My 1998 S10 has 347,000 miles on it. Any time it makes a weird noise or acts strange, I figure out what the issue is and fix it immediately. I love this truck.
I'm at 257,200 now. All Original. TBI as well, awesome engine. I would like a carburetor instead. But, I got what I paid for. A Super Sport if I might add. 1 of 5,700.
@@briantruck2284 Thanks man! I do my best keep it going. When I first got it at 198,516 Miles in 2016, it would barely climb hills at 35 mph. After all tune ups, it's a cherry. Not mentioning the radiator exploding or the fuel pump relay pooping in traffic or the windshield wipers working when they want or the wonkey cammed v8 sounding starts in the morning. It's pretty reliable.😐
These engines were really tough. I bought a brand new full size GMC truck in 1991 with the 4.3 and drove it until 2005. It had 245k miles on it and was still running fine. A bit under-powered but so what, it did everything I needed it to do. Over 245k miles, I replaced the water pump once, the radiator tank once, the distributor once, and the fuel pump relay once, and one clutch (it was a 5-speed manual). The engine itself never had any issues whatsoever. Then in 2005, I sold it and bought a brand new 2005 Chevy truck, again with the 4.3 and a 5-speed manual. I still have it, and it has 234k miles on it. On this truck, I've replaced the idler pulley once, the clutch once, and the instrument cluster motors once. And that is all. Everything else is still working, including the A/C. Again, the engine itself has never had any issues. To this date, this '05 truck has been the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned.
I have a 2003 chevy blazer xtreme 4.3L 130k miles on it and I have only been able to put 3000 miles on it in 2 years. I've had nothing but problems after problems with this wiring on it, the fuel pump, the ignition system in whole, electrical short somewhere, I can not plug in the mass air flow sensor because it will not idle with it plugged in but will idle just fine u plugged (weird). If I had the funds I'd rip out the entire wiring harness and replace it all. I love the look of the xtreme and will not sell it, I will wait till I can replace everything maybe with a ls3 or something.
@@Bu2Spike i swapped a s10 extreme with a ls motor. Was completely not worth it. Every time I really put my foot on the throttle something broke. I went through 2 engines,3 transmissions,had the drive shaft repaired 2 times all in a year. After that I just gave up and bought another s10 with the 4.3.
@@Bu2SpikeGoing through the same thing with my gmc typhoon. When it runs it runs great but I think my issue is that all the wires need to be replaced. 30 year old wiring finally showing its age. Looking to get fuel tech or holley. I also have an 87 grandnational and had to put 20k in it to get it up to modern standards. I cringe when dodge tries to sell people on their cars being collector's items. The reason classic cars from the 50s to the 80s are great because they are 95% mechanical and analog. As I am experiencing with the grandnational and typhoon that have bare minimum electronics it can be a nightmare in the making. Imagine 20 years down the road you own a hellcat and all the electronics go haywire.
I still have my 95 C1500 Cheyenne 4.3L V6 I drove in high school 21 years ago. Has 177K miles, still going strong. Currently getting parts together for TBI rebuild, Idler pulley, belt tensioner, valve cover gaskets to get it caught up after sitting for awhile. Love driving it
Thanks for the Vid! Got a 2000 GMC Jimmy 4x4 2 door with 202,000k on it for $800 no less. put a $1000 into it to fix all of the annoying typical broken things and made some mods to its front bumper, and in great shape. Nicely looked after engine too. I'm going to do a bunch of the minor replacements on it over the next couple of months so I appreciate hearing what I should be doing to keep it running well besides the obvious lol. I am currently having a loss of power due to most likely what you were saying about the vac leak with that seal. Also, I love how much you could do with this particular engine that's pretty cool. Thanks again and Cheers bud!
I got a 1994 4.3 C1500 and I took it from souther California to Colorado Springs loaded and back with no issues. I had it for over 13 years and it’s still going.
John Casebere I’d say it’s the best engine Chevy has made but in my opinion the older Nissan vg series and vq series engine are pretty dang bulletproof.
Thatdude_ Eric they can be respectable but in my opinion the 3800 series just can’t touch the beefy torquey power, and undeniable reliability the 4.3 has.
@@JLGARAGE252 yes, the 4.3 is more reliable and durable over the 3.8 engine. The 4.3 is maybe the best all around “first generation small block technology” engines produced. I’ve owned probably at least 10 different vehicles with the 4.3 and each and every single one of them was a fantastic engine. A couple of them had over 300,000 miles whenI sold them, one of which I sold to a buddy that’s still running one of the W/T 1500 pickups and last I talked to him it was around 350,000 on the odometer. Impressive!
I had a ‘97 ext cab step side S-10 with the Vortec 4.3. Best vehicle I have ever owned. Bought it in ‘98 with 17,000 miles on it. Sold it in 2004 with 320,000. The last time I saw that truck the guy said it had 360,000 miles on it. 2 heater cores, two water pumps, 5 clutch slave cylinders, 1 fuel pump and regular maintenance. It only left me sitting once and that was due to the crazy distributer cap cross firing. That truck was built on a Wednesday for sure. The company I work for gas 3 Express vans with the 4.3 and have not had an issue with the drive train except for 1 rear.
Love this engine. Mine is in a 2003 GMC Safari cargo and runs like a top. Oil changes and regular maintenance and replacing wear parts as needed, it will go forever.
I have a ‘99 Chevy Blazer 4*4 with the 4.3 engine. I just turned 150,000 recently. I’ve replaced a lot of parts but have to say that I really like this vehicle.
We bought a 2007 GMC sierra from the auction it is a work truck model, 6 cylinder hand crank windows, one owner 138,987 miles on it, got it for a low price, I decided to keep it, I really love it, it seems like old school.
2001 Jimmy 4x4 2 door SLS. Engine is great, no probs 300 thousand miles. Had to do work with the tranny though but I've never had engine problems. I take care of things when they need to be taken care of and the engine is golden. Great vid. Sub'd.
Used to be a Chevy Technician at Carlsbad California and I just want to add. When it comes to these S10/Blazers. When it comes to fuel related. Go aftermarket. Don't go with the OEM fuel pump for example. Everyone who has or had a s10/blazer will or at some point will being replacing the fuel pump. GM messed around with a lot of fuel pumps and TBI etc for EPA. When it comes to other parts, I recommend OEM but not when it comes to fuel pumps. I've seen aftermarket pumps out last the OEM in these vehicles and you save a lot more money on the aftermarket too. DON'T FORGET TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP RELAY!!! I can't stress that part enough. People forget the simplest things sometimes and think its the fuel pump.
343k on 04 silverado short bed 4.3 manual. Original water pump, ps pump, booster, master cylinder, radiator, dryer evaporator, throttle body and ac compressor. Have replaced clutch (luk)and fuel pump (delphi) once. What a truck!
I have a 93 s10 blazer. With 130k miles on it. I LOVE IT. First “truck” and I love it! I beveled my throttle blade and boy. It’s reallly responsive!! Great vehicle. Only thing that sucks is the brakes
I've worked/owned so many of these. I own a '96 4x4 with the 5 speed, transfer case is manual too. paid $600 for it 3 years ago because it wouldn't shift into reverse or 5th. Dropped the trans, took it apart and replaced the shift fork. Put a set of 31" tires, raise the front with the torsion bars, put in 2" body lift. Installed a dvd player I had from last S10. Both bumpers were trashed so I made my own. Stuck a winch under the front by mounting a hitch receiver across the frame below where the crank pulley is, which places the rollers where the cable/hook ride flush with my bumper. I sanded off the peeled clearcoat and black top coat, then used a spay gun and applied 3 quarts of Rustoleum smoked gray, with about 40% paint thinner. The black molding strip going down each side I replaced with diamond plate aluminum strips cut from an old tool box and held on with rivets. LED headlights and backup light.
Man u on point, I subbed! I have a 4x4 S10 blazer, 03 LS model, 4.6.. only has 154k on it, daily driver.. EVERYTHING u have mentioned in the vid literally I have either replaced already, have had problems wit or have been suspicious of
Got a ZR2 Sonoma with 168k that's been worked very hard but it's treated me great so far. Going to do my best to keep it on the road for as long as I can. They have a nice feel to them, very different from a modern truck engine
I'm trading in a 2005 GMC Sierra 1500 Work Truck (4.3 V6 with T5) for a new 2021 (4.3 V6 auto). I bought it new, and the truck is approaching 310,000 miles and runs excellent. I replaced the distributor because the neoprene gear disintegrated at 175k miles. I've also replaced the starter, both front wheel bearings, and the alternator; and I elected to replace the timing chain and water pump. Been the best vehicle I've ever had. Hopefully the new truck will be even nearly as good.
