4.3L power

anyone know of any places to find parts for the 4.3L? the previous owner already converted it from TBI to an edelbrock carb and intake, now i want to work on the exhaust (at the very least) plus any other stuff i might be able to pick up along the way
anyone got any suggestions?
thanks
evan

Originally posted by airman67

anyone got any suggestions?


Put in a 350.

Originally posted by PWMAN


Put in a 350.

that's about what i expected... (and remember, this is my opinion, it isn't fact, just my opinion) a 350 has been done, it's dead, over there's nothing left to it
i want to do something that hasn't been killed, and from what little i've seen, no one does anything with the 4.3L which i don't understand, if it is a SBC minus two cylinders (and it is) then the information is out there, slight modifications and you have the heads for it, you have the cams, you have everything
i just haven't found them anywhere...

Comp Cams makes cams for it. Edelbrock makes an intake ''I think''. So put in a 327 or something different than a 350. I know the 350 is idea is dead, cuz people killed it. So put some other SBC in, maybe even a BB if you got the dough. I got a 307 in the garage, which most people thought were a crappy engine. They only seem crappy because it never came from the factory with anything but a 2 barrel. But it was a 327 with a slightly smaller bore. I got everything ready to go to make it pump out 425+ horses. Solid cam, ported big valve heads, the works. Now I'm looking for a 79 malibu or nova 2 door to slap it into. Has to be a stick though, thats why I'm still waiting cuz they are so hard to find.

eh...
i'm sorta leaning away from the V8 altogether... like i said, it's been done, don't get me wrong, i know that if i want all the power i can get then there is no real way for me to go except with a BBC, but i like to be different, i've got a Ford 200ci inline six cylinder that i'll be looking to get 200HP out of (at the least, and that's without a SC or turbo), so i think that a 4.3L shouldn't be that hard

hy asa67_stang :biggrin: wasn`t you was going to put a 351 in you`r stang ?

i was, but those nut-jobs over at FSP have me so confused now... i have no clue what i'm going to do...

do you have a summit or jegs catalog if not they are free www.summitracing.com www.jegs.com

4.3's can be made for power.

heres a link to some guy that knows tons about 4.3's, from what I hear:

http://www.machperformance.com

The motors can be made for power, but it costs a lot of money for their mods.

Robert

that's about what i expected... (and remember, this is my opinion, it isn't fact, just my opinion) a 350 has been done, it's dead, over there's nothing left to it
i want to do something that hasn't been killed, and from what little i've seen, no one does anything with the 4.3L which i don't understand, if it is a SBC minus two cylinders (and it is) then the information is out there, slight modifications and you have the heads for it, you have the cams, you have everything
i just haven't found them anywhere...

airman..there is alot you can do with the early 4.3, first thing is you have to figure out what year engine he used. If it has a balance shaft you will be very limited in parts. If it's an earlier model you can do anything to it that you can do to a smallblock.

I have a 90 4.3 HEAVILY modified with little effort..here is a list of whats in it..

Engine is a stock 4.3 production block
cast production crank
stock connecting rods with the I beams polished and shot peened
pistons are stock replacements from a 93 Z28 LT1
single roller timing chain from a GMC Typhoon
camshaft is from Edelbrock
lifters are stock G.M. (rollers)
cylinder heads are stock heads polished and ported as far as they can be
valves are manley stock replacements for 93 Z28 2.00 and 1.50
1.6 magnum rockers
intake is also an Edelbrock as is the exhaust
tbi is factory but has been reworked internally
ignition is msd with rev limiter

airman..there is alot you can do with the early 4.3, first thing is you have to figure out what year engine he used. If it has a balance shaft you will be very limited in parts. If it's an earlier model you can do anything to it that you can do to a smallblock.

I have a 90 4.3 HEAVILY modified with little effort..here is a list of whats in it..

Engine is a stock 4.3 production block
cast production crank
stock connecting rods with the I beams polished and shot peened
pistons are stock replacements from a 93 Z28 LT1
single roller timing chain from a GMC Typhoon
camshaft is from Edelbrock
lifters are stock G.M. (rollers)
cylinder heads are stock heads polished and ported as far as they can be
valves are manley stock replacements for 93 Z28 2.00 and 1.50
1.6 magnum rockers
intake is also an Edelbrock as is the exhaust
tbi is factory but has been reworked internally
ignition is msd with rev limiter

How much power is that 4.3 pushing?

Robert

How much power is that 4.3 pushing?

Robert

They estimated it at 340 to 360 but It's still on the stand after 7 years waiting for me to either sell the truck or get my butt in gear and finish it.

They estimated it at 340 to 360 but It's still on the stand after 7 years waiting for me to either sell the truck or get my butt in gear and finish it.

Thats some nice power :grinyes:

What could u do to a vortec motor?

Robert

hey everybody i was looking through yahoo search when i came across u'r forum i read threw u'r post i agree that sbc are over done and they are dead i really have my mind set on a 4.3 twin turbo to put in my little GMC Jimmy, and i've seen 4.3 without turbos that produce about 500 hp there was one that was selling on ebay and one of my dads freinds has one in his dragster i think if u really want power from a 4.3 u'r ganna have to put a turbo or supercharger.

if this thread is still alive, don't fall inline with the sb/bb guys. My 80 came 229 v6 3 spd stick, swapped the 3 speed for a t-5 5 speed and it came alive. punched it 60 over, ported, edelbrock intake & cam, holley 4160 4bbl, roller tips, accel, etc. runs real good, especially past the big blocks at the gas station ( gets about 22 mpg, probably better when I remember to put in 5th!)

A 4.3L can make real good power. Find a set of 96 or newer heads (true vortec only eight intake bolts) and 2114 Edelbrock intake for a carb. A block that had a hydraulic roller with no balance shaft. Many cam grinders make cams for these. Get a decent cam (get help picking it if needed),a set of headers,free flowing exhaust and a compatible carb. the little engine will run great.