anyone have suggestions for a 1992 4.3L TBI 'Z' code engine with a 5 speed for performance? it is a daily driver and has an exhaust on it, considering cam, not over the top but not too mild. would like to keep TBI, cat, and 4.3L.
suggestions on cam, lifters, etc. what do i gain, what do i lose, what does it cost, difficulty? it has to be budget friendly.

 

add 2 more pistons.

 

Yup bigger engine is more practical . And less costly .

 

Theres an article thats been posted on here millions of times from Hot Rod where they built a 4.3l to 300+ HP. Search and you'll find it

 

I read that a long time ago, i was looking for people who've done different things and could make suggestions, like for instance, lunati cams, crane cams, comp cams, etc. which one? what durations? so on and so forth

 

Well, not a lot of people have done cam swaps in these engines. Don't get me wrong, a few have. But that article gives the specs of their cam.

"We nabbed Comp Cams biggest hydraulic roller for our factory roller block, a 280HR with 224/224 duration at 0.050, 0.525 lift, and a 110-degree lobe-separation angle."

Heres the further specs from summit: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CCA-K09-430-8/

Wish I could give some first hand insight, but this is the most extensive 4.3l build up I've seen in the few years I've been researching.

 

time and money. it's the nonvortec 4.3L tbi, thinking a lunati voodoo cam (http://www.lunatipower.com/Product.aspx?id=2366&gid=297) but where can i find heads? and what else can i do on a low budget? premium gas? valves? pistons? crank? intake manifold, exhaust manifolds? a v8 swap kit costs around $800 and doesn't include everything needed, a v8 swap would cost somewhere around $1500 minimum by what i've found, i'm looking for less than that at the moment, a v8 will be when the v6 blows to bits in a few years

 

It looks like the parts to make more power in the 4.3 are going to go over the 1500 dollar mark to . Just the cam kit from summit is almost a grand .

 

Could do a tune. Lots of guys notice small gains with a tune. Try a wynjammer supercharger kit. I think they are ~$2000 new. Comes with everything you need. Rottidog has one for towing.

 

the cam kit i listed...lunati...is a mere $187.50, cam and lifters, everything else i can probably pick up pretty cheap, just a complete cam swap(cam, lifters, springs, seals, etc.) i can get away with around $500-$750, but the heads would restrict it too much.


would a newer (2001+) vortec 'w' code or 'x' code be better? more bang for my buck? and are there direct swap cams available for the vortec tbi v6s that new? it would certainly make for more reliability, maybe easier to tune?