i would like to here about changes for a 4.3 L V6

    Hi there, I have a '96 S-10 Super Sport with the Pushrod 4.3 Vortech V-6 and I must say that the way it now sounds is unrecognizable! I have a set of Edlebock Headers with dual 3 inch pipes and Twister Mufflers(This gives it the rumble of a V-8). I also have a K&N Air Filter and a Tornado Fuel Saver(I will eventually be switching out my box filter for an open air filter like those on carb. engines). I also have a Hypertech 160 Degree Powerstat-Thermostat with Hypertech Power-Progamming. I also have just purchased a Helix Throttle-Body Spacer, which will be installed shortly. I also plan to buy a set of March Performance Pulleys. 

    I also just last week changed from Catrol Syntech to Royal Purple Synthetic Motor Oil(www.royalurple.com), for which I can tetify the real improvents this oil has already made. I am seeing smoother ecceleration, and also I must tell you that my truck is now running at normal opperating temperatures while driving(This is something that has been a problem for a very long time)!!!! You see for some unknown reason my truck would not run at exctly 160 as it's supposed to, but would run at a few degrees cooller. That was until I switched to Royal Purple!!!! I also started using Royal Purple's, Total Fuel System Treatment last week with my oil change!!!! Oh, I also have been using K&N Oil Filters for the last two years(These filters can trap junk as small as 2 microns that gets in your engine)!!!! I even use The Outlaw Power Shot Octne Booster for every tank of Premium 91 Fuel(Also from time to time I also use Trick Racing 101 Octane Fuel), WOW! Oh by the way, I can now go a full 340 MILES on one tank of fuel!! It should increase since Royal Purple is now going to be the primary lubricant of choice for my truck! I'll give you updates on this oil and stuff when I can. What a difference for my truck by having all these parts and lubricants!!!! Thanks for your time and hope this helps you!!

I have an S10 Blazer 4X4 with a lot of miles. My wife loves it and has looked but not liked the Tahoe replacements. With 150,000plus mile and several oil leaks, We would love to upgrade the power and keep it for a few more years.

All help is appreciated.

New V6 or upgrade to a V8 - 350?

  Hi there, I just wanted to tell you to keep your current engine!!! Your engine should last you at least 1,000,000 miles with the proper maintenance and care!!! Just fix the oil leak and check this out!!! I have over 101,000 miles on my 4.3 Votech engine and it still runs like a champ!!! I just sterted using Royal Purple Synthetic motor oil, and Royal Purple Total Fuel System Cleaner(www.royalpurple.com) 800 miles ago!!! This oil may have cost me $5.60 a quart at Napa auto parts, but it is the best oil I have ever used!!! I will never use any other brand of oil again!!! Check out what I said about it in this discussion!!! I have gained at least 280 Horses to the rear wheels with the mods I chose!!! Check out the mods I listed in this discussion!!! This will get you started!!! Let me know what ya' think!!! Have a nice one!!!

I have a '95 full-size with the Vortec heads. I need to know what more I can do to further humiliate those f150's! I have a K&N filter and Flowmaster cat-back duals. Looks and sounds good, but needs just about 20 or so more horses. Apparently, no one makes chips for '95 model Vortecs. It would be great to read about mods in the magazine that could be done by the weekend shadetree.

I would like to see something on the 4.3 all it is is a 350 less two cylinders and a balance shaft. I hear there is a company that has a stroker kit . I haven't found anything on upgrades to the rochester cpi unit. If I don't find something soon a 350 will be inserted in the engine bay. I would like to get rid of the balance shaft but who knows. What performace up grade are available. I hope Chevy High Performance has a few articles on the subject.

Thanks

Here is something to look at on you oil changes. How does 12,000 miles or a 6 months on a filter and 25,000 or 30,000 miles or 6 1 year on your oil.

here are a couple links to look at.

http://www.amsoil.com/performancetests/amsoil_vs_mobil1.htm

http://www.amsoil.com/performancetests/g1971/index.html

I was a mobil one fanatic and I workrd for a company that used Royal Purple. I am getting 23 MPG out of my s-10 4x4 cpi votec  4.3 And as soon as I change out the tranny fluid I am suspecting to get at least 25 mpg.

It is not hard to find a dealer Amsoil can direct you. Just a sugestion.

www.amsoil.com

Before you do anything contact Brian at tbichips.com and ask what mods to do that are your goal for your motor. This guy is very knowlegeable.  

I rebuilt my 93 4.3L in my chevy 1500 and i kind of regret it now. I wanted more perfomance and not a big change in mpg but i lost about 6 mpg in my rebuild. I may be able to gain it back or get close by a chip upgrade or something but it seems hard to find much on 4.3L.

If anyone is curious if rebuilding a motor, you can up your compression 10:1 and still run on reg gas.

Here is what i did to mine. I hade it bored out .40 over because of cyclinder wear had no choice. I put a comp cam 260 hr roller cam in it with roller lifters and rockers. I put a Edelbrock performer 4.3L intake manifold on it with a transdapt tbi spacer and stock tbi. I put gibson headers on it and aluminum pulleys also a cold air intake. Oh and i upped the compression 9.5:1.   this motor wooofs out the exhaust way more than the original pooder it was. I put a flowmaster super 44 and a thunderbolt highflow cat on it. Its not as loud as the v8 but is still a bit different sounding than other v6s. In my own oppinion i would blow away a stock 350 of same year with tbi. I do still have a slight delay i havnt tracked down yet but its only slight.Before i did this rebuild and my motor was running good i got 22-24 mpg and now i get 15mpg. So before you guys do something like i did i would call brian at tbichips.com. I learned that he can reprogram stock chips in some cases with a 350sb chevy can get arround 350 hp and still get 24 mpg. This guy said i should have just went to a v8. And now im starting to agree. Ive got over 5 grand in my motor and now my mpg sux and my wallet alot more empty.

oh if you want to know stock engine was 180-200 hp I think im 230-250+ now cant find a place to dyno arround here but the power is significanty noticeable. If your wanting bigger hp number you might want to look into turbos or superchargers different heads, cams. There is actually alot of things to look into and consider. If your buying pistons look at the 350 pistons it is the same as 4.3L. All a 4.3L is , is a 350 minus 2 cylinders. Many parts are the same as 350 of course except shorter heads cam crank etccc. If you want higher compression you probably want 64cc heads or look into aftermarket aluminum heads for biger gains.

Oh another thing to look into if you want more mpg is water fuel cells. Go on youtube.com and look at this stuff. Its called hho gas or browns gas created by electrolisis using the electricity in your vehicle and you route the hho to your tbi or injection system and it tells your competer to send less gas and burns the hho with your gas mixture. This can gain you big mpg in some cars. Look into it. Its real and not a hoax. Im building one soon for myself. You can buy them all ready made or build them if you want also.

Good luck to all