bigd7315

ok here is my question I have a 92 sonoma with the 4.3 in it with 5 speed I want to put a 305 or 350 in it probally 305 because of gas milage but I want a little more torque than I have now what all will work I know the rear and tranny will work what about the motor mounts and the radiator and I also want to keep the tbi I plan on robbing a intake and tbi of a camaro along with my engine will the ecm work on the 305 with out reprograming any other info or problems you have run into please list so I can save all the headaches possible

sreed25570

personal exp. you will get better milage from a 350 the radiator alt a/c all that will work with the proper brackets you will need a motor mount kit there are MANY out there (go to yahoo and type in S-10 V-8 conversion) also you will need to swipe a computer for a V-8 or have yours reprogramed. You may also run into clearance problems with your steering shaft and v-8 exhaust (they do make headers that will retain stock O2 sensors). You said you are just looking for more torque try looking into a cam kit and throttle body spacer for the 4.3. my buddy did this to his 93 s-10 also ran true dual exh with flowmasters made a very noticable differance good luck with your project

dmbrisket 51

the radiator will not work, not well anyways, you want to go get one from a race supplyer, aluminum, and an electric fan, you need a mount kit that pushes the moter forward a few inches, when you get the 4.3 out, take a nice sized hammer and beat that lip at the bottum of the fire wall in, yes you can do a tpi setup as long as you have tpi heads and intake, you also need the tpi coputer (ecm) personally i reccomend buying a long block, i did a short block and sit with 3k into a 350 that isnt ready to run yet... your accesories from the 4.3 will sit on the 350 no problem, but i wouldnt use much but the alternator, if the water pump goes, its a bitch getting it out, you use up 6'' more then the 4.3 and the moter is pushed 2 or 3 inches foward, so you have like NO room for working... my cousin did a tbi setup in his truck, and although the tpi from his 4.3 ran the 350, it didnt run it well, it would sit at an idel just fine, but no power from it, thought it was still running six cylenders... its an expencive swap, but it will be worth it in the end, and you will get better mileage out of a 350, it doesnt have to work as hard to produce the same amount of power as a smaller 8, and the 305 likes to ware out oil rings and smoke, so youll have to rebuild the bottum of a 305 quicker (on average) then you would with the 350... you get a set of headman hedders for the s 10 v 8 conversion and the steering shaft is no problem at all, you have to disconnect it, and "thread" it into the headers, but then there is no clearence issues with it... your best bet for a moter is buy a totaled vehical with the 350 in it, and part out the items that are good that you dont need, ie any doors, hood, bed, all the stuff you dont need, then send it for scrap mettle when done... thats all i can think of at the moment, sorry i went all over, said things as i thought of them, if i think of anything else ill add, and if you have any questions, just ask and ill see what kinda answer i can pull from my ass...

bigd7315

ok well I plan on using my tranny my rear my radiator for now since it is a 5 speed ans I don't have to cool trany fluid, I plan on stripping a 91 camaro 305 to get all my parts just because it is there and wrecked it is a auto car so i won't have a flywheel will my 4.3 flywheel and 10 in clutch work and will the computer run the 305 as a stock engine the cam is roller stock I plann on running true duals after the v 8 is in I am running a 7.625 rear end w 3.42 gears with the locker out of a blazer do you forsee any headaches

dmbrisket 51

i doubt the computer will run that 305 very well... and im not a trannie guy, so im sorry i cant help you there, all i know is that an automatic transmission will bolt up (ie the 4l60E) and im not sure about a 700R4 because i know the 700r4 in my firebird (six cyl) is going, and to my newly discoverd suprise, the 700 from a v 8 will not bolt up, its a different bell housing

sreed25570

the radiator should work fine had the stock 4.3 rad in my 84 s-10 350 cooled just fine exept at a stop on a hot day i had no fan shroud so at idle for extened time it would get warm s-10 computer will not work without bieng reprogramed it will only run six of eight cylinders if it works at all the trans should work cant make a promise on that though i have always used autos when i did a swap probably will need new clutch wish i could be more help with the tranny

bigd7315

thanks i will post a reply and let u iknow if it is successfull