Chevy 4.3 fitment |
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cjs cj
Member Joined: 11 Oct. 2016 Location: Florida Status: Offline Points: 157 |
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Posted: 24 Apr. 2019 at 1:17am |
I am possibly considering using a Chevy 4.3 engine in my jeep. My question would be for people who have done this. I would like to know how much clearance you have above the intake manifold that would still allow you to use the stock hood. For example if you put a level across the valve covers and measure how tall is your carburetor or intake? How tall is your distributor? I have access to most parts I would need but was not sure if they would be to tall. Also did you do a body lift? Or still running stock height? I am sure there can be differences in installation and even what valve covers are used, just trying to get some rough numbers to see if I am in the ball park. Thanks
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Cjs Cj
1948 CJ2A |
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Ol' Unreliable
Member Joined: 25 Sep. 2016 Location: CO Springs CO Status: Offline Points: 4226 |
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I can't say about a 4.3, but my first Jeep (an M-38) had a Buick V-6 under the hood. It had room for a Rochester one-barrel (model B?) and its stock air cleaner, without any body lift. It had a CJ hood instead of the M-38 hood. I'm also not positive about the engine mounts, but the stock under-transmission/transfer case crossmember was at the stock height, just moved to the right an inch or so.
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There's a reason it's called Ol' Unreliable
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Bridog
Member Joined: 04 Oct. 2016 Location: Holt, MO Status: Offline Points: 418 |
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We put a 4.3L Vortec in a CJ2A a couple years ago. No body lift, stock hood, and the only modification made to the firewall was down low where it meets the transmission tunnel. Here is a link to page 2 of the build thread for Rojo which has some details and a few pics of the engine placement. I can get you some measurements this weekend if dimensions off of this vintage Vortec engine will help you out. -Brian
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cjs cj
Member Joined: 11 Oct. 2016 Location: Florida Status: Offline Points: 157 |
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Thanks for the link, looks like a cool project.
Brian if you get time I would be curious what the distributor height is. Say from the base where it goes into the block to the top of the cap. I would also be using a Vortec engine but a carb version. Also do you know what the exhaust manifolds came off of? The fwd mounted down pipe looks like it would be helpful to clear the steering.
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Cjs Cj
1948 CJ2A |
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Bridog
Member Joined: 04 Oct. 2016 Location: Holt, MO Status: Offline Points: 418 |
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The engine we used in Rojo was pulled from a 92-94 S10 Blazer and we are still using the exhaust manifolds from the donor vehicle. The height from the where the distributor sets on top of the intake manifold to the top of the coil wire post is about 7". Here is a pic of the distributor height in an extra engine laying around the shop.
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bkwudz
Member Joined: 27 Feb. 2010 Location: Billerica Ma Status: Offline Points: 514 |
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I have a 4.3 with stock manifold and carb in my 3A, body spacers are 1/2” rubber, clears hood fine, With thin air cleaner.
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nofender
Member Sponsor Member x 3 Joined: 10 May 2016 Location: Maryland Status: Offline Points: 2035 |
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Look around at small block Chevy conversions. You can pick up some tips there as well. It's been done a million times. The SBC is the same dimensions.....just with 2 cylinders lopped off.
A lot will depend on what induction you plan. The beauty of the conversion, is that you can pretty much put the motor wherever you like. So fitting should be pretty easy. This motor (all all that other junk) fits under my stock hood with a tall air cleaner and a high rise manifold. Granted not a fair comparison to a largely stock jeep. But you get the idea of what is possible. Edited by nofender - 07 May 2019 at 11:06am |
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46 CJ2a rockcrawler
46 CJ2a - 26819 46 Bantam T3c "4366" 47 Bantam T3C - 11800 68-ish CJ5 |
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masscj2a
Member Joined: 25 Sep. 2013 Location: Chester Mass Status: Offline Points: 793 |
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I put a 4.3 in my 47 a few years back. Fit like a glove, well with a few mods. I did have a 1 inch body lift, and angled my motor down on the tail. Sounds complicated, but not really. Also have another 46 with a Dauntless right now. It will fit. My 47 build thread, not sure it will help, but outlines what I did to that one. Good luck and just do it.
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1946 CJ2a Dauntless aka Jalopy
1946 VEC stock 1981 CJ-8 5.3 LS 1966 CJ-6 SBC TUX 1968 CJ-6 225 V6 1974 CJ-6 4.2 1967 M-416 East Coast Modified CJ's |
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cjs cj
Member Joined: 11 Oct. 2016 Location: Florida Status: Offline Points: 157 |
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Thanks for all the input. Still undecided if I want to do the switch. The current L134 is still running OK but due to my job I have access to the 4.3 for practically free. Would just need to buy the trans adapters (unfortunately not free. lol). So it sounds like I would not have to alter the jeep from the outside which is good. I was trying to keep its current appearance. We will see what happens.
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Cjs Cj
1948 CJ2A |
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Greaser007
Member Joined: 16 Jan. 2018 Location: Anderson, Calif Status: Offline Points: 850 |
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Bridog,
I like the crossmember and trans-x skid plate that you made up to accommodate the granny transmission and the support mount to frame. nice work ! ( I don't think you will have to worry about Bending it ). When I put a T-18 into my '77 CJ-7 in 1984 I used 2-inch square tubing to fabricate a similar crossmember, but my skid plate bolts to tabs that I welded to the crossmember. When I setup a '46 that I took through the Rubicon jeep trail for 2-summers, I removed the emergency brake assembly for Clearance purposes. The 4.3 with EFI would sure be nice for "instant-starts" instead of Carb. And it is encouraging to know that there is plenty of under-hood clearance to work with for the 4.3 V-6. I got to drive an '86 Chevy van that my sister-in-law bought new, and I was impressed with how well the 4.3 engine ran and pulled. Question: did the 4.3L ever use a crank-sensor to replace distributor ? |
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Bridog
Member Joined: 04 Oct. 2016 Location: Holt, MO Status: Offline Points: 418 |
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Thanks! I hope that it does not get bent and if it does there is probably more to fix than just the crossmember. All the 4.3L engines I have grown familiar with are '95 and older and have distributors, but interesting enough in mid '95 a crank-sensor was added to the engine. Along with that crank-sensor they also still had a distributor. I think the distributor was removed from the 4.3L engines and was replaced with coil packs in more recent years. |
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