engine swap question

[NecroWolf]

i've been thinking and it seems to me in the long run it might be cheaper to run a v-8 instead of a v-6. price comparision the 8 is much cheaper. now i know someone mentioned that with the stock fuel injection being batch fire that i can just solder in another pair of connectors one per side and it would run the v8. has anybody tried this or is this a no go? i figure a 383 w/ a 4l80e would be cheaper in the long run than a 4.3 w/ 4l80e. i know i'll have to figure out motor mounts which shouldn't be hard, i got the plans for that. will i have to custom make turbo headers or is there a source for them? i'm just tryin to get the most power from the least amount of money.

 

[jwaller]

Re: engine swap question

I would think that if you were to try and drive the extra injectors you would have to do the ecm injector driver mod as you have a higher load by haveing to drive the 2 extra but it sounds like it might just work.

 

[bezerk]

Re: engine swap question

V6 wil kill the V8

 

[Black Knight]

Re: engine swap question

Just curious how a V-8 is cheaper??

 

[Try Me]

Re: engine swap question

the engine itself is much cheaper to build, cheaper to repair and maintain, more selection of parts, and more horsepower per dollar.

 

[QUICK STORM]

Re: engine swap question

Just curious how a V-8 is cheaper??

parts more readily available and cheaper

 

[Black Knight]

Re: engine swap question

What parts though cam, crank, intake, and heads? That just doesnt seem like a hudge expense, guys make 500 - 600 hp with a 6, it all seems to balance out, maybe i'm missing something?
The pistons, rings, bearings, valves, lifters, rods are all the same right? Buy the time you buy a V-8 block, build the motor, and modify the truck to accept it couldn't you have built your V-6, and have less weight on the front end with a smaller motor?
Are we talking about an alum. block or cast? You can't mean alum. the cost would be through the roof, so it has to be cast, so it will definitly weigh more??
Please provide more info :tup:

 

[NecroWolf]

Re: engine swap question

if you start comparing it works out in favor of the 8 i'm pretty sure. forged cranks for a 4.3 are running around 2000+ while a stroker 383 cranks can be had for under 1000. the headers for the 4.3 are around 2200 while i found a set that if they will fit right are 350. if i remember right the pontiac heads (or is it the brodix heads) require a shaft rockers that run like a 1000. only really thing i've seen that might be a problem w/ dropping in a smallblock might be clearance for the radiator, but i'm ditching the ac so i can move the radiator forward or set the block back. motor mounts might be a little tricky getting some made strong enough. and yes i know the 700 won't survive the small block.

 

[MRKING]

Re: engine swap question

if you start comparing it works out in favor of the 8 i'm pretty sure. forged cranks for a 4.3 are running around 2000+ while a stroker 383 cranks can be had for under 1000. the headers for the 4.3 are around 2200 while i found a set that if they will fit right are 350. if i remember right the pontiac heads (or is it the brodix heads) require a shaft rockers that run like a 1000. only really thing i've seen that might be a problem w/ dropping in a smallblock might be clearance for the radiator, but i'm ditching the ac so i can move the radiator forward or set the block back. motor mounts might be a little tricky getting some made strong enough. and yes i know the 700 won't survive the small block.

what kind of power are you realistically looking to make that you have to have a stroker crank and pontiac heads .

 

[Black Knight]

Re: engine swap question

if you start comparing it works out in favor of the 8 i'm pretty sure. forged cranks for a 4.3 are running around 2000+ while a stroker 383 cranks can be had for under 1000. the headers for the 4.3 are around 2200 while i found a set that if they will fit right are 350. if i remember right the pontiac heads (or is it the brodix heads) require a shaft rockers that run like a 1000. only really thing i've seen that might be a problem w/ dropping in a smallblock might be clearance for the radiator, but i'm ditching the ac so i can move the radiator forward or set the block back. motor mounts might be a little tricky getting some made strong enough. and yes i know the 700 won't survive the small block.

Thats what im trying to do is compare so ill know what to do when the time comes Ok so the crank is cheaper, are those headers for a turbo V-8 if not then how will you be able to use them? If you dont plan on using them and are going N/A V-8 you could easly make the 400 hp with the V-6, is there anything else im missing here? Dont get me wrong I like the V-8 look in the engine bay, but I just dont think it's cost effective.

 

[jbone]

Re: engine swap question

this is just my opinion but even if it is cheaper money wise its just not the same. take for instance Phil Long someone who can do a lot with a little. that is impressive. although v8's and v8 swaps are kinda cool and all, the turbo v6 is basically what these trucks are all about. yeah its a pain in the ass comapared to v8's to get hp for the $, but as the saying goes "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade". I know its kind of a cheesy analogy but you get my point

 

[HighPerformanceTrucks]

Re: engine swap question

I agree, I think it would be a shame and all to not stick w/ a v6 turbo. You may be able to faster for less with a V8, but the cool factor about Sy/Ty/GN/Turbo Regal/Turbo TA is that these vehicles are unique in the fact they were built fast from the factory w/o the V8.

