some one please make me stop

I'd rather run one of the old square body Blazers, your chance of being competitive I think is much better in CAM-T. Plus, they look WAY better.

honestly, don't bother with the 4.3. i wouldn't do any intake or exhaust or program or anything to it. if you're going to run it, don't touch it while you gather the LS swap parts. and spend the extra $100 and get a 5.3. the seat of the pants torque curve difference over the 4.8 is staggering.

Well, I wish you well with it. Projects are something that each person needs to feel for themselves.

I once spent a summer trying to make my smoothbore shotgun as accurate as possible (big scope, trigger work, etc). And at the end of it I was about as accurate at 100 yards as I was with a good handgun. It just wasn't the right tool for the job but I had some fun trying to force it into those shoes.

I agree with Pat, don't do much to the 4.3L, save for a LS swap. Unless you want to run CP, then you are stuck with the 4.3.

As for the stability thing, that usually is mostly an issue in Street classes, where you are running the stock springs. Once you lower it with better suspension and wider wheels, you should be safe to run. The safety stewart for the group you run with will be the one to give you the okay to run, not tech (I did tech inspection for several years). As for the Blazer vs pickup, they aren't the same stability wise. The Blazer has more sheetmetal up high, so its center of gravity is higher than the pickup.

We have had one or another 2WD 4.3 S10 based Lemons cars for several years now, including a new one we just finished. They are not inspiring to drive on track, though they can be fairly effective. The biggest issue will be in putting down the power. The G80 is crap, and even after swapping in a used Zexel Torsen from a late F body, we still have serious traction issues. The only way we have solved it in the past was with a mini spool which was great on track, but terrible anywhere else. We are about to make our own 3 link with pan hard bar to try to give the rear some more articulation to be able to keep the right rear tire on the ground in left hand corners.

Aside from the traction issues, it is hard to get front shocks with enough dampening (OTS Bilsteins are too soft, no other not $$ options, the NV3500 and massively heavy flywheel do not lend themselves to quick shifting at all. If you can, try to get something 03+ as that has the last version of the 4.3 with MPFI instead of the problematic SPFI.

Working on it also isn't great. The engine is shoehorned into it, pulling the trans requires lifting the body off of the frame a bit, many things are inaccessible, and there is the fun of GM using both metric and SAE fasteners. We only build a second one as we had so many parts from the first one after that rusted out, and one fell in our lap for $300 that needed all of the parts we had.

So the easiest way to do the LS swap would be to lift the body off and roll the frame out for the work. The easiest way to shed weight would then be to put a pickup cab on the frame instead of the blazer body.

Also, starting with a 4wd blazer gets you a little more track width but 3-4" more width for the wheel mounting surface. Using 2wd wheels on a 4wd should be good for 4+" more track width. Add Astro transfer case for AWD goodness.

oldopelguy wrote: Also, starting with a 4wd blazer gets you a little more track width but 3-4" more width for the wheel mounting surface. Using 2wd wheels on a 4wd should be good for 4+" more track width. Add Astro transfer case for AWD goodness.

Using 4WD or AWD stuff would disqualify it from running in CAM though.

STM317 wrote:

oldopelguy wrote: Also, starting with a 4wd blazer gets you a little more track width but 3-4" more width for the wheel mounting surface. Using 2wd wheels on a 4wd should be good for 4+" more track width. Add Astro transfer case for AWD goodness.

Using 4WD or AWD stuff would disqualify it from running in CAM though.

But you can remove all the spinny bits and have a wider track 2wd by turning down the front outer cv cups and bolting them back into the hubs as nothing more than a wheel bearing retainer

2nd issue with the 4wd are the torsion bars instead of springs. Not a fan.

Coil overs easy when the cv shafts are out of the way

OK, so this is A.) still available and 2.) still on m mind. To the point I'm considering selling off the bike to fund the whole project. This is a really bad idea, right? I mean, selling the bike would allow me to buy it, the engine swap, suspension wheels and tires....

As for all the negatives yes. I know them. I owned this chassis (Sonoma, 2000). I've owned GM's for most of my life. I own a GM now. I've spent plenty of time emptying the toolbox working on them, so nothing new there.

http://highperformancetrucks.com/forums/gallery2.php?g2_itemId=6827

In reply to Bobzilla:

Still waiting on that build thread.

Just FYI, there's a 5.3 swapped 2 door blazer not too far from you: https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/5799405400.html

Sounds like it needs a fair bit of finishing touches, but it might be worth a look.

nice find. Went home at lunch and grabbed the bike because it's 72* outside....

I'm an idiot. I can't sell that thing for a project

well... I found one in Hotlanta with a bad clutch for half challenge money. still trying to get ahold of the owner. please don't be a scam please don't be a scam

oldopelguy wrote: Also, starting with a 4wd blazer gets you a little more track width but 3-4" more width for the wheel mounting surface. Using 2wd wheels on a 4wd should be good for 4+" more track width. Add Astro transfer case for AWD goodness.

See below, those measurements are already using the widest listed track width and lowest listed height. So thats basically 4x4 track width, 2x4 ride height. Still far from stable.

ProDarwin wrote: 2002 blazer avg track: 56.15 at the widest 2002 blazer height: 64.6 at the lowest So, its not even close. It needs a LOT of lowering and extra track width in order to be competitive.

many people use 2" spacers and use Corvette 17x9.5" wheels on these things. That pushes the track width almost 4" (wheel offset + spacers, plus wider wheels). That puts the width over 60", dropping them 5-7" then puts the height at 57". Now, I'm no math surgeon but those numbers look good to me.

Doesn't matter anyway... can't get ahold of the seller on the boxy blazer(93)

As far as I can tell, the stock wheels are around ~0 to -10 offset. So going to Corvette 9.5s (+56) the 2" spacers effectively just cancel out the massive difference in offset, meaning zero change in track width.

ProDarwin wrote: As far as I can tell, the stock wheels are around ~0 to -10 offset. So going to Corvette 9.5s (+56) the 2" spacers effectively just cancel out the massive difference in offset, meaning zero change in track width.

Depends on the corvette wheels. Some you could get in the +36 offset as well for hte early cars.(84-87)Anyway, dropping the thing 6" makes a massive difference. I'd want to slap on the Sy/Ty wheel flares and go even wider.

We did pretty extensive development into the 4.3 vortec platform. Our finding was that the evenfire crank can not handle making power. Dont waste your time. V8 swap that E36 M3.

still can't get the seller to respond. Not sure how that works. Post an ad, offer one form of communication then ignore it. My initial thought was scammer, but you'd actually have to have comtact with people to do that. I mean seriously, a "ye I have it" or "no it's gone" would be sufficient. Is that too much to ask?

here's the ad if anyone can have better luck. https://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/5878445851.html

I just went to look at one.

The tin worms are adding lightness to the roof. "What's that fung growing in the carpet?"

Next!