Anybody care to venture about this swap on if I would have to move the motor mounts as it looks close but I'm evaluating currently....I have a 350 that's overheating something nasty and I'm almost at my wits end....

what he's trying to say, is :

Where, in relation to the front of the block, are the mounts located on a 4.3 vs. a SBC???

I am gonna assume that the 4.3 mounts are closer to the front, to accomadate the shorter block. This would put the tranny in the same location, no matter which block you use.

Is this true????

PS - thanx again for the help coyote! I'll be there when you r puttin in the 4.3!

the mounts are in different locations.. i remember checking this out to see if a 350 would swap right in where the 4.3 fits.. it won't.. i know the mount is up nearer the front on the 4.3's.. and i believe the 350 has the mounts up near the front as well.. so there are basically 2 cylinders behind the 4.3 mount and 3 behind the 350 mount.. so it doesn't work.. but to swap a 4.3 in you just put new mounts on the frame behind your old mounts and all else will work..

The weird thing is the chevy had an option for Caprice's from 4.3, 305, 350 and I can't believe they're different....now maybe they have provisions on the frame for both, just not sure... the 4.3 mounts are under the front cylinders while the 350 is split between the front two cylinders...anyone else care to offer anything up unless slotoy wants to sell me his wicked engine.....

motor mounts................how hard could it be?

the caprice, as with all GM cars for years and years, have different bolt patterns in the cross member to accomidate different engines. Bust out with the tape measure, then the welder.....:rolleyes:

Originally posted by camo
motor mounts................how hard could it be?

hahaha.

I can help with the swap if you do it Matt.

Wes

Originally posted by coyote
The weird thing is the chevy had an option for Caprice's from 4.3, 305, 350 and I can't believe they're different....now maybe they have provisions on the frame for both, just not sure... the 4.3 mounts are under the front cylinders while the 350 is split between the front two cylinders...anyone else care to offer anything up unless slotoy wants to sell me his wicked engine.....

350 mounts are not centered between the 4 cylinders.. here's a zz4 crate small block.. bump up the brightness if u can't see the three motor mount provisions..

http://www.greenwoodchevy.com/engine9.jpg

Originally posted by coyote
anyone else care to offer anything up unless slotoy wants to sell me his wicked engine.....

what you looking for?? i got an '89 4.3 long block that was knocking at 74,000 miles in the jimmy it came out of.. i stripped it of all accessories minus the harmonic balancer and pcv valve =]... make a great core or base for a build.. :D

last time.. this one's obvious..

http://persimmonpointmarine.com/images/eng350mag.jpg


i might build the buggy so that 350's and 4.3's are swappable (is that a word?? it is now).. just buy an extra set of the weld-on-the-frame parts of the motor mounts.. then to swap just unbolt mounts of one motor, bolt to other, then line up w/ 4.3 mount for 4.3 or 350 mount for 350...

we need a pic like that of a 4.3, then all will be obvious.

btw, coyote said "the 350 is split between the front two cylinders", not split btwn all 4 cyls... he's better at wrenching than at typing, lol!

When I put a 4.3 in my heep and it was just sitting on the mount it want ed to tilt forward but it only took a small amount of pressure to hold it in place. It had alt, pulleys, WP, belts, TB and no PS pump. No emissions. I seem to remember it was close to the middle of the block. I don't have a pic but i will check when I get home for lunch.

Coyote,
I'm looking at a bare block photo of a 90 degree V6. Comparing it to the clean picture below, the mounts apear to be in the same location as the V8.

On the V6, the center bolt(of the three bolt style) is dead center on the first internal main bearing from the front.

Coyote, I'm looking at a bare block photo of a 90 degree V6. Comparing it to the clean picture below, the mounts apear to be in the same location as the V8. On the V6, the center bolt(of the three bolt style) is dead center on the first internal main bearing from the front.

Awesome - If this is correct, then you might have enough room for a doubler of somesort...

Originally posted by coyote
The weird thing is the chevy had an option for Caprice's from 4.3, 305, 350 and I can't believe they're different....now maybe they have provisions on the frame for both, just not sure... the 4.3 mounts are under the front cylinders while the 350 is split between the front two cylinders...anyone else care to offer anything up unless slotoy wants to sell me his wicked engine.....

The 4.3 in the 90's caprice was an LT1 style V-8, not the common 4.3 V-6 so the frame wouldn't need more than one motor mount option.

--Dan

Originally posted by Lil'John
Coyote,
I'm looking at a bare block photo of a 90 degree V6. Comparing it to the clean picture below, the mounts apear to be in the same location as the V8.


The book Chevrolet Power covers the SBC, BBC, 90 deg and 60 deg V6. It has dimensioned drawings of the blocks and the mounts for the SBC and 90 deg V6 are identically spaced from the front of the engine.

--Dan

Originally posted by elf_cruiser
we need a pic like that of a 4.3, then all will be obvious.

btw, coyote said "the 350 is split between the front two cylinders", not split btwn all 4 cyls... he's better at wrenching than at typing, lol!

haha, oops he did.. my fault and what he said is right..

Originally posted by houlster


The book Chevrolet Power covers the SBC, BBC, 90 deg and 60 deg V6. It has dimensioned drawings of the blocks and the mounts for the SBC and 90 deg V6 are identically spaced from the front of the engine.

--Dan

that's exactly right.. that's why they don't line up in the truck.. the distance from mount to front is same, and what has changed now is distance from mounts to rear.. this affects where your mounts need to be to bolt up to the tranny.. so we can basically say chevy cut off the 2 rear cylinders on the 350 to make the 4.3..

either way the point is the 4.3 and 350 will NOT bolt in in place of each other..

Never got home for lunch. Never got lunch for that matter.

I hate work.

this is the best i could do
http://www.propowermarine.com/images/262lh.4.jpg

i can take a pic of my 4.3 with the digital camera tonite if it would make all happy.. but trust me on this one.. they don't swap.. :D