My 98 chevy 1500 pick up truck with the 4.3l v6 has 345k miles on it. I bought it 16 years ago with 110k miles on it for $3k. Still starts right up every morning.
VERY VERY INFORMATIVE!! Have a 03 S10 w/488k on it. Replaced the fuel injector spider a few yrs ago and strangly enough it used to get 17-18mpg but since gets 25-26!!! This is BY FAR the simplest engine I've EVER worked on. Runs like a champ. The REAL trick is keeping up on the vacuum lines and the exhaust. If you feel a loss of power, those two things save TONS of time on acceleration and power issues. Even the smallest loss makes a HUGE difference with this engine. Have had customer after customer come in and wonder what was wrong after lots of guesses. With THIS engine - FOR CRYING OUTLOUD BUY A OBD2 SCANNER!!! We're in the 21st century!! You'd be SURPRISED what ANY person can fix with the right tools and some COMMON SENSE!🤣🤣🤣
I had a 98 S10 that had 370k miles on it and it ran great years ago. Unfortunately I crashed it. I just sold my 2013 ecoboost f150 yesterday and looking to get another S10 with the 4.3. Most reliable engine I ever had. The ecoboost had so many problems, timing chain included. I’ll never get another one.
Car companies are letting engineers create their products in an effort to maintain their jobs . This is a trend in the economy. Unfortunatly no one wants the unicorns they create
this is really a fabulous motor. dependable, in my life experience i rate it with the Toyta 22R in reliability, repairs are easy, easy DIY, I've seen some in this forum almost 300K im at 186... on my 2nd set of spark plug wires, just today. this a fantastic engin.
I bought a 2002 S 10 4.3 standard cab in 2011 with 30,000 original miles on it my place of work is only 7 miles from my home is still only has 90,000 miles on it this truck has been great I have replaced water pump the radiator the fuel pump intake gasket And just the regular normal maintenance stuff.I wish they still made the Chevy S 10.
Great info. for my 4.3. This would have been the perfect video except for the rustling noise on my ear buds, and the shadows blocking where you were pointing. Anyway, I learned some things to check for. Thank you.
I have a 1997 GMC Jimmy. The original motor had 181,000 when it started to have a slight coolant leak on to of the intake at the rear passenger side. I replaced the engine with a new crate engine at 180,000 miles it started doing the same thing. This time I just add coolant every few months and call it good. That engine now has about 250,000. I did replace the starter a few times, the Altenator twice, the idler pully twice. The distributor once from summit racing. Cap and rotor at least a half dozen times. The coil once with an excel. Plug wires twice. I think that is it.
I've got a 2003 S-10 with the 4.3. I also have a 2010 Cobalt that's been very reliable, especially once I solved the issue with harness going to the tranny plug rubbing on the oil filter housing. The Cobalt isn't very rusty, but the S-10 is rusted to hell. I have a move coming soon and want to remediate the rust. Everyone keeps telling me to get rid of the S-10 and keep the Cobalt.. but I like to haul dirt bikes and things like that, which I obviously can't do with the Cobalt. Cobalt just hit 119k miles, S-10 is sitting at just over 130k. I'm leaning more towards keeping the S-10 and using some of the money selling the Cobalt to fix a couple things on the S10 and getting to work on the rust. I'm just glad I'm getting away from Nebraska where they throw salt down at the slightest chance of ice in the forecast
I’ve got one of these in a 1997 S-10. It’s a roller and balance shaft engine, very smooth with an excellent torque range. I’ve got 204K on mine with no serious problems. My advice is to keep up with the oil changes, use high quality oil, and don’t skip fuel filter changes. I change mine every 15K instead of the 30K recommended. Be sure to never run it out of gas because that’s quite hard on the fuel pump. It seems like it only takes one occurrence to potentially cause a problem.
Oh wow, I always do 5k oil changes in my van. Didn’t know the recommended is 30k? That seems a bit high, doesn’t matter a whole lot to me I’m gonna stick to the 5k oil changes because I’m turboing mine this winter
I’ve always changed the filter at every oil change. Why keep all that contaminated oil in the system that is sitting in the filter? They don’t cost much and you’re already doing the job.
I have an 04 Blazer ZR2. I built a 1995 non balance shaft 4.3, had splayed 4 bolt mains ARP main studs, Mahle forged pistons, and Eagle H beam rods installed. I had a set of vortec heads and 1992 Syclone intake modified with ARP head studs with Cosmetic MLS head gaskets installed. I was planning on running a turbo on it. Had to scrap the turbo idea because I would have to delete my A/C and modify the inner fender. So I will just buy headers and run it with individual fuel injectors and coils like the LS but in a 4.3 V6. I wanted to upload some pictures but youtube wouldn't let me.
@@TheMrJoBo I wanted to put pictures up but youtube wouldn't let me. Ithas the holley HP EFI ECU in it to run the engine. I put the 1995 Bravada AWD passenger side shaft housing and transfer case in it. With the S10 ZR2 cast iron front differential.
I'm not sure if your 2002 has this problem, but my 1995 4.3 had the common problem with the remote oil filter hoses going bad. I fixed this problem with some compression fitting steel braided hoses.
I've been driving this 93 chevy 1500 2 wd 6 cylinder manual transmission for 330 000 and still going. Nothing tougher. Pulled bass boat or travel trailer to the lake many times.
There good trucks and engines but sometimes not reliable but if ur up on the tune ups and spark plugs and fuses and also clean Fuji filters, it’s a must to have everything new or in good condition to not have problems. I love my bagged 98 s10
i had a 06 chev pickup with the 4.3 drove it 15 yrs, 415 thousand on it, engine was still runing very good when i got rid of it couldnt ask fo a better moter
Ima buy a 1995 s10 5 speed with this engine thank you for the info, I can’t wait to see how it compares to my 87 Jeep Cherokee it’s a 5 speed as well with the 4.0 sucker will move if you let it
I definitely love my 2002 Silverado with the 4.3. It's at about 180k. I've replaced the alternator and the a/c compressor. Regular maintenance is the key, along with driving it gently. The transmission's great. My only regret is that I didn't learn about changing transmission fluid earlier in its life.
Keep it up and you’ll be driving that truck for a long time. My 96 Sierra with the 4.3 and 5 speed just rolled over 312,000 miles on original drive train. I daily it, runs like a top and id drive it across the country right now.
@@elitewarior210 I disconnected the upper transmission line at the radiator, and I ran an extension hose from the line to an oil catch pan. Then I had someone start the truck to cause the fluid to pump out. At the same time I added new fluid through the transmission dip stick tube. I did that until the outgoing fluid was mostly clear red. Then I just added fluid until it showed full on the stick. There are good videos out there on doing it on that truck. There are also good videos arguing to NOT do a full fluid change if the truck is over about 60k and never had a fluid change, because the transmission may be now relying on the grit in the fluid for the clutch plates to grab. Good luck! It was pretty easy once I bought the tubes and set everything up.
All good info. Only thing I noticed is your hoses on the water pump are reversed, the bypass U shape hose goes to the lower barb, it’s crimped because it’s on that long high one that’s for the heater feed
Just bought a 2000 chevy blazer with the 4.3. 167000 sounds like a champ. Just gotta fix the throttle position sensor, and clean the throttle body and she should run mint
Seems like a real no nonsense video to me. Good work. Anyone complaining about the mic, the intro or whatever can ____off. Any real car guy doesn't give a flyin flip about video production! The educational value far exceeds what people are whining about.
UberLummox can’t tell if your being sarcastic but heck I’ll take it, and yes I love the 4.3 Powertrain in the s-series trucks so I wanna put videos out there that everyone has access to in which they can benefit from.
@@JLGARAGE252 NO! No sir. Not being sarcastic at all. Funny 'cause people tell me that all the time! : ) I'm a musician and have a great ear and didn't really notice the mic thing because I'm also a mechanic (body shop owner) so my mind focused on what was important to me pertaining to THIS video, which was automotive, not some orchestra. : ) You also have a nice way of speaking and you went right from it's historical inception as part of a 350 (which your vid came up 1st. when typing that question in which I was looking for!) then right through the basics of the engine from a "keepin' it going" standpoint. Very valuable! I had a sweet little '84 or '85 carbed S-10 4X4 std. w/a plow for my shop, and even w/the puny 2.8, it would move just about any amount of snow in front of it's blade. Always heard the early 4.3 was a powerhouse though. - Thanks again!
