i did a search for this and couldn't find anyone who had actually done it, only lots of people wanting to and lots of people saying "go ahead and put in a 350"

so has anyone done it yet and want to share some info??

i have a 4.3 and turbo 350 that i just pulled out of a 91 s10 (at some point in time the 700r4 was swapped for the t350) and would like to find a v6 third gen to put them into....

from what i have found, i will need v8 engine mounts, and will need to move them back, but i'm wondering if i can get away with using the s10 mounts since i have to move them anyways?

exhaust manifolds, people use third gen camaro manifolds when doing v8 swaps in s10's, so will it work the other way around?

i will be converting to a carb, so wiring will not be an issue....

i really want to go with a 700r4, but the t350 will work until i can get one....

i know there will be some people saying to go ahead and swap in a 350, but i'm really not interested in having tons of power, mainly want it to handle good, but have decent power and still get decent gas mileage...plus have the cheaper insurance of a v6....besides, its not hard to get 305 like hp/tq numbers out of a 4.3

o yah, the 4.3 will be rebuilt with forged flat tops, 1.6 roller rockers, edelbrock intake, edlebrock 600cfm carb, and edelbrock cam....plus some other stuff just for strength.......

 

The only problem is that the 4.3 isn't all that light since it's all steel. Actually I doubt you'll save more than 20-40 pounds over a 350. A 3.1 or 3.4 v-6 with aluminum heads would weight a whole lot less.

The other problem is that the heads royally suck on 4.3, they are very hard to make power with.

The actuall swap will be very easy, anything that fits on a 350 will fit on a 4.3.

 

I don't normally shoot down someone's post but sorry ...I have to make an exeption here.

A 4.3 comes in at just about 400 lbs even while a 350 is 575 lbs.

Factory heads on the 4.3 from 1996 are the Vortecs that have the exact same port and chamber dimensions as the V8 Vortecs. These heads have a dedicated intake manifold from Edelbrock for carbs as well as a factory intake for Quadrajet from most marine supply houses.

Dougy,
If your feeling lucky, you might be able to score a pair of Bowtie 23 degree heads off of Ebay with the dedicated intake. I got my heads bare for $500 including shipping and the intake cost another $350. Look for the heart shaped combustion chambers and not the old bathtub style. These are the only heads that are better than the Vortecs that will fit without special pistons or valve train....and they are aluminum. A savings of about 20 lbs a head. Comp has some good cams to go with your roller block. If you go Vortec on the heads, you'll have to address the lack of guide clearance for anything over .475" of lift just like the V8 guys. You will also be advised to drill out and tap the rocker studs for 3/8" V8 rockers so you can use a good roller rocker. Go to the Hot Rod Magazine website. They did a complete 4.3 build without the Vortecs and they got an easy 300 HP. The heads they used were junk!
I'm doing the same swap in my 2.8. IMHO, ditch the automatic. V6's like standards. Finding a good World Class t5 from a V8 is the hot ticket. Same one piece flywheel as the V8's and same clutch assemblies available including Centerforce. I've got a factory 3:45 rear. Look for something close...a nice performance/gas mileage compromise with a T5.

 

Silence22, a member here, went the dream route. Very cool.......

http://aycu23.webshots.com/image/386...2642200_rs.jpg