Ok I would like to pose a question. With all the conjecture flying around lately of the v-6 conversions I would like to know what interest there would be for a complete kit that would install the 4.3 into a zuk. Some of the details would be
1) new Aluminum radiator and elec. fan
2) motor Mounts
3) trans Mount
4) New Dog house tunnel
5) Gm computer and modefied harness.. to run either TBI, CPI, or no puter and harness for Carb model..
6) Either modefied s-10 manifolds Or Header If i can find them

Here are some of the Questions
the kit would be based around toy axles or Dana.
Either A 700r4, 350 With a mated toy case
OR
A 2004r with divorced Toy case.

Now in the kit do we offer the a spring lift with it or have it as an option.
Do we offer shafts or Option Obveuosly we will have to find out what the lengths are during R/D to know what will work.

The reason i bring any of this up is with having 2 v-conversion trucks in the shop right now i see much room for improvement. adn I think I can offer a complete kit, that would allow the conversion simple and straight forward.

What are the opinions... AND we are not looking at a 350 yet so lets keep on topic.

The manual option would be the Toy 5spd and case

It soungs good but I think that the cost is going to be the problem in this group,Alot of people think that you could sell akit for a couple hundard dollars,WE could sure use a good kit,not the lighting junk

It soungs good but I think that the cost is going to be the problem in this group,Alot of people think that you could sell akit for a couple hundard dollars,WE could sure use a good kit,not the lighting junk

well I have seen what $2300 gets you in a kit and well lets just say I can improve on some things.

I would like to see this come to light. I have seen the Lightning kit and I think anybody could do beter than what they give you. Other options would be to keep the stock sammy case for people that are on a budget and building in stages. Lastly a god set of instructions to with the measurments and everything to properly place and weld in the new motor mounts and any other brackets. With the autos maybe include a shifter with the kit, or with the manual the parts to hook up the clutch.

Summit as a listing for some 4.3 headers.

In general, Track/Kick owners are willing to pony up a wee bit more money, than Samurai owners (who are notorious for being CHEAP Bastids™ :flipoff2: )...

So would this kit be available for Tracker/Sidekick/Vitara?

I'm planning on putting a TBI 4.3L in my Zuk. When the time comes, it would make my life much easier if there was a kit available. A TH350 and Toy case would be fine with me as long as it would fit in my stock wheelbase.

Same here, I am planning on putting a 4.3L TBI in my zuki in the next couple weeks. I will either be running a turbo350 with stock t-case, or putting a 700R4 with s-10 t-case and running early jeep axles.

But some quality engine mounts and tranny mounts would be a nice piece to buy. :smokin:

I've been thinking over a v6 install 4.3 , 4L60 to dana 18 using a 67 mustang rad but any thing you com up with would be cool ... it would be nice to see mount that would alow the stock manifolds

Im going to be swaping in a 4.3 with a 2wd sm465 tranny and keep the stock transfer case. Im going to build my own mounts and crossmembers. Im not a fabricator by trade, but I think I can do better than the lightning kit myself. I thought the TH350 would be to long, besides autos are for sissys and pavement pounders.
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87 Samurai work in progress

There is a stock manifold that can be used for the 4.3 conversion. I think its from an older malibu. I can find out for sure in a couple days.

I know about the manifold your talking about its from a g-body gm and you still have to modify it .. i ment using the 4.3 stock manifolds

I know about the manifold your talking about its from a g-body gm and you still have to modify it .. i ment using the 4.3 stock manifolds

I think Stocks are out of the question. If you ever look at what lightning does they cut and rotate the flange on the dr. side and the pass side has been modefied also. They hit the frame otherwise... I am in the proces of geting material to build a header to fit.

Stocks are out of the question. I had about 4 different pairs that I was trying to use and the best ones were from an 85 (?) Chevy pickup with the 4.3L. Hard to find but they were tubular so they could be easily modified. The issue most times with the stock cast pieces is the fact that the Vortec CPI engines, and maybe some of the other FI ones, use a knock and temp sensor on the heads. These cause a problem because they don't allow tight fittings heads to get in close. I had a set of 3.8L headers from an older Monte Carlo that would have fit great if not for the knock sensor! They came up over the valve covers and tight to the block. Oh well, that project has been long gone.....