@@JLGARAGE252 Right on brutha! You're welcome. Yeah, I know it can be hard to really understand someone with just the typed word as the conversation. Keep on truckin'! : )
I put a Standard Motor Fuel Injector in my 2003 GMC Sierra when the factory one failed, it has 186K on the 4.3L V6. I like the truck, I paid $15,600.00 for it in August of 2003, still runs very well. I consider myself fortunate not to have spent more over all these years for transportation. One thing I like over the 350s I have owned: This engine runs nice and cool.
Awesome video I picked up a GMC SIERRA 1500 beater with a 4.3 V6 403000 miles and am going through her this video really helps understand how to keep them on the road 👍I've removed the vortec air box resonator installed a cap cover and installed a oil valve cover breather in place of the oil fill cap the next thing I'm doing is modifing the throttle blades and getting a better flowing and louder muffler any additional advice is appreciated looking for more bolt on mods for power and torque and better fuel mileage if possible
my 04 s10 has got the 4.3 in it and its at almost 170k miles and still runs like new but that's with some care you cant ignore the issues though it can be a bit pricey but luckly the cars with it are aging so for every one of these on the road there's 30 in a scrap yard :)
That’s true, Chevy as of I believe 2-3 years ago has officially dropped many of the parts from their factory catalog, rock auto and GMpartsdirect are the honey holes for these parts.
1995 chevy astro van 4.3 256.000 and all factory except the transmission which is a one year transmission due to additional silinoid in valve body a pain in the A. S !!! Trying to get a good transmission in Tazewell County Virginia other than that she's a keeper love them 4.3s I call them short block 350s lmao 🤣
My 02' Blazer ZR2 has 300k on her & she runs like brand new. I'm the 2nd owner and it's super clean. That damn distributor cap has been replaced 3 times because of moisture. I did have to get the coil & ecm along with a new Distributor, wires & plugs replaced. She runs better than my Wife's new car. Can't feel it running at a red light. I did get a new hd tranny because the stock sunshield brakes but besides basic maintenance, that's it. Fuel Trims are 1.0 bank 1 & 0.0 on bank 2 getting 16mpg in town & 18 on highway. Same as a brand new sticker ZR2 in 2002.
Good thing about the 4.3 is that there the civics of the gm world. Any local scrap yard will have 10 of these. Parts are cheap. My gramps has 300k miles on his old 01 s10.
@@suzieq8379 keep your oil changed and you just barely breaking that engine in.. My 01 jimmy has 181k on it. Im looking to get many many miles out of it
230,000 miles got transmission rebuilt an level one upgrade in early November an hoping to get a long life out of my 95 blazer. If the motor goes I plan on having some money saved up to rebuild or maybe even upgrade the engine but I'll have to do more research if that worth the kind of investment to modify it at all.
@@randywells8974 how far do you drive? You confident in it goin on smll road trips? I got an 01 jimmy with 184.3k miles engine was rebuilt at 179 the top end
The 4.3 is used in many forklifts, Doosan,Cat, Yale…and manufactured currently. PSI LP fuel system. Good powerful engine for the 7000 lb up to 14000lb lift capacity. !!
I am so glad i found this video. I have had my 03 sonoma zr3 with the 4.3 for 7 years now and almost each thing you said was an issue I have delt with. Your fan shroud looks like it may have had the same issue as mine did.. bad motor mount allowed engine to move too much and the fan caught the shroud and blew pieces of plastic right through the rad... that happened 2 times and 3 shops never diagnosed the bad motor mount..
Well I’m glad this video was spot on for ya I’ve owned 2 ZR2s now and their fairly well built trucks but like everything else they have their own problems
@@JLGARAGE252 I definitely love my truck. One question for you... ive got a coolant leak that i can see pooling right under the ac compressor on top of the power steering pump. Would that be an intake gasket issue or something else.
I have a chevy s10 with 328,000 miles and I bought it brand new back in 1998 and put all the miles on it. its got a random misfire p0300.. which its not smoking any and when it misfires you can barely notice it.. I am hoping to get 400,000 miles out of it.. but which its got a rear main seal leak which it does not leak much just a little oil from time to time.. but no smoking or knocking. or running hot.. I am dealing with the misfire and hopeful will have it resolved soon.. my throttle body cover I think on the air flow cap. I think is causing the issue.. its been a great and hard working more and very strong..
My 1999 new body style GMC Sierra 4.3 had poor acceleration, sputtering and lack of power. Turns out it was the MAF sensor was extremely dirty. I just replaced it with an AC Delco and my problems were over.
In order to pass Illinois emissions test, had to replace distribruter. 2007 Silverado classic. I think it's one of the last 6 cylinder manual Chevrolet made so I am keeping it running clean. Seriously, I love this 8 foot bed truck. Can I afford a new one?, yes. But it's fun to be engaged, and drive.
Thanks for the video. By far the best video about this engine. I know you probably get tired of people asking you questions, but I'm going to try anyways. I recently had to change out my passenger side head and gasket. Got it all back together and was throwing the dreaded p0304 code. Replaced all little stuff like plugs, wire,cap, rotor, coil. Nothing changed. Then adjusted the valves and got rid of the p0304 code but it was replaced by the camshaft sensor code. My question though is since the head replacement the top of the engine makes a tic/knock. . More than a tic but not quite a knock. Any idea? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks
I have a 2000 chevy s10 4.3 4x4 222k miles. Regular oil changes and ignition changes. Big major problem I've only ever had was lower intake manifold gasket replace, and the inside was still super clean for 222k miles... other than that new radiator, waterpump, thermo housing, thermo, radiator hoses... and it still running strong. Drive it 60 miles a day to work and it still had orginal AC lol and works. Also, my cats got clogged so I chopped them off and I straight piped it. (Live in Florida). Runs like a champ.
Noticed You had a fairly new alt on the truck I'm guessing a CS-130 85amp Hope you understand Tahoe And other larger trucks That have Powerseats And all the power options Have the AD-244 145amp Alt (100amps @idle) For around the same price of the other alt depending on where and who you buy from. I replaced mine And the bolts line right up No issues Other then You need to make sure its the same plug holes 2 vs 4? And a 1 inch larger belt Then your stock one ..I when over board And Replaced all the larger gauge wiring with Welding cable copper 1/0 gauge wire And hammered copper lugs with shielding And a smudge of electrostatic grease inside Added a rear alt bolt to the alt bracket And ground it off from there (Power has a quicker path And does not bounce around the alt trying to come in or out on a front mount) Another common issue People over look when it comes to fuel issues is the Fuel pressure regulator They don't hook up a fuel pressure tester And Or don't know what they are looking at when they do And start swaping out parts as a fix till they find the right part I bought my Blazer Very cheap because of this ... New Fuel pump, New Updated fuel injectors, Fuel filter, Spark plugs, wires, dis, Oil, Thorttle body cleaned, New vac hoses, Still ran ruff... $500 from $1,000 As i told him It could be a simple over looked part Or a major engine swap... Ran a test fuel press was bleeding Meaning a compression issue. Or loss of fuel before hand. Check each spark plug that was fairly new One was more dirty then the rest which told me ether it is not firing proper Or something else not right ...Had to remove the intake anyways ..And yup Pass side rear of the intake sparkling clean like new And the rest of the intake was black from normal carbon At the bottom of the FPR with a weeping hole and a single drop of fuel saying hello ! When the FPR mini screen is full of junk (finer then a fuel filter) back pressure happens And blows a seal The fuel still enters and passes But part of the mass pressure weeps out And enters the intake ($34) Had the Truck (2005 Blazer) 5 years now Nothing but normal wear and tear (rubber lines, tune up Oil etc) no engine codes They make great campers If you tear down the rear to metal and rebuild them Traveled coast to coast of Canada 2 people 2 dogs And slept inside fully layed out
my 97 Jimmy 4.3 L won't start after I changed the fuel pump I've checked everything , starting to run out of ideas , got 61 pound's up at the rail , fire on all the plugs and got air , aren't those the 3 things I need to get this thing goin , or is there more ...
@@JLGARAGE252 yes cranks and cranks but won't hit , swapped out the spider injector ,and whole distributor , and made sure I hadn't jumped time , still won't hit ....
I had to replace the alternator due to the whining sound and it fixed it but thats good to know for future reference. I have a 2003 chevy blazer xtreme and i have definitely opted in to drop a lq9 into other than rebuilding the v6.