 

[Flyin Ryan]

Re: engine swap question

I have a friend who has a second gen s10 with a carb'd 383, headers, exhuast, traction bars and a 10inch tire that runs consistent 11.80's at the track.. it also has 75 shot of juice and I know going the v8 route is cheaper in maint and aftermarket parts but if you want a project and want to be somewhat different... jam a gn 3.8 in there and invest in a turbo and downpipe

 

[Black Knight]

Re: engine swap question

this is just my opinion but even if it is cheaper money wise its just not the same. take for instance Phil Long someone who can do a lot with a little. that is impressive. although v8's and v8 swaps are kinda cool and all, the turbo v6 is basically what these trucks are all about. yeah its a pain in the ass comapared to v8's to get hp for the $, but as the saying goes "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade". I know its kind of a cheesy analogy but you get my point

I dont know if I agree with your statement that "what these trucks are all about" because you could say that about a lot of parts on these trucks 700R4, A2W I/C, AUTO, just to name a few things these trucks had from the factory and get readily changed ( what is meant by "all about" you mean the 1% of the population that knows they even exsist, shoot only half of them know what motor is even in them and that half mostly consists of the owners, the other half think they have a Big Block, with Twin Turbo's and a Supercharger no offence T-56 )
IMO I would say they are most known for being really fast first and AWD second. So how can you justify keeping a turbo V-6, but put in a 4L80E with A2A and in some rare cases a 6 speed manual. I'm NOT trying to start an agruement just trying to understand where you are coming from on this subject.
As long as it's AWD go ahead improve on every aspect of the truck even if that means a V-8

 

[NecroWolf]

Re: engine swap question

well it's a budget thing and a do it different thing. as far as power, well that number is always more than i got now. the headers i found are actually twin turbo headers. and yeah i thought about the 3.8 swap and it has merits too but it all is just boiling down to i'm really interested by the idea of doing it w/ an 8. that doesn't mean i'm gonna hack the truck to make it fit. and truthfully this idea might change, but what's the difference as far as me using a 8 to do it and someone taking a bowtie 4.3 w/ an oddfire crank and pontic heads w/ a different intake and different fuel injection system, different intercooler, different transmission and so on and so forth? but i have found a good rolling (non ty) body and i might just buy it and build the engine for that.

 

[Black Knight]

Re: engine swap question

So a 3.8 swap is also more cost effective to build than a 4.3? The parts are more readily available?
Does the 3.8 use any similiar parts to a 4.3 or 5.7, that motor is foreign to me?

 

[jbone]

Re: engine swap question

I dont know if I agree with your statement that "what these trucks are all about" because you could say that about a lot of parts on these trucks 700R4, A2W I/C, AUTO, just to name a few things these trucks had from the factory and get readily changed ( what is meant by "all about" you mean the 1% of the population that knows they even exsist, shoot only half of them know what motor is even in them and that half mostly consists of the owners, the other half think they have a Big Block, with Twin Turbo's and a Supercharger no offence T-56 )
IMO I would say they are most known for being really fast first and AWD second. So how can you justify keeping a turbo V-6, but put in a 4L80E with A2A and in some rare cases a 6 speed manual. I'm NOT trying to start an agruement just trying to understand where you are coming from on this subject.
As long as it's AWD go ahead improve on every aspect of the truck even if that means a V-8

Just because most people dont know what the truck is or what is in it doesnt matter (at least not to me). who cares what people do and dont know? How can you justify swapping it to a V-8 just because some shmuck on the street doesnt know what it has? If you wanted something fast for cheap you should have bought something with a V-8 to begin with. I like the fact that these turbo V-6's were putting out the same numbers in 0-60, 1/4 mile e.t.'s etc., 15 years ago that the modern day performance suv's/trucks are doing today with their V-8 motors. Its been proven here numerous times on this board that it doesnt take a pile of cash or a V-8 to make your truck fast. Like you said I dont want to start an argument just a statement of opinion. But - go ahead rip that turbo V-6 out of there and slap in the V-8, you now have proven all those uniformed people out there right - you now have a V-8 Jimmy with a body kit. (once again just my opinion)

 

[QUICK STORM]

Re: engine swap question

i like mine

 

[Black Knight]

Re: engine swap question

If I came across like I was going to do a V-8, sorry thats not what I meant, I meant if you change alot of other aspects of the truck tranny, I/C, and others how can you justify that you should stay turbo V-6 because it came that way from the factory, when the other parts hadn't. I agree with your new statements and that is also why I love these trucks and SUV's.

LOL this has gotten way off base, like alot of threads do. If we go go back to the beginning the intial question was how is a V-8 cheaper than a V-6? I still stand behind this question, simply because you have no motor to purchase to begin with, you already have the V-6.

 

[QUICK STORM]

Re: engine swap question

well i would think, some people that knew what they were (out of the SyTy Community) when you popped the hood would say cool turbo v-6, but i doubt they would ask if you have done the 4L80E conversion as a 4-spd auto is a 4spd auto to just about everyone.