And I'm pleased to see that a 4.3L kit may be available :-) Wish I had one back when I was building.... Good luck :)

Cheers,
Steve

Im going to be swaping in a 4.3 with a 2wd sm465 tranny and keep the stock transfer case. Im going to build my own mounts and crossmembers. Im not a fabricator by trade, but I think I can do better than the lightning kit myself. I thought the TH350 would be to long, besides autos are for sissys and pavement pounders.
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87 Samurai work in progress


I'm doing a similar 4.3 TBI and SM420 swap with a Dana 300. I have it all in, but haven't finished plumbing or wiring it yet. I'm very pleased with the fitment of the whole thing so far. The oil pan on my 4.3 would have hit a factory suzuki third member at full compression so it's lucky I'm changing that too. Other than the oil pan (and tunnel), the factory manifold problem is about the worst thing to deal with. I'm getting a set of headers from sanderson unless I hear about a factory manifold that will fit.

Will a stock sami tcase really hold up to a 4.3 for very long?

I think a stock case or maybe 4:1 geared sammy case would hold up under moderate wheelin use, granted you have beefed arms and what not. You go with any other gears and hit the gas hard all the time the case may have a short life. I have seen a few behind v8's but that is really pushing it in my opinion.

Im going to be swaping in a 4.3 with a 2wd sm465 tranny and keep the stock transfer case. Im going to build my own mounts and crossmembers. Im not a fabricator by trade, but I think I can do better than the lightning kit myself. I thought the TH350 would be to long, besides autos are for sissys and pavement pounders.
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87 Samurai work in progress

are you sure you want to do that? do you know how much an sm465 weighs? i think you would be better off to use a more modern tranny with an aluminum case. like say from a 2wd s-10 or something. that should be way lighter, plenty strong, will shift more smoothly than the sm465, and it will gain you a 5th gear overdrive. true you wont have the granny low first gear, but if you get some t-case gears you wont need it. the sm465 is hell for strong, but using a sammy t-case behind it makes the tranny strength almost irrelevant. not trying to rain on your plans, this is just something to think about. hope this helps, -marty

I just got off the phone with my friend who did a 4.3 in his samurai. He used a stock manifolds from a 3.8 off a 78-87 G-bodys. He had to do a little modification to make them work.

As for modding them all he did was get rid of the smog pump stuff and block off the holes with a plug. And then something about grinding a little material off the manifold on the passanger side then putting a little dimple in the valve cover to clear the exhaust manifold.

How about a shortstar:D

are you sure you want to do that? do you know how much an sm465 weighs? i think you would be better off to use a more modern tranny with an aluminum case. like say from a 2wd s-10 or something. that should be way lighter, plenty strong, will shift more smoothly than the sm465, and it will gain you a 5th gear overdrive. true you wont have the granny low first gear, but if you get some t-case gears you wont need it. the sm465 is hell for strong, but using a sammy t-case behind it makes the tranny strength almost irrelevant. not trying to rain on your plans, this is just something to think about. hope this helps, -marty

Yes your right the sm465 is HEAVY, but I didn't like how long the 2wd s-10 tranny was. Besides I don't plan on taking it on the freeway that often so I don't need the overdrive. I have the 4.13 gearset in the t-case already and I have the beefed up arms. Im light on the throttle anyway, and if I do blow up my transfer case I will come up with plan B. I know it might seem crazy, but I have as much fun building them as I do wheelin them.

Tom
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87 Samurai (parts scattered everywhere)

Yes your right the sm465 is HEAVY, but I didn't like how long the 2wd s-10 tranny was. Besides I don't plan on taking it on the freeway that often so I don't need the overdrive. I have the 4.13 gearset in the t-case already and I have the beefed up arms. Im light on the throttle anyway, and if I do blow up my transfer case I will come up with plan B. I know it might seem crazy, but I have as much fun building them as I do wheelin them.