Med II the 4.3 in my opinion is a solid engine to build but a lq9 would be pretty sweet, sadly the engine bay size has downsized compared to the 1st and 2nd gen s10s
I Have a 1995 gmc sonoma 4x4 with the 4.3L, just replaced transmission at 196,000 mi motor still runs great, had to replace remote oil filter lines, if anyone is faced with having to replace , since from what ive read is a common issue, save yourself the hassel and frustration and loosen the motor mount on the drivers side and jack the engine up first, it will save you hours of frustration
Hey I just picked up my hoses today and was thinking id throw em in tomorrow. Is jacking it up only for the lines to the remote filter or would it help with the rad to filter hoses too? I only have to do rad to filter
@@JNN131 yeah you should be good just doing the lines from the filter to radiator those shots be easy I just got done last night replacing the ones from the pan to the oil filter, and it was a job didn't have to take the motor mount out , but did have to jack the engine up drop loose the bell housing access cover , disconnect the front drive line (mine is 4x4) and take the fender well out on driver's side then all I had left was 1 support bar in the way that goes from bell housing to side of the engine .the best way I found to get to the lines to the filter is to remove the fender well, I couldn't have done it without, you got it easy the front ones there's nothing in your way good luck!
I have a 2003 GMC Jimmy 2 door 4WD with 270,000 miles. It has been very dependable with minimal problems. I did have to replace the spider injectors a few years ago and the air conditioner compressor. I do now have an issue with the idle remaining high after the engine is up to temperature. In fact I can be driving 40mph and take my foot off the accelerator and 3-4 miles later it is still going 40mph. Sometimes it even pickup speed and when I get to a stop sign I have to use a lot of breaking to slow. If I pop the tranny into neutral the rpm’s will climb to 2000. Doesn’t appear to be a vacuum leak. Any thoughts?
Great motor, I too have an '02 Zr2 that I drive everyday. One of the best reliable vehicles I've ever owned. Just shy of 200k miles right now and still running strong.
Bummed Chevy stopped making the s-10 , first vehicle ever was a 1985 S10 blazer 2.8 carbureted it was the "Tahoe package" power windows power locks and cruise control in 1985, whaaaaat? Haha then in high school I had a 1995 2wd extended cab with a 4cyl 2.2l I believe with a 5 speed, the shift came from under the dash and was like over 2ft long, every other s-10 that year I have seen had a short like 12inch or less shifter that came out closer to the seat, had the tranny rebuilt and the guy said it was original, no cut outs like it had the other shifter setup, but for a 4cyl that thing went pretty good, I was young and thought I was cool so I lowered it, rims tires, put a 2000 front end on it, welded roll pan the whole nine. Did most of it myself with my dad and it was my baby till I hit a deer on the highway and had to replace the whole front end. Put it back to stick and sold it with 250,000 miles to a guy my dad works with and he drive it for quite a few years after. Got a 98 S-10 extended cab 4x4 after with the 4.3 and had it for 5 years or so. Then doing construction the S10s weren't cutting it anymore so went to fill size Chevy, had a 06 Silverado 1500 for 15 years and have a 06 2500hd for work and a 2016 Silverado. The new ones are nice yah, but to this day my 95 S10 is still my favorite and most comfortable truck. The seats were just perfect I dunno. Boy that was a rant haha
What brand is the cold air intake? I have the same engine on my 99 1500 Silverado short bed and I loved but I'm looking to install a cold air intake! Thanks for your good review.
I've owned vortec 350s all my life so I am familiar with most issues you've mentioned, like I put the upgraded spider in my truck 2 years ago. I just bought an 01 astro van with the vortec 4.3 so I'm learning what I can about it. Sounds like its all the same issues for what is essentially the same engine less 2 cylinders. Lol they even sound very similar at idle lol. I always dismissed this engine as weak, but I'm surprised at how much get up and go the astro has. It gets out of its own way just fine. I was very surprised a big heavy van actually feels a little peppy. I think I have a burnt valve on the truck so will be driving this van for a while, its sits up high like the truck (96 7z1) and the interior is close enough lol so I won't be missing the truck too bad until I have time to fix it. I'll enjoy the fuel mileage and the comfort, I'll miss the 3.73s and the exhaust note.
You saved me greatly! I mean I thought I had bad power steering whine and it was just an idler pulley! Also I am concerned at after I let my engine sit over a few days it cranks 15 seconds before it starts. Idk what that could be
That would be the next thing to look at, over time GM fuel pumps lose the ability to build initial start pressure, usually will drop a couple PSI of the years.
recently got a single cab 96 s10 with the 4.3 and man that thing is way funner than I ever thought , burns out and does donuts better than my 95 single cab c1500 with the bigger 5.7,,, fukin awesome
That's right Marina did buy it with Marina does not use that spider fuel injection Good reason That's the improvement fuel injection for that engine. But also One of us still general motors on the 2007 4.3 they went with a non-distributor setup using a coil box and where the old distributor went they use a oil driver. And if you know how the program a computer you could go to clear unplug.
You forgot about DeX-cool eating intake manifold gaskets. Did mine twice in 3 years then switched to regular green coolant and has been fine for 9 years so far.
2000S10V6 engine coolants are formulated differently, green formulas are typically all aluminum engines, dex cool is formulated for cast engines, prolly not a good idea to be using green or blue in a orange formulated engine
My 1998 S10 has 347,000 miles on it. Any time it makes a weird noise or acts strange, I figure out what the issue is and fix it immediately. I love this truck.
Jesus their reliable
@Mur Doc right around their cap, hopefully you see 450
I'm at 257,200 now. All Original. TBI as well, awesome engine. I would like a carburetor instead. But, I got what I paid for.
A Super Sport if I might add. 1 of 5,700.
❤️🤟
@@briantruck2284 Thanks man! I do my best keep it going. When I first got it at 198,516 Miles in 2016, it would barely climb hills at 35 mph. After all tune ups, it's a cherry. Not mentioning the radiator exploding or the fuel pump relay pooping in traffic or the windshield wipers working when they want or the wonkey cammed v8 sounding starts in the morning. It's pretty reliable.😐
These engines were really tough. I bought a brand new full size GMC truck in 1991 with the 4.3 and drove it until 2005. It had 245k miles on it and was still running fine. A bit under-powered but so what, it did everything I needed it to do. Over 245k miles, I replaced the water pump once, the radiator tank once, the distributor once, and the fuel pump relay once, and one clutch (it was a 5-speed manual). The engine itself never had any issues whatsoever. Then in 2005, I sold it and bought a brand new 2005 Chevy truck, again with the 4.3 and a 5-speed manual. I still have it, and it has 234k miles on it. On this truck, I've replaced the idler pulley once, the clutch once, and the instrument cluster motors once. And that is all. Everything else is still working, including the A/C. Again, the engine itself has never had any issues. To this date, this '05 truck has been the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned.
I have a 2003 chevy blazer xtreme 4.3L 130k miles on it and I have only been able to put 3000 miles on it in 2 years. I've had nothing but problems after problems with this wiring on it, the fuel pump, the ignition system in whole, electrical short somewhere, I can not plug in the mass air flow sensor because it will not idle with it plugged in but will idle just fine u plugged (weird). If I had the funds I'd rip out the entire wiring harness and replace it all. I love the look of the xtreme and will not sell it, I will wait till I can replace everything maybe with a ls3 or something.
@@Bu2Spike i swapped a s10 extreme with a ls motor. Was completely not worth it. Every time I really put my foot on the throttle something broke. I went through 2 engines,3 transmissions,had the drive shaft repaired 2 times all in a year. After that I just gave up and bought another s10 with the 4.3.
I’m getting a 91 1500 today with a 4.3 in it
I was thinking about doing a ls swap but, what I hear about this engine makes me want to keep the one i got and, maybe get a new one! lol
@@Bu2SpikeGoing through the same thing with my gmc typhoon. When it runs it runs great but I think my issue is that all the wires need to be replaced. 30 year old wiring finally showing its age. Looking to get fuel tech or holley. I also have an 87 grandnational and had to put 20k in it to get it up to modern standards. I cringe when dodge tries to sell people on their cars being collector's items. The reason classic cars from the 50s to the 80s are great because they are 95% mechanical and analog. As I am experiencing with the grandnational and typhoon that have bare minimum electronics it can be a nightmare in the making. Imagine 20 years down the road you own a hellcat and all the electronics go haywire.
Busted knuckles and dirty fingernails are a testament to your DIY prowess. Thanks for all the great info in one short concise video.
I still have my 95 C1500 Cheyenne 4.3L V6 I drove in high school 21 years ago. Has 177K miles, still going strong. Currently getting parts together for TBI rebuild, Idler pulley, belt tensioner, valve cover gaskets to get it caught up after sitting for awhile. Love driving it
Thanks for the Vid! Got a 2000 GMC Jimmy 4x4 2 door with 202,000k on it for $800 no less. put a $1000 into it to fix all of the annoying typical broken things and made some mods to its front bumper, and in great shape. Nicely looked after engine too. I'm going to do a bunch of the minor replacements on it over the next couple of months so I appreciate hearing what I should be doing to keep it running well besides the obvious lol. I am currently having a loss of power due to most likely what you were saying about the vac leak with that seal. Also, I love how much you could do with this particular engine that's pretty cool. Thanks again and Cheers bud!
