Getting the 3.4 in my blazer w/pics

[maknablaz]

This is my first post on here but I get on this site a lot and look around so I thought I would show you guys what I have been up to.

My blazer after a new brake job, it was all stock when I bought it.


4.3 TB I picked up off a guy on S10planet.

Here is what started a lot of my problems the last couple of months. The water pump went out and I pulled it off to put a new on and decided to just go ahead and put the 3.4 in that I had waiting to go in. When I got the 2.8 out I found the harmonic balancer coming apart and shoved into the timing cover. I didn't even notice it with the engine in the truck and the crank pulleys on!

Here is the 3.4 ready to go in tomorrow. I left it all stock inside, but replaced gaskets, oil pump, and of course Fiero GT valve covers.
I am sure I will have some questions as I get further into this swap.
Thanks.

[neo71665]

Looks good.


I'm just old school and just don't like black motors, mine gonna be orange and I'm not painting the aluminum parts.

[maknablaz]

ITS IN!


neo71665 wrote:

Looks good.
I'm just old school and just don't like black motors, mine gonna be orange and I'm not painting the aluminum parts.

Thanks, I agree that an orange engine looks best but with my blue paint I just wasn't sure it would look right. As far as not painting the aluminum parts I have found that they will absorb oils and stain anyway then just look ugly. If I would have had the money I would have powder coated everything an aluminum color. I have done this before on other motors and its looks great and doesn't absorb the oils and/or gas.

[neo71665]

Still old fashioned, have had orange motors in green, blue, yellow, black, and silver cars and trucks and I still think it looks better.

I agree on leaving it bare, I meant just clear coating it (bare color). I have been pricing some powercoating and might go that route on everything if I can find some spares. I'm gonna swap mine out over 4 days so time is bit limited. Only spare bit I have is an intake and I got it smoothed, polished, and gasket matched.

I wish I had more time to do a swap or I'd be doing a 3x00 hybrid.

[ezrollin]

You'll love the difference in power! I've got the 3.4 in my 87,still looking for a 4.3 tbi with the side bracket holes,none at the local yards here.I also have the feiro covers.Have you considered the caddy cai,it looks good and cleans up the engine compartment.

[maknablaz]

I have made a lot more progress with the swap since my last post. I got everything on top and under the truck done even more than the pics show but they are my latest.



I have never liked where the fuel filter is on these trucks so I moved it to the core support and had some custom hoses made.

I didn't originally want to do it this way but it worked out. I wanted to go the right and down the motor but there wasn't enough room to go right due to the AC compressor and the vacuum canister line so left it was.

Question:
I have been trying to start the motor but I have noticed the fuel pump will continue to run a few seconds after I turn off the key. If I turn the key to on just to prime the pump and back off it stops. I don't remember it doing this before the swap so what could be wrong?

[34blazer]

are you running the v-belt setup are the serp belt?

[maknablaz]

its the original V-belt set up, the alt, A.I.R. pump and one of the water pump and crank pulleys run a wider belt. The AC and power steering each run a thinner V-belt type. I would have changed to the serp belt during the swap but my AC still worked before all the freon bled off when I moved over to the side to pull the engine. It bled off at one of the joints so I hope it will be a simple fix once I get everything going.

[maknablaz]

okay so the latest news sucks. I haven't been able to get it to start, all it does is a severe back fire back through the TBI.
Things I have done so far:
Checked for spark, getting spark and back fire.
Double checked that the #1 cylinder is on TDC and that the distributor was pointing towards the #1 spark plug on the cap, and it was. When I dropped the dizzy in I put it in the 6 o'clock and it rotated to the 7 o'clock position just like it should, I guess I could be off a tooth but would that cause it to only back fire and not start?
put a timing light on but I need to mark the balancer better on the timing mark so I can see it.
I have moved the distributor to both advance and retard positions and no matter where I put it the motor doesn't even act like it wants to start.
The other thing I am concerned about is if I did the valves wrong and I could have them remaining open causing the backfire, when I ran them down I did it according to the manual and they all had the same amount of threads down so I think I did it right, but at this point who knows. If that were the case wouldn't I at least get some run out of the motor though and not just backfire? Please people get me any advise or things to try to tell me what is going here.

I am considering to just have it towed to a shop and let them get it started.

[WrathOfSocrus]

It seems like you kept pretty much everything stock. Assuming you used all stock 60 degree parts and followed instructions properly there only seems to be one item that stands out as a possible culprit.


http://60degreev6.com/forum/f98/help-with-a-2-8-t26319

In that link it notes that you need to reuse the old 2.8 TBI injectors in the 4.3 throttle body. The computer is tuned to those injectors and hooking a 2.8 computer to 4.3 injectors would likely cause massively rich conditions. Even though you increased displacement the computer would have a much easier time correcting the fuel if it knows what injectors it is using.

If you already swapped the injectors then perhaps it is something completely different. The 4.3 throttle body seems to be the only part used in the swap that didn't come from your truck aside from the 3.4 block. Hopefully it is an easy fix.

[34blazer]

TDC of the compression stroke? pull your dizzy and reset it, its prolly 180* off.

[3XTurboAgain]

just remember where you started and rotate the wires on the cap until it starts. then remember how many positions you were off and reset the rotor accordingly. Oh yea if you think you messed up the valves... pull out the compression tester, that will let you know. Good Luck ! looks great otherwise!

[geoffinbc]

TDC of the compression stroke? pull your dizzy and reset it, its prolly 180* off.

Agreed. Confirm you are on compression by removing the plug and holding your finger over the hole have a friend rotate the engine until air if forced out of the hole. You are now coming up on TDC compression. If you trust your balancer mark then set it at zero. If not use a feeler of some sort to bring the piston to TDC. You just need to get it as close to TDC as possible. No need to bust out the dial indicator. NOW drop in your distributor. Follow this diagram http://members.shaw.ca/betterthanyou...nition2.8l.gif