Tom
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87 Samurai (parts scattered everywhere)

sounds like you have a plan. best of luck with your project. -marty

I just got off the phone with my friend who did a 4.3 in his samurai. He used a stock manifolds from a 3.8 off a 78-87 G-bodys. He had to do a little modification to make them work.

As for modding them all he did was get rid of the smog pump stuff and block off the holes with a plug. And then something about grinding a little material off the manifold on the passanger side then putting a little dimple in the valve cover to clear the exhaust manifold.

Sorry guys, but what are the G bodies?

Deffinately Interested In A 4.3 700r4 Install Kit. I'm Going With Carburated So No Need In A Harness. Hit Me Up With Details

Doing the swap I guess I should chime in. My friend that passed away built a motor mount for my 4.3 swap. It has to be hands down best design I have seen yet for a motor mount. I personally and going 700r4 with a dana 300 case. I think it's a great cheap and strong way to go. If you want pics of the motor mount let me know. Can't you use the stainless steel tubular headers off of the 85 1500 PU's? Thats what I heard and was planning on using.

Unless your doing a samurai buggy you may as well just buy a jeep, if you want 4.3L power. I built a sammy with a 4.3L, it was alot of work and alot of money. I hear alot of talk from people critizing kits already made, and I bet most havent even attempted to install one. I used a sm420 to a sammy case, the length of all drive shafts was great. I did lower the sammy case about an inch so I could get the jack shafts angles decent.

On the manifold deals there is just no room on the passenger side. Between the frame, motor mount, and starter you have to get pretty creative. The driver side I think you can get away with a stock manifold. There is a bunch of other stuff I could say, but the topic is done to death. If a company can make a complete kit for less then 2K that is decent more power to them. :D

How about a shortstar:D


Now youre talkin :D i think that would be the perfect motor for the zuk if it werent for the 1400.00 harness

[QUOTE=Samurai202]Unless your doing a samurai buggy you may as well just buy a jeep, if you want 4.3L power.


If i ever meet you i will personally break your legs :flipoff: for saying this that automatic jeep will come in handy then huh :D :)

LOL! After having done it, thats the way I feel. I am much happier with a 1600 swap.

All right boys, Dont get your undies in a bunch, It all comes down to personel preference. I went through 3 1.6 liter motors it is a good swap problem is keeping the gerbals inside the block. I have done the 4.3 and am very happy with the results and do not regrett it at all. But the same can be said about the 1.6 swap. They 1.6 just wouldnt hold the rpm of 265: crawl ratio and the high RPMS, not to say it cant be made to handle it, I opted for the larger motor. I now run the 4.3, 4L60E trans, dual cases 1st case 2;28 2nd 5:01 with 5:71 R/P 38" tires the truck in my opinion is much more versatile. I can run Hwy speed or crawl like a turtle.

..... I now run the 4.3, 4L60E trans, dual cases 1st case 2;28 2nd 5:01 with 5:71 R/P 38" tires the truck in my opinion is much more versatile. I can run Hwy speed or crawl like a turtle.

Except for the engine and trans, that is the same setup I'm putting into Project MoneyPit, Second Edition :cool2:
I'm using a W-56 trans.
I'm still up in the air on the engine, use the 22r/re I have or the 1.6 8V...........

The 4.3L sounds like a good idea, find someone that want one and develop it.

Rockrat - any ETA on your 4.3 motor mounts?

Rockrat - any ETA on your 4.3 motor mounts?

Nope swamped with Shop work so I havent gotten any R/D done....

short shaft water pump, 50's chevy style v belt pulleys, electric fan

mine runs about 170 F with full time fan

Among the people that made this swap, is someone that miss the 1.6 for any reason?

Sorry guys, but what are the G bodies?
Chevy Malibu and Buick Regal are mid size cars , that are the G bodies.