I got a 1994 4.3 C1500 and I took it from souther California to Colorado Springs loaded and back with no issues. I had it for over 13 years and it’s still going.
Probably one of the best engines ever produced in my opinion. I have a 2000 Chevy Blazer and its got 230,000 miles, still running very strong!
John Casebere I’d say it’s the best engine Chevy has made but in my opinion the older Nissan vg series and vq series engine are pretty dang bulletproof.
Don’t forget how great the 3.8s are
Thatdude_ Eric they can be respectable but in my opinion the 3800 series just can’t touch the beefy torquey power, and undeniable reliability the 4.3 has.
I love my 95 blazer also 230,000 miles. Got the transmission rebuilt an a level 1 upgrade. Put a smile on my face when it can take off.
@@JLGARAGE252 yes, the 4.3 is more reliable and durable over the 3.8 engine. The 4.3 is maybe the best all around “first generation small block technology” engines produced. I’ve owned probably at least 10 different vehicles with the 4.3 and each and every single one of them was a fantastic engine. A couple of them had over 300,000 miles whenI sold them, one of which I sold to a buddy that’s still running one of the W/T 1500 pickups and last I talked to him it was around 350,000 on the odometer.
Impressive!
I had a ‘97 ext cab step side S-10 with the Vortec 4.3. Best vehicle I have ever owned. Bought it in ‘98 with 17,000 miles on it. Sold it in 2004 with 320,000. The last time I saw that truck the guy said it had 360,000 miles on it. 2 heater cores, two water pumps, 5 clutch slave cylinders, 1 fuel pump and regular maintenance. It only left me sitting once and that was due to the crazy distributer cap cross firing. That truck was built on a Wednesday for sure.
The company I work for gas 3 Express vans with the 4.3 and have not had an issue with the drive train except for 1 rear.
I wish my last that long 😳
Love this engine. Mine is in a 2003 GMC Safari cargo and runs like a top. Oil changes and regular maintenance and replacing wear parts as needed, it will go forever.
They certainly are gutless but will they take a good deal of abuse, a well maintained engine will reward you
My Chevy Express 2003 cargo 400 thausand plust miles i rebuild automatic trasmisión only but engine work okay
@@JLGARAGE252 the older TBI were even more gutless but you could not kill them....
@@JLGARAGE252 If you want guts get something with a v8 in it.
I have a ‘99 Chevy Blazer
4*4 with the 4.3 engine. I just turned 150,000 recently. I’ve replaced a lot of parts but have to say that I really like this vehicle.
We bought a 2007 GMC sierra from the auction it is a work truck model, 6 cylinder hand crank windows, one owner 138,987 miles on it, got it for a low price, I decided to keep it, I really love it, it seems like old school.
2001 Jimmy 4x4 2 door SLS. Engine is great, no probs 300 thousand miles. Had to do work with the tranny though but I've never had engine problems. I take care of things when they need to be taken care of and the engine is golden. Great vid. Sub'd.
These S 10s are awesome!!
The 4.3 is great!!
Rides really smooth too.
It's a joy to drive around.
Used to be a Chevy Technician at Carlsbad California and I just want to add.
When it comes to these S10/Blazers. When it comes to fuel related. Go aftermarket. Don't go with the OEM fuel pump for example. Everyone who has or had a s10/blazer will or at some point will being replacing the fuel pump. GM messed around with a lot of fuel pumps and TBI etc for EPA. When it comes to other parts, I recommend OEM but not when it comes to fuel pumps. I've seen aftermarket pumps out last the OEM in these vehicles and you save a lot more money on the aftermarket too.
DON'T FORGET TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP RELAY!!! I can't stress that part enough. People forget the simplest things sometimes and think its the fuel pump.
Never had any issues with the fuel system.
@@JLGARAGE252You will.
Lol@@JacobWinkle
I also saw the the pump and horn relay are the same and you can test it by swapping them out
343k on 04 silverado short bed 4.3 manual. Original water pump, ps pump, booster, master cylinder, radiator, dryer evaporator, throttle body and ac compressor. Have replaced clutch (luk)and fuel pump (delphi) once. What a truck!
I have a 93 s10 blazer. With 130k miles on it. I LOVE IT. First “truck” and I love it! I beveled my throttle blade and boy. It’s reallly responsive!! Great vehicle. Only thing that sucks is the brakes
I've worked/owned so many of these. I own a '96 4x4 with the 5 speed, transfer case is manual too. paid $600 for it 3 years ago because it wouldn't shift into reverse or 5th. Dropped the trans, took it apart and replaced the shift fork. Put a set of 31" tires, raise the front with the torsion bars, put in 2" body lift. Installed a dvd player I had from last S10. Both bumpers were trashed so I made my own. Stuck a winch under the front by mounting a hitch receiver across the frame below where the crank pulley is, which places the rollers where the cable/hook ride flush with my bumper. I sanded off the peeled clearcoat and black top coat, then used a spay gun and applied 3 quarts of Rustoleum smoked gray, with about 40% paint thinner. The black molding strip going down each side I replaced with diamond plate aluminum strips cut from an old tool box and held on with rivets. LED headlights and backup light.
Led headlights as backup lights make a huge difference 😂 just don't hit reverse in front of a cop
Man u on point, I subbed! I have a 4x4 S10 blazer, 03 LS model, 4.6.. only has 154k on it, daily driver.. EVERYTHING u have mentioned in the vid literally I have either replaced already, have had problems wit or have been suspicious of
Got a ZR2 Sonoma with 168k that's been worked very hard but it's treated me great so far. Going to do my best to keep it on the road for as long as I can. They have a nice feel to them, very different from a modern truck engine
I'm trading in a 2005 GMC Sierra 1500 Work Truck (4.3 V6 with T5) for a new 2021 (4.3 V6 auto). I bought it new, and the truck is approaching 310,000 miles and runs excellent. I replaced the distributor because the neoprene gear disintegrated at 175k miles. I've also replaced the starter, both front wheel bearings, and the alternator; and I elected to replace the timing chain and water pump. Been the best vehicle I've ever had. Hopefully the new truck will be even nearly as good.
My 98 chevy 1500 pick up truck with the 4.3l v6 has 345k miles on it. I bought it 16 years ago with 110k miles on it for $3k. Still starts right up every morning.
I have the same truck !! I love it !!! I got it with 43xxx miles now I’m on 195xxx and still running strong 👌🏻
VERY VERY INFORMATIVE!! Have a 03 S10 w/488k on it. Replaced the fuel injector spider a few yrs ago and strangly enough it used to get 17-18mpg but since gets 25-26!!! This is BY FAR the simplest engine I've EVER worked on. Runs like a champ. The REAL trick is keeping up on the vacuum lines and the exhaust. If you feel a loss of power, those two things save TONS of time on acceleration and power issues. Even the smallest loss makes a HUGE difference with this engine. Have had customer after customer come in and wonder what was wrong after lots of guesses. With THIS engine - FOR CRYING OUTLOUD BUY A OBD2 SCANNER!!! We're in the 21st century!! You'd be SURPRISED what ANY person can fix with the right tools and some COMMON SENSE!🤣🤣🤣
I had a 98 S10 that had 370k miles on it and it ran great years ago. Unfortunately I crashed it. I just sold my 2013 ecoboost f150 yesterday and looking to get another S10 with the 4.3. Most reliable engine I ever had. The ecoboost had so many problems, timing chain included. I’ll never get another one.
Car companies are letting engineers create their products in an effort to maintain their jobs . This is a trend in the economy. Unfortunatly no one wants the unicorns they create
this is really a fabulous motor. dependable, in my life experience i rate it with the Toyta 22R in reliability, repairs are easy, easy DIY, I've seen some in this forum almost 300K im at 186... on my 2nd set of spark plug wires, just today. this a fantastic engin.
Simple and learnfilled data..nice to get this video sir.
My 01 Sonoma 4.3 has 391,000+ miles on it. I'm the second owner. It had 104,000 when I got it.
Wow
gotta 95 sonoma 4.3 i only got 170,000 but looking forward to putting more
I bought a 2002 S 10 4.3 standard cab in 2011 with 30,000 original miles on it my place of work is only 7 miles from my home is still only has 90,000 miles on it this truck has been great I have replaced water pump the radiator the fuel pump intake gasket And just the regular normal maintenance stuff.I wish they still made the Chevy S 10.
