Ive always been a toyota fan but I deceided to switch it chevy the other week and got a s-10 blazer 4x4. I have heard that they suck bad but I wanted to build up one anyways. I want to swap a 3.4l camero engine into there which i heard you can basically take out the 2.8l and bolt the 3.4 right in. Also want to sas it with a dana 30 i think which is from jeep cherokees i beleive in the 80's. I just need to know where I could find a 3.4l! Also if I could get any other info on s-10 blazer and what you guys suggest I do to it. Trying to make it a dd semi off roader. It's a 1984 auto v6 beater right now.
Thanks guys

too much work your so ahead with a 4.3/700r blazer to start with.

as for the sas ide keep the stock cv shafts over doing the sas to get nearly the same strength as a jeep dana 30.

go with a bronco dana 44 if anything i hear its an easily adapted axle. and since there nearly the same price in a junkyard why wouldnt you just do the 44?

if i owned it ide sell it for a 4.3 blazer or keep the 2.8 for body parts.

the 2.8 trannys suck also (180c?) but i think they also came with a 700r also

haha thanks i wish I could sell this and get a way better s-10 but all i got. Ive asked a couple people and searched alot of sites and they all said that the 3.4l is the easiest to swap in and its smog legal. I had a 4.3 blazer a while back 92 but i dont know. Either it was a peice of shit or it just didnt do it for me cause of gas milage and stuff (probably was just a peice of crap).
I was going to swap the trans but like i said dont know much about chevy. I could put a 350 in it. My friend knows some people that will smog it haha. But thats the easy way out!

get the 350 out of your head

way way way better off with the 4.3 in that truck (since it came with one and its the same frame as the 4.3) sas with nothing less then a 44 and no bigger then 35s and it will hold up nice for you

i get about 17mpg with my tpi 4.3 and it runs better then alot of trucks around here with 145k

Nice. So the 4.3 is basically bolt in also? what kind of trans should I put in? Im going to look up how much 4.3l engine rebuilt cost or a decent low mileage running one. Also what kind of 4.3l? like vortec? or just a older 4.3l?

check out s104x4.com and s10extremist.org and you can find basically anything you want on the s-10. if your going to be going through all that work, put a 350 in it with a th350 and 44 front or bigger and while your at it, upgrade the rear axle also.

hahah that would be to big for me. Thanks for the info.

There is lots of info on the 3.4 swap on www.s10extremist.org . Go to the engine swap forum and there's tons of info on what you need to do the swap (I know that you need the intake, exhaust manifolds, power steering pump, pssibally the water pump also and I believe the oil pan from the 2.8).
The 3.4 is actually quite powerful (160 HP stock I believe), but is supposedly night and day compared to the 2.8.
In terms of diffs the best ones to look at would be a Dana 44, Ford 9" out of a late 70's Bronco. These diffs are really close to the factory width of an s10. I wouldn't bother swapping in a dana 30 since I personally don't think that it's a diff that's strong enough to do anything but mall crawl.

Nice. So the 4.3 is basically bolt in also? what kind of trans should I put in? Im going to look up how much 4.3l engine rebuilt cost or a decent low mileage running one. Also what kind of 4.3l? like vortec? or just a older 4.3l?


Yes it will bolt in...but so will a Small Block. With swapping a 4.3 into a 2.8 truck everything will need to be changed including the fun part of the wiring harness and ECU, tranny, etc.... Again at this point you might as well swap in a LT1.
Go with te 3.4 since all you are doing is swapping in a much stronger short block (all you really use from the 3.4) and you get a strong motor.

niice thats what i thought. Ill probably change the tranny or rebuilt the orginal. now I just need to find a running 3.4l unless i just rebuild one.

Is your 2.8 carb or TBI? if it's TBI, you'll wanna swap injectors. Have heard 4.3 injectors, but recently heard people switching from them to 2.5 Cherokee injectors. Either way, the info is in the link above. Also plenty of arguments for what to do on a solid axle S-10.

it is a carb

My buddy is actually going to start that swap into a 2.8 Carb XJ (Jeep). He was just going to swap it like normal but use the carb it's intake instead. I've been trying to convince him to swap it to FI, but that will probably happen over the winter (he doesn't want to do it and thinks that it's going to be a big job). I was going to do it just to prove him wrong. I know that you need 2.5 Litre TJ injectors, because like stated above the 4.3 ones are a little too strong and the 2.8 too weak. Since you're currently running a carb setup you will need a throttle body/wiring harness from a TBI 2.8 s10.
Also since you are carb'd it kind of opens up all your options if you want FI since either way you're going to need to install/fab a wiring harness.

