my 94 s10 tahoe blazer with a 4.3 vortec burned up the rod and crank bearings last summer. Yes there was oil in there. I heard that the 4.3v has had problems with the bearings.
The rear main was good along with #6 rod bearing. everythhing else was toasted. It didn't overheat.
my question: can I just buy a new crank, rod and main bearings and get this thing back on the road?

 

well........since this is the section for introducing yourself.........


welcome to the show, from Canada.


as for your repair question, in a word.......no.

you really should be asking that in THIS section. that way i/we can respond properly to your question.

 

*Moved to '1st Gen Tech'*

 

Sure if you want to just tear it apart and redo it agian. Do it right and have it machined or find another engine to drop in.. Plain and simple

 

see, now we can address your issue better.

i've had about 8 (or is it 9?) S-series trucks-about 80% of them with the 4.3-and i only ever had one eat the bearings out of itself (ran out of oil due to bad relocator lines). so to say these engines have bearing problems is a load of BS if you ask me. change your oil regularly & use quality stuff.

i should know, as there's only 2 positions for the loud pedal, on or off.

since you said all of the bearings were toast (except for the rear main & #6) you're gonna need to have the rod ends inspected for any scoring. did any bearings spin or wear (burn) through?

plus, you want to pull it apart to inspect for any bearing material trapped troughout the engine.


if you can, try not to gat anything under a "10-10" crank. even press the machine shop for a "virgin" crank (re-polish only). when you start getting unsized journals, it reducess the reliability of the oil pressure-especially on the throws. besides, we all know how good the off-set throws design is.

 

none of the bearings burned through or spun on the rods. just the crank got messed up. I plan on replacing the radiator and flushing the oil lines. (which are a pita to r&r in frame) will a 2nd gen motor work?

 

95 second gen yes. 96+ no. Youd have to swap to obdII to swap in a 96+ engine. Now if you find a whole 96+ truck to swap it all then you should be ok if you want to take on the job of it all.

 

and that's a major job.

not too difficualt, but you'll need to swap the trans while you're @ it (700R4 became 4L60/4L60E)

unless your truck is some pristine machine, do you wanna take on a task like that?

think about it.......you're gonna need to find a good running/driving truck, and gut everything from it. then you're gonna have to gut your truck.

plus you have to fill the hole where the '94 bulkhead connector was, since the 2nd gens moved it over to the passenger side when they relocated the computer to the engine compartment.


be waaaaaaay easier to do a SB swap. or even do the carb swap to a 4-3.


if the bearings never spun or burned through. then just get yourself a good virgin or 10-10 crank, and pur her back together. just make sure you get it nice & cleaned out.

 

I found a early 95 complete engine for $400. i'm told it has about 98k miles no major oil leaks. It's sitting one someone porch covered. What should I be looking at when I go to pick it up?? It's complete throttle body to pan and header to header. any input is greatly appreciated

 

well that was a good score!

first & fore most, make sure the thing will turn over by hand. even if all of the plugs are in it-which i hope they are-it'll be able to rotate with a little effort.

i'd also take a look @ all of the surface areas of the engine, look for signs of corrosion from sitting under cover with moisture. making sure the throttle blade moves freely.

other than giving it a good visual once-over, you're really not gonna know just how good the engine is before you install it in your truck.

if you have access to an engine stand, i'd do a compression test on it before installing it. this will give you a good idea of how healthy the engine is internally.

plus it wouldn't hurt to come in lower than what the guy is asking. everyone has room to bargan a little.

GL.