I got a 97 and a 94 both in assess of 400.000 miles and still run great 👍
My 97 Chevy work truck has 316k still going strong 💪🏻
Great info. for my 4.3. This would have been the perfect video except for the rustling noise on my ear buds, and the shadows blocking where you were pointing. Anyway, I learned some things to check for. Thank you.
I have a 1997 GMC Jimmy. The original motor had 181,000 when it started to have a slight coolant leak on to of the intake at the rear passenger side. I replaced the engine with a new crate engine at 180,000 miles it started doing the same thing. This time I just add coolant every few months and call it good. That engine now has about 250,000. I did replace the starter a few times, the Altenator twice, the idler pully twice. The distributor once from summit racing. Cap and rotor at least a half dozen times. The coil once with an excel. Plug wires twice. I think that is it.
My 1998 4.3l s10 still is very reliable and dependable, it's been very low maintenance just the basic stuff like oil changes tune ups and filters.
I've got a 2003 S-10 with the 4.3. I also have a 2010 Cobalt that's been very reliable, especially once I solved the issue with harness going to the tranny plug rubbing on the oil filter housing. The Cobalt isn't very rusty, but the S-10 is rusted to hell. I have a move coming soon and want to remediate the rust. Everyone keeps telling me to get rid of the S-10 and keep the Cobalt.. but I like to haul dirt bikes and things like that, which I obviously can't do with the Cobalt. Cobalt just hit 119k miles, S-10 is sitting at just over 130k. I'm leaning more towards keeping the S-10 and using some of the money selling the Cobalt to fix a couple things on the S10 and getting to work on the rust. I'm just glad I'm getting away from Nebraska where they throw salt down at the slightest chance of ice in the forecast
I’ve got one of these in a 1997 S-10. It’s a roller and balance shaft engine, very smooth with an excellent torque range. I’ve got 204K on mine with no serious problems. My advice is to keep up with the oil changes, use high quality oil, and don’t skip fuel filter changes. I change mine every 15K instead of the 30K recommended. Be sure to never run it out of gas because that’s quite hard on the fuel pump. It seems like it only takes one occurrence to potentially cause a problem.
John Smith absolutely I’m ocd about maintenance, just put a new transmission in today and serviced the T-case
i have a 01 s10 4.3L with about 210K miles. What type of oil do you recommend?
Oh wow, I always do 5k oil changes in my van. Didn’t know the recommended is 30k? That seems a bit high, doesn’t matter a whole lot to me I’m gonna stick to the 5k oil changes because I’m turboing mine this winter
@@williamreed3180 he was saying 30k for fuel filter not oil change...
I’ve always changed the filter at every oil change. Why keep all that contaminated oil in the system that is sitting in the filter? They don’t cost much and you’re already doing the job.
I have an 04 Blazer ZR2. I built a 1995 non balance shaft 4.3, had splayed 4 bolt mains ARP main studs, Mahle forged pistons, and Eagle H beam rods installed. I had a set of vortec heads and 1992 Syclone intake modified with ARP head studs with Cosmetic MLS head gaskets installed. I was planning on running a turbo on it. Had to scrap the turbo idea because I would have to delete my A/C and modify the inner fender. So I will just buy headers and run it with individual fuel injectors and coils like the LS but in a 4.3 V6. I wanted to upload some pictures but youtube wouldn't let me.
Id like to see this
@@TheMrJoBo I wanted to put pictures up but youtube wouldn't let me. Ithas the holley HP EFI ECU in it to run the engine. I put the 1995 Bravada AWD passenger side shaft housing and transfer case in it. With the S10 ZR2 cast iron front differential.
Just picked up a mint 96 Slt Jimmy with 148000km. Garage kept not a dent on it. My first vehicle with a 4.3.
03 blazer Xtreme here. My 4.3 runs great. No knock no smoke and it's only got. I'm replacing it with a 5.3 soon
I'm not sure if your 2002 has this problem, but my 1995 4.3 had the common problem with the remote oil filter hoses going bad. I fixed this problem with some compression fitting steel braided hoses.
Right on thank you ..buying my son a trailblazer. 150k miles on it ..wish him luck
James Torres 150k is easy on the 4.3 a well treated one will reward you with 300k
Suh-wheeeet. Thank you so much
I've been driving this 93 chevy 1500 2 wd 6 cylinder manual transmission for 330 000 and still going. Nothing tougher. Pulled bass boat or travel trailer to the lake many times.
Impressive
There good trucks and engines but sometimes not reliable but if ur up on the tune ups and spark plugs and fuses and also clean Fuji filters, it’s a must to have everything new or in good condition to not have problems. I love my bagged 98 s10
About to replace valve cover gaskets on my 270,000 in my 2000 Silverado good strong motor I'm the 3rd owner of this truck
I bought an 01 Chevy 4.3 a week ago, I LOVE IT
Edson Javier lots of things you can do to them, keep up on oil changes and you can expect a lot of good things from it.
Header up grade power
I
Trust me you will I had a 98 2.2 and it had a cracked transmission and hat sucker was still running these things are absolute tanks
@@jonathanrequena4361 Yesss they can resist a lot! Any tips on making my v6 faster?
i had a 06 chev pickup with the 4.3 drove it 15 yrs, 415 thousand on it, engine was still runing very good when i got rid of it couldnt ask fo a better moter
The O-ring on my intake is leaking right now.
I'd appreciate more in depth videos if you still have the truck, this was super informative.
Kyore yeah it’s a common issue, get a new one on before it goes into the intake manifold
Thank you.for.your information in your video
Spider injectors 4.3 silverado I have an just changed .I really don't care for the setup at all but I love my chevy so here we are
Ima buy a 1995 s10 5 speed with this engine thank you for the info, I can’t wait to see how it compares to my 87 Jeep Cherokee it’s a 5 speed as well with the 4.0 sucker will move if you let it
4.3 is a bad unit man
I definitely love my 2002 Silverado with the 4.3. It's at about 180k. I've replaced the alternator and the a/c compressor. Regular maintenance is the key, along with driving it gently. The transmission's great. My only regret is that I didn't learn about changing transmission fluid earlier in its life.
Keep it up and you’ll be driving that truck for a long time. My 96 Sierra with the 4.3 and 5 speed just rolled over 312,000 miles on original drive train. I daily it, runs like a top and id drive it across the country right now.
How’d you change the transmission fluid ?
@@elitewarior210 I disconnected the upper transmission line at the radiator, and I ran an extension hose from the line to an oil catch pan. Then I had someone start the truck to cause the fluid to pump out. At the same time I added new fluid through the transmission dip stick tube. I did that until the outgoing fluid was mostly clear red. Then I just added fluid until it showed full on the stick. There are good videos out there on doing it on that truck. There are also good videos arguing to NOT do a full fluid change if the truck is over about 60k and never had a fluid change, because the transmission may be now relying on the grit in the fluid for the clutch plates to grab. Good luck! It was pretty easy once I bought the tubes and set everything up.
@@TStheDeplorable thank you so much 🙏🙏🙏
\m/
Just bought one. K8nda stoked to have as my daily.
All good info. Only thing I noticed is your hoses on the water pump are reversed, the bypass U shape hose goes to the lower barb, it’s crimped because it’s on that long high one that’s for the heater feed
Iiii
Intro is on point!
Just bought a 2000 chevy blazer with the 4.3. 167000 sounds like a champ. Just gotta fix the throttle position sensor, and clean the throttle body and she should run mint
Seems like a real no nonsense video to me. Good work.
Anyone complaining about the mic, the intro or whatever can ____off. Any real car guy doesn't give a flyin flip about video production! The educational value far exceeds what people are whining about.
UberLummox can’t tell if your being sarcastic but heck I’ll take it, and yes I love the 4.3 Powertrain in the s-series trucks so I wanna put videos out there that everyone has access to in which they can benefit from.
@@JLGARAGE252 NO! No sir. Not being sarcastic at all. Funny 'cause people tell me that all the time! : ) I'm a musician and have a great ear and didn't really notice the mic thing because I'm also a mechanic (body shop owner) so my mind focused on what was important to me pertaining to THIS video, which was automotive, not some orchestra. : ) You also have a nice way of speaking and you went right from it's historical inception as part of a 350 (which your vid came up 1st. when typing that question in which I was looking for!) then right through the basics of the engine from a "keepin' it going" standpoint. Very valuable! I had a sweet little '84 or '85 carbed S-10 4X4 std. w/a plow for my shop, and even w/the puny 2.8, it would move just about any amount of snow in front of it's blade. Always heard the early 4.3 was a powerhouse though. - Thanks again!
