Hey all, new here, just bought a 95 blazer 4x4 4dr 4.3 and an auto (push button 4x4).

I have a few questions about this, new to chevy.

What transmission and transfer case do I have in this truck?
What rear end do these trucks come with?
What is the decipher method on GM's I know how to decipher Ford stuff, but like I said, I'm new to GM, and liking it better already once I know what is what.

I was thinking about pulling this engine or engine/ trans combo to drop into my Jeep, then drop a 350 into the Blazer.

Would this transfercase hold up to a stock 350?

Thanks for the help!!!

Oh, has anyone on here done these conversions? Any help on where to go for them?

 

I know lots of people who have done this 350 conversion, my neighbor actually just did it to his blazer and wow, it can peel a lot better then it did.

 

You have a 4L60E tranny, smae one GM puts in all there 1/2 and lighter rear wheel drive trucks/SUVS/cars. The truck version has a couple more clutch packs to make it slightly stronger. The tranny can be built to handle 450ft pounds of torque. Thats a lot of torque. More then most stock v8 push. Your tranny ahs a 3.06 first gear, and a .70 overdrive (4th gear). Plus it has a locking torque conveter for 3rd and 4th gears. This reduces slippage (tranny heat) and increases fuel mileage. The 4L60E started out as a 700R4 back in the early '80's, and morphed into what it is today. The basic design has been around for almost 3 decades. Had a few troubled years, but over all it is a proven tranny.

Your t-case is a NP233. Same as the Heep NP231 except it is electronically controlled (3 instead of 1), and is clocked differnetly. It does not hang below the framerails like a Heep. The t-case is aluminum housing and a 1" wide chain drive, part time unit. 4lo is 2.72 gearing. Better then a NP241 found in the fullsize trucks. Plus you can find SYE, and 4to1 gear swaps for it. Yes, it will survive behind a V8.

As for the swap. Sure, Heep guys ahve been doing it for years. The 4.3L V6 and 700R/4L60/4L60E combo is strong, light, and powerfull. You should be around 230-250 ft pounds of torque without any modifications.

As for the V8 swap, yep just as popular. Do a web search for a company called JTR. In fact type in JTR S10 swap and no doubt the first link will be what you want. JTR sells a V8 swap book for the S10 for about $20. Worth the money. Its a real easy swap as swaps go. Motore mounts and some firewall clearancing, unless you get a body lift. Hell, the V8