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: what year did the 4.3 get the aluminum oil pan? 3car 05-16-2005, 05:05 PM Im looking for the newest engine i can find with a steel oil pan, because im being told by downey that their conversion oil pan dosent work on blocks that came with the aluminum pan. anybody know when the change took place, and what the difference in the block is? DSBANHEN 05-16-2005, 09:09 PM Service information shows the aluminum pan back to 1996, so i'm guessing 1995 is the last year of the steel pan. the aluminum pan is different because of the way it bolts to the transmission and engine to act as the "brace case" for the torque converter. it doesn't have the brace bars or the inspection plate that looks like a 1/2 moon. the trans bellhousing is 1 piece circular and bolts to the top at the standard bellhouding position and lower down along the back of the pan surface. so the back of the pan covers the torque converter and falls the full distance of the ft of the trans. by doing this, the engineers have effectively clamped the trans to the back of the engine at all points, not just the top. less vibration and mount issues. good luck db 3car 05-16-2005, 09:56 PM thanks DB. So...is the block of the 96 and up motors actually different, or just the pan and bellhousing? u2slow 05-16-2005, 11:10 PM '96-up is a significant block revision. Steel pan is not a bolt-on. 3car 05-17-2005, 05:11 AM i see. well, does this also mean that the 96 and up engines wont bolt to older trannys before the block change? DSBANHEN 05-17-2005, 10:32 PM check it before trying it, but i think so. a guy at work used a newer block with older heads and intake and put it in his older body s-10. the difference is in the lower 1/2 of the block and how it bolts to the trans. the bellhousing on older versions is 2 piece, the newer is 1 piece. circle vs. 1/2 moon, so to speak. the upper bolts should line up with the older blocks, though. DB DSBANHEN 05-17-2005, 10:37 PM Sorry. to be more clear: yes, the newer block should bolt to older transmissions. the difference is in the bellhousing itself. the older ones had a 2 piece "brace case" or insp cover like a 1/2 moon that had rods bolted to the side of the engine block and the cover for stablization. the newer ones have a full circle bellhousing with no insp cover that bolts to the back of the pan. the upper 1/2 of the block and dowel pins should be the same. that's how my friend was able to put the newer block into his older truck. let us know how you make out! DB | |