UberLummox I greatly appreciate that a lot..I try to look at things from everyone’s perspective
@@JLGARAGE252 Right on brutha! You're welcome. Yeah, I know it can be hard to really understand someone with just the typed word as the conversation. Keep on truckin'! : )
I put a Standard Motor Fuel Injector in my 2003 GMC Sierra when the factory one failed, it has 186K on the 4.3L V6.
I like the truck, I paid $15,600.00 for it in August of 2003, still runs very well. I consider myself fortunate not to have spent more over all these years for transportation. One thing I like over the 350s I have owned: This engine runs nice and cool.
Awesome video I picked up a GMC SIERRA 1500 beater with a 4.3 V6 403000 miles and am going through her this video really helps understand how to keep them on the road 👍I've removed the vortec air box resonator installed a cap cover and installed a oil valve cover breather in place of the oil fill cap the next thing I'm doing is modifing the throttle blades and getting a better flowing and louder muffler any additional advice is appreciated looking for more bolt on mods for power and torque and better fuel mileage if possible
throttle body spacer and high flow headers
@@JLGARAGE252 thanks for the advice peace and much respect to you Jason
my 04 s10 has got the 4.3 in it and its at almost 170k miles and still runs like new but that's with some care you cant ignore the issues though it can be a bit pricey but luckly the cars with it are aging so for every one of these on the road there's 30 in a scrap yard :)
That’s true, Chevy as of I believe 2-3 years ago has officially dropped many of the parts from their factory catalog, rock auto and GMpartsdirect are the honey holes for these parts.
1995 chevy astro van 4.3 256.000 and all factory except the transmission which is a one year transmission due to additional silinoid in valve body a pain in the A. S !!! Trying to get a good transmission in Tazewell County Virginia other than that she's a keeper love them 4.3s I call them short block 350s lmao 🤣
My 02' Blazer ZR2 has 300k on her & she runs like brand new. I'm the 2nd owner and it's super clean.
That damn distributor cap has been replaced 3 times because of moisture.
I did have to get the coil & ecm along with a new Distributor, wires & plugs replaced.
She runs better than my Wife's new car. Can't feel it running at a red light. I did get a new hd tranny because the stock sunshield brakes but besides basic maintenance, that's it.
Fuel Trims are 1.0 bank 1 & 0.0 on bank 2 getting 16mpg in town & 18 on highway. Same as a brand new sticker ZR2 in 2002.
Have 326K miles on mine, 45-50 psi oil pres at idle, runs good and strong.
Good thing about the 4.3 is that there the civics of the gm world. Any local scrap yard will have 10 of these. Parts are cheap. My gramps has 300k miles on his old 01 s10.
bradley love the 4.3 is a beast of a v6 people scrap s10s because of the transmission not necessarily the motor
i have 111,000 on my 2001 s10
@@suzieq8379 keep your oil changed and you just barely breaking that engine in.. My 01 jimmy has 181k on it. Im looking to get many many miles out of it
230,000 miles got transmission rebuilt an level one upgrade in early November an hoping to get a long life out of my 95 blazer. If the motor goes I plan on having some money saved up to rebuild or maybe even upgrade the engine but I'll have to do more research if that worth the kind of investment to modify it at all.
@@randywells8974 how far do you drive? You confident in it goin on smll road trips? I got an 01 jimmy with 184.3k miles engine was rebuilt at 179 the top end
Thank you!!!
That was very helpful!!! Have an S10 truck and Blazer. Both 4.3
kirt zwicker right on
Spider went bad on mine. Definitely used Delco parts to fix it. Hope this one lasts another 20 years.
The 4.3 is used in many forklifts, Doosan,Cat, Yale…and manufactured currently. PSI LP fuel system. Good powerful engine for the 7000 lb up to 14000lb lift capacity. !!
I have the same motor 4.3 vortex in my 2001 GMC Sierra with 323,000 and it’s pretty much bulletproof. Daily driver
Good job thank you got a p0300 cracking my brain 🤯
I am so glad i found this video. I have had my 03 sonoma zr3 with the 4.3 for 7 years now and almost each thing you said was an issue I have delt with. Your fan shroud looks like it may have had the same issue as mine did.. bad motor mount allowed engine to move too much and the fan caught the shroud and blew pieces of plastic right through the rad... that happened 2 times and 3 shops never diagnosed the bad motor mount..
Well I’m glad this video was spot on for ya I’ve owned 2 ZR2s now and their fairly well built trucks but like everything else they have their own problems
@@JLGARAGE252 I definitely love my truck. One question for you... ive got a coolant leak that i can see pooling right under the ac compressor on top of the power steering pump. Would that be an intake gasket issue or something else.
I have a chevy s10 with 328,000 miles and I bought it brand new back in 1998 and put all the miles on it. its got a random misfire p0300.. which its not smoking any and when it misfires you can barely notice it.. I am hoping to get 400,000 miles out of it.. but which its got a rear main seal leak which it does not leak much just a little oil from time to time.. but no smoking or knocking. or running hot.. I am dealing with the misfire and hopeful will have it resolved soon.. my throttle body cover I think on the air flow cap. I think is causing the issue.. its been a great and hard working more and very strong..
I only tune in for the 80's synth-pop intro music.
I don’t use that theme anymore. I cut straight to the point when I film.
I felt the first clip my chevy cheyanne did that right at a friends house when I was pulling out
My 1999 new body style GMC Sierra 4.3 had poor acceleration, sputtering and lack of power. Turns out it was the MAF sensor was extremely dirty. I just replaced it with an AC Delco and my problems were over.
My '94 S10 4.3 4x4 runs strong..it can burnout with ease, 4 wheel drive works great, and it only has 183k miles
In order to pass Illinois emissions test, had to replace distribruter. 2007 Silverado classic. I think it's one of the last 6 cylinder manual Chevrolet made so I am keeping it running clean. Seriously, I love this 8 foot bed truck. Can I afford a new one?, yes. But it's fun to be engaged, and drive.
Larry Rowe the 4.3 in the Silverado is a good powertrain setup
I put the acdelco mpfi conversion on my 4.3 best upgrade on this motor went from 17 mpg too 20 keep in mind my scpi was bad
sarah starr as the 98-04 years progressed they tried different injection plants but yes MPFI is def my primary choice
Where do you buy that conversion kit? I have a 04 crew cab 4x4.
@@peteyparado Walmart
Felt that intro. 🤣🤣🤣
Ughhhh
Same
Clearly im not alone!!🤣
Yea someone made it for me and I didn’t want to be rude and not use it, hence why it lasted on a few videos, not the best for automotive videos
I have that exact same intake on my 2002 blazer
I was wondering how thi change out the p011 camshaft intake actuator solenoid ? Cant find it on UA-cam!!
Thanks for the video. By far the best video about this engine. I know you probably get tired of people asking you questions, but I'm going to try anyways. I recently had to change out my passenger side head and gasket. Got it all back together and was throwing the dreaded p0304 code. Replaced all little stuff like plugs, wire,cap, rotor, coil. Nothing changed. Then adjusted the valves and got rid of the p0304 code but it was replaced by the camshaft sensor code. My question though is since the head replacement the top of the engine makes a tic/knock. . More than a tic but not quite a knock. Any idea? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks
I have a 2000 chevy s10 4.3 4x4 222k miles. Regular oil changes and ignition changes. Big major problem I've only ever had was lower intake manifold gasket replace, and the inside was still super clean for 222k miles... other than that new radiator, waterpump, thermo housing, thermo, radiator hoses... and it still running strong. Drive it 60 miles a day to work and it still had orginal AC lol and works. Also, my cats got clogged so I chopped them off and I straight piped it. (Live in Florida). Runs like a champ.
Travis Snyder should’ve done the timing chain as well usually over 150k they get a lot of slack in the chain.
@@JLGARAGE252 how many miles did this one go before you sold it? And don't remind me 😂
Travis Snyder I got rid of it at 180 somethin but the new one I have is sitting at 160k
Noticed You had a fairly new alt on the truck I'm guessing a CS-130 85amp Hope you understand Tahoe And other larger trucks That have Powerseats And all the power options Have the AD-244 145amp Alt (100amps @idle) For around the same price of the other alt depending on where and who you buy from. I replaced mine And the bolts line right up No issues Other then You need to make sure its the same plug holes 2 vs 4? And a 1 inch larger belt Then your stock one ..I when over board And Replaced all the larger gauge wiring with Welding cable copper 1/0 gauge wire And hammered copper lugs with shielding And a smudge of electrostatic grease inside Added a rear alt bolt to the alt bracket And ground it off from there (Power has a quicker path And does not bounce around the alt trying to come in or out on a front mount)
Another common issue People over look when it comes to fuel issues is the Fuel pressure regulator They don't hook up a fuel pressure tester And Or don't know what they are looking at when they do And start swaping out parts as a fix till they find the right part I bought my Blazer Very cheap because of this ... New Fuel pump, New Updated fuel injectors, Fuel filter, Spark plugs, wires, dis, Oil, Thorttle body cleaned, New vac hoses, Still ran ruff... $500 from $1,000 As i told him It could be a simple over looked part Or a major engine swap...
