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New to this forum. A member from S-10 forums recommend I visit here to help me get some advice on a peformance swap that I'm potentially thinking of doing.
I have a 1988 S-10 p/u. Has a 2.8L tbi matched with a 4L60 trans. Only have 125k miles on truck. But I just bought it this past March. Pervious owner didn't take very good care of it. Trans is slipping and engine isn't in much better condition. It does get me around for now, as I'm planning on buying another vehicle next spring. Sooner if possible. When I do that's when I plan to do a an engine swap and fix up the body.
From the advice I recieved on the other forum, I was thinking along the lines of getting a 3.4L HT to replace the 2.8L with. While searching the net for performance parts to add to or enhance the HT, I came across a brief write about using gen III heads and intake on the 3.4L.
This appeals to me on a cost/hp gain basis. If I'm going through all the extra effort to gain more hp's by installing the 3.4L instead of just rebuilding the stock 2.8L, then having the intake modified to accept a 4.3L tbi, install a cai..ect. Only to have all this choked by poorly designed heads and intake just doesn't make scence to me.
My only issue is this. Unlike many of you that have had the benfit of someone like father, uncle or older brother to teach me how to do things, I did not. I have some resourvations at to whether I can do a complete rebuild of an engine. Not withstanding, I'm not sure I want to spend the extra money buying specialty tools that I'll use only once in my life. I only have one child and if my ex has anything to say about, she'll never pick up a tool in her life. So it's not like I have any sons that would benifit from inheriting a big tool collection.
My plan now is to find a local shop and buy a rebuilt short block 3.4L from them instead of buying the HT. Then either find an online source or go to a bone yard for the heads and intake. Ideally, again to save time and the need to buy extra tools, I'ld like to find fully assembled heads that are ready to bolt on, rather then having to do them myself.
To make sure I've got all my bases covered, I've spent the last few days googling like crazy trying to find a complete write up on doing such a swap. And while some may laugh at me for asking, I'd really like to know if there's any books written on/about the 3.4L engine. Chiltons/Haynes just are not indepth enough for my tastes.
Lastly, I live in the Chicago area. Not all that far from Brookfield Zoo actually. I would like to know from anyone that lives in the general area if they know of any good shops I should talk to or work with to do all this. Just as equally important, which shops should I avoid?
Thanks
Jax
I have a 1988 S-10 p/u. Has a 2.8L tbi matched with a 4L60 trans. Only have 125k miles on truck. But I just bought it this past March. Pervious owner didn't take very good care of it. Trans is slipping and engine isn't in much better condition. It does get me around for now, as I'm planning on buying another vehicle next spring. Sooner if possible. When I do that's when I plan to do a an engine swap and fix up the body.
From the advice I recieved on the other forum, I was thinking along the lines of getting a 3.4L HT to replace the 2.8L with. While searching the net for performance parts to add to or enhance the HT, I came across a brief write about using gen III heads and intake on the 3.4L.
This appeals to me on a cost/hp gain basis. If I'm going through all the extra effort to gain more hp's by installing the 3.4L instead of just rebuilding the stock 2.8L, then having the intake modified to accept a 4.3L tbi, install a cai..ect. Only to have all this choked by poorly designed heads and intake just doesn't make scence to me.
My only issue is this. Unlike many of you that have had the benfit of someone like father, uncle or older brother to teach me how to do things, I did not. I have some resourvations at to whether I can do a complete rebuild of an engine. Not withstanding, I'm not sure I want to spend the extra money buying specialty tools that I'll use only once in my life. I only have one child and if my ex has anything to say about, she'll never pick up a tool in her life. So it's not like I have any sons that would benifit from inheriting a big tool collection.
My plan now is to find a local shop and buy a rebuilt short block 3.4L from them instead of buying the HT. Then either find an online source or go to a bone yard for the heads and intake. Ideally, again to save time and the need to buy extra tools, I'ld like to find fully assembled heads that are ready to bolt on, rather then having to do them myself.
To make sure I've got all my bases covered, I've spent the last few days googling like crazy trying to find a complete write up on doing such a swap. And while some may laugh at me for asking, I'd really like to know if there's any books written on/about the 3.4L engine. Chiltons/Haynes just are not indepth enough for my tastes.
Lastly, I live in the Chicago area. Not all that far from Brookfield Zoo actually. I would like to know from anyone that lives in the general area if they know of any good shops I should talk to or work with to do all this. Just as equally important, which shops should I avoid?
Thanks
Jax
. It's much easier to swap an aluminum head top end when you already have provisions for DIS, but non the less, it's still involved. 
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