How about propane? A lot less hassle. Unless you want to drive it daily on the street and have nowhere to fill the tanks.

haha. So you have to swap a harness in anyways for 3.4?

Only if you want EFI.

damn i hate swaping harnesses!

start with a 4.3 blazer and keep the 2.8 for parts and sell the motor and tranny

or get a crashed 4.3

why build a truck that has nothing going for it, your going to swap so much stuff and spend more money doing it then what it would cost to buy another

your time has to be worth something and wouldnt you rather spend more time on the sas then swaping motor/tranny/and a wireing harness?

that 2.8 has nothing going for it, unless the body is in mint

the body is alright but some reason i like the 3.4l better. I have had a 4.3l before and I didnt really like it. i got friends that can hook up on parts and stuff but now i just need a 3.4l engine. Ive been reaserching alot and alot of people like the 3.4l better then the 4.3l. So I dont know but im just going for the 3.4l. Also if im going for the 3.4l i dont have to swap trannys right? but I also heard that the 700 tranny is best for 3.4l

Correct the 3.4 will bolt right to the 700r4 and if you go to GM the 3.4 is actually what they now use to replace the 2.8. The aftermarket is actually quite healthy for the 3.4 and you could easily get it over 200 hp (in the range of the older 4.3's). My buddy picked his 3.4 up for around $600 CDN for just the motor (no wiring harness or ECU) so they arn't that expensive. With the carb on his (most likly going with a ported Edelbrock 2.8 aluminum intake) should be in the 140 HP range, witch is a hell of a lot better than the 60 HP the carb'd 2.8 puts out stock. Make sure that you get the one out of the Camaro since the 3.4 was also offered in a front wheel drive option and that one is pure garbage (intakes are crap adn the gaskets are always blowing).

Not saying you're wrong, but are you sure about them hp numbers? A 2.8 makes 60 hp? Even at the wheels that sound sad. And who dynos a beat old 2.8? Remember, the Metro 1L 3-cyl had 55hp.

In your case it would be the most cost effective way to get more power, IMHO. Keep it carb'd. Even if you went with a carb'd 4.3L or V8 you still have to swap out the tranny at the minimum.

From what I understand, the 3.4L is a bored out 2.8L. Same block, just bored out for about 20% more power.

Have your 700R4 rebuilt when it is time. The 700R4 is easy to upgrade during rebuilds and any qualified tranny shop can do it. I just had my 700R4 rebuilt and it works great behind my little '87 2.8L 125hp, 160pounds torque engine.

Then when your ready, swap in a D44 front axle and run 35" or so. You'll have a great wheeler and DD. Sure it won't be as extreme as most of the truck/buggies in this site. None the less, you'll still be out there having fun on most of the trails.

Your plan is very similar to mine. I am also planning on D44 front, just not sure if it will be Ford or Chevy and coressponding rear axle. I am keeping them fullwidth, unless I get something narrower for a decent price. However the axles/bigger tires will be the last mod I do. Rebuilt motor, rebuilt tranny, refurbished gas tank are done. Next is protection, then a diet, and finally axles/tires/driveshafts.

Not saying you're wrong, but are you sure about them hp numbers? A 2.8 makes 60 hp? Even at the wheels that sound sad. And who dynos a beat old 2.8? Remember, the Metro 1L 3-cyl had 55hp.


I know that the 2.8 Carb'd in my buddies 85 XJ is 60 HP (got the numbers off of the net, but can't remember the site off the top of my head).

I know that the 2.8 Carb'd in my buddies 85 XJ is 60 HP (got the numbers off of the net, but can't remember the site off the top of my head).


That's pretty sad. The 4 banger in a '88 S10-Blazer puts out 92 hp and 130 pounds of torque.

hey if you are interested i have a 92s10 blazer with the 4.3 (new and trans rebuilted) complete 600.00 has problem you"ll beable to over come

sounds like u should take the blazer from jonv61 and go from there.