a 2 bolt main and will spin berrings easyer, but its really no big deal, 4 bolt is better but 2 will do just nicely, if you realize those are to rich for your blood, go to the same years of full sized trucks (i beleve they are the ls series, not sure, that could be the new vette, i get confused) but with that, you will get plunty of power, just buy a core and do a rebuild on a 350, you will need all wireing and computer componets, and a mount kit if you dont own a 4.3, the total cost for you to do it yourselfe, if you knew what you were doing, no offence, is going to be about 2 and a half to 3k, providing you get a fairly good deal on your moter, i would stere away from a bb in an s 10, like i said earlyer, it is verry verry costly, and will reek havic on your suspension, and the reare end would need swaped reguardless, oh yeah that reminds me, if you have a 22 or 25 , you will also want the reare end of that vette or f body or even silverodo that you took the moter from, otherwise you will have way to much torqu (that doesnt come from me often so take it searosly) and horses commen out of the back end and will snap something or grind all the teeth to shit, but just for s&g b4 you swap the reare end you find a qtr mile track and see what you can do, ripping the back end apart ALWASE looks good in front of the autmotive gurus of dirt track racing, hope i have helped some, and shop around, you can almost alwase find a better deal from junk yards or get a better deal if you sit on it

couple more things, and i do not feel like editing anything right now, 1 im currently doing the same surch around as you, and you will come across a buncha crooks, they see an 18 year old walken their way and they try to rape me, cryen shame i know whats goin on, 2 you WILL need a SPECIAL set of headers, a company now makes them, it was on trucks just the other day, and damn it all to hell i cant think of the site jamie said they were located on, someone please help here, and 3 when you do buy yoru moter, do a complete rebuild on it unless you have proof beyond the shadow of a doubt that the person did it justa few miles ago,

Thanks for your help. :) (Note: I already have a 4.3 Liter engine in it, and it runs fine, despite the fact that I have 187,600 miles on it).

... you WILL need a SPECIAL set of headers ...

True, if you want to use headers. However, you can use exhaust manifolds off a 305 camero or corvette motor. These will work without having to do any modification to the frame or firewall. Although it is kinda tight on the starter side.

yeah, you can use a stock 305 manifold, but if your going to put all the time money effort and flat out hard work into something like this, might as well go all out, your only saving a few hundred bucks by using a manifold in compairison to headers, headers really dont give a whole lot of hp or torqu gain, but they now have a set made for this mod, might as well take advantage of it

a big block might be to tight of a fit should go with a sb 350 or 383 stroker.

Advance adapters is a good place to look for anything you may need including advice.also, personal experience with the headers, my truck has them on it now and i have never been able to keep them from leaking. it also becomes difficult to change plugs,the plug wires burn easily, and the starter is a nightmare to change even with the headers. I'm probably going to swap out the headers and go back to the manifolds, just so I can stop replacing gaskets and plug wires.

Would a 350, 383, or 454 be better to put in?

forget the 454 too much of a problem.

I'm thinking, by your post, that you don't have too much experience with this or anything else mechanical or technical with regards to these trucks or motors.

There is no such thing as a "350 big-block". 350's are referred to as "small blocks".

DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT do anything to your truck or let anyone else do anything to your truck UNTIL you learn more about engines and these swaps. You will get ripped off by someone just waiting to take ALL your money.

Search this forum on S10, 350 swaps for more information.

PLEASE, research about it first. Then research again, and again, and again; until you fully understand what to do.

There are big block and small block 350s.

454 in our trucks is just shy of a pipe dream, if it isnt one, you would have the moter at your feet! Small block, you would be amazed at the power from a turbo or even super charged 350 in a light truck

I know where there is an un-machined (origional bore) 400 small block core. It would be a killer motor if you built it up for a s-10.

Your best off just sticking with the 4.3L unless you know a little about swinging a wrench.
Or just trade it in for a v8 powered s-10

A 4.3L when properly maintained and tuned up with the muffler and intake upgraded is quite a torquey engine.