Ran a test fuel press was bleeding Meaning a compression issue. Or loss of fuel before hand. Check each spark plug that was fairly new One was more dirty then the rest which told me ether it is not firing proper Or something else not right ...Had to remove the intake anyways ..And yup Pass side rear of the intake sparkling clean like new And the rest of the intake was black from normal carbon At the bottom of the FPR with a weeping hole and a single drop of fuel saying hello ! When the FPR mini screen is full of junk (finer then a fuel filter) back pressure happens And blows a seal The fuel still enters and passes But part of the mass pressure weeps out And enters the intake ($34)
Had the Truck (2005 Blazer) 5 years now Nothing but normal wear and tear (rubber lines, tune up Oil etc) no engine codes
They make great campers If you tear down the rear to metal and rebuild them Traveled coast to coast of Canada 2 people 2 dogs And slept inside fully layed out
my 97 Jimmy 4.3 L won't start after I changed the fuel pump I've checked everything , starting to run out of ideas , got 61 pound's up at the rail , fire on all the plugs and got air , aren't those the 3 things I need to get this thing goin , or is there more ...
Does it atleast crank over but won’t fire?
@@JLGARAGE252 yes cranks and cranks but won't hit , swapped out the spider injector ,and whole distributor , and made sure I hadn't jumped time , still won't hit ....
Nice Video Thank you...
I had to replace the alternator due to the whining sound and it fixed it but thats good to know for future reference. I have a 2003 chevy blazer xtreme and i have definitely opted in to drop a lq9 into other than rebuilding the v6.
Med II the 4.3 in my opinion is a solid engine to build but a lq9 would be pretty sweet, sadly the engine bay size has downsized compared to the 1st and 2nd gen s10s
Intro is gold
I Have a 1995 gmc sonoma 4x4 with the 4.3L, just replaced transmission at 196,000 mi motor still runs great, had to replace remote oil filter lines, if anyone is faced with having to replace , since from what ive read is a common issue, save yourself the hassel and frustration and loosen the motor mount on the drivers side and jack the engine up first, it will save you hours of frustration
Hey I just picked up my hoses today and was thinking id throw em in tomorrow. Is jacking it up only for the lines to the remote filter or would it help with the rad to filter hoses too? I only have to do rad to filter
@@JNN131 yeah you should be good just doing the lines from the filter to radiator those shots be easy I just got done last night replacing the ones from the pan to the oil filter, and it was a job didn't have to take the motor mount out , but did have to jack the engine up drop loose the bell housing access cover , disconnect the front drive line (mine is 4x4) and take the fender well out on driver's side then all I had left was 1 support bar in the way that goes from bell housing to side of the engine .the best way I found to get to the lines to the filter is to remove the fender well, I couldn't have done it without, you got it easy the front ones there's nothing in your way good luck!
@@chrispurkiss3399 Thanks! Looked fairly accessible but havent pulled down the skid plate yet. Hopefully plan to do it this evening.
I have a 2003 GMC Jimmy 2 door 4WD with 270,000 miles. It has been very dependable with minimal problems. I did have to replace the spider injectors a few years ago and the air conditioner compressor. I do now have an issue with the idle remaining high after the engine is up to temperature. In fact I can be driving 40mph and take my foot off the accelerator and 3-4 miles later it is still going 40mph. Sometimes it even pickup speed and when I get to a stop sign I have to use a lot of breaking to slow. If I pop the tranny into neutral the rpm’s will climb to 2000. Doesn’t appear to be a vacuum leak. Any thoughts?
Great motor, I too have an '02 Zr2 that I drive everyday. One of the best reliable vehicles I've ever owned. Just shy of 200k miles right now and still running strong.
love the s10
My 4.3 has multi port spider injection with 145k miles on it. Still runs like a top.
your engine is almost new
Lucky. Mine has CPI. 55 PSI of fuel preasure or it won't start.
Thanks man, I'm thinking of buying one that won't start, I'm new with cars so not sure what it could be, ill check the vacuum ring.
I
Distributor
Could be the blinker sensor man
Bummed Chevy stopped making the s-10 , first vehicle ever was a 1985 S10 blazer 2.8 carbureted
it was the "Tahoe package" power windows power locks and cruise control in 1985, whaaaaat? Haha then in high school I had a 1995 2wd extended cab with a 4cyl 2.2l I believe with a 5 speed, the shift came from under the dash and was like over 2ft long, every other s-10 that year I have seen had a short like 12inch or less shifter that came out closer to the seat, had the tranny rebuilt and the guy said it was original, no cut outs like it had the other shifter setup, but for a 4cyl that thing went pretty good, I was young and thought I was cool so I lowered it, rims tires, put a 2000 front end on it, welded roll pan the whole nine. Did most of it myself with my dad and it was my baby till I hit a deer on the highway and had to replace the whole front end. Put it back to stick and sold it with 250,000 miles to a guy my dad works with and he drive it for quite a few years after. Got a 98 S-10 extended cab 4x4 after with the 4.3 and had it for 5 years or so. Then doing construction the S10s weren't cutting it anymore so went to fill size Chevy, had a 06 Silverado 1500 for 15 years and have a 06 2500hd for work and a 2016 Silverado. The new ones are nice yah, but to this day my 95 S10 is still my favorite and most comfortable truck. The seats were just perfect I dunno. Boy that was a rant haha
My 06 Sierra has the 4.3 VTech throttle body
What brand is the cold air intake? I have the same engine on my 99 1500 Silverado short bed and I loved but I'm looking to install a cold air intake! Thanks for your good review.
eBay works fine
I've owned vortec 350s all my life so I am familiar with most issues you've mentioned, like I put the upgraded spider in my truck 2 years ago. I just bought an 01 astro van with the vortec 4.3 so I'm learning what I can about it. Sounds like its all the same issues for what is essentially the same engine less 2 cylinders. Lol they even sound very similar at idle lol. I always dismissed this engine as weak, but I'm surprised at how much get up and go the astro has. It gets out of its own way just fine. I was very surprised a big heavy van actually feels a little peppy. I think I have a burnt valve on the truck so will be driving this van for a while, its sits up high like the truck (96 7z1) and the interior is close enough lol so I won't be missing the truck too bad until I have time to fix it. I'll enjoy the fuel mileage and the comfort, I'll miss the 3.73s and the exhaust note.
i been working on my mom's 98 Astro getting fixing the codes it has after 6 mouths down to two codes. it's begining to make that power.
You saved me greatly! I mean I thought I had bad power steering whine and it was just an idler pulley! Also I am concerned at after I let my engine sit over a few days it cranks 15 seconds before it starts. Idk what that could be
Change the fuel filter
Fuel pump
That would be the next thing to look at, over time GM fuel pumps lose the ability to build initial start pressure, usually will drop a couple PSI of the years.
I've got a 2004 S-10 blazer 2dr and was debating whether to go turbo or supercharger. What's your opinion?
recently got a single cab 96 s10 with the 4.3 and man that thing is way funner than I ever thought , burns out and does donuts better than my 95 single cab c1500 with the bigger 5.7,,, fukin awesome
That's right Marina did buy it with Marina does not use that spider fuel injection Good reason That's the improvement fuel injection for that engine. But also One of us still general motors on the 2007 4.3 they went with a non-distributor setup using a coil box and where the old distributor went they use a oil driver. And if you know how the program a computer you could go to clear unplug.
You forgot about DeX-cool eating intake manifold gaskets. Did mine twice in 3 years then switched to regular green coolant and has been fine for 9 years so far.
2000S10V6 thought that was corrected in 02-03 model years
@@JLGARAGE252 not sure about that. Mine is a 2000. I'll never use Dex-cool again.
Really? I wanna do an coolant flush next week good to know, what coolant should I use?
@@icrashucrash9585 Just regular green stuff and distilled water. 50/50 mix.
2000S10V6 engine coolants are formulated differently, green formulas are typically all aluminum engines, dex cool is formulated for cast engines, prolly not a good idea to be using green or blue in a orange formulated engine
Thanks amigo
252000 on my 2000 blazer 4.3,still use it to go to work and around town,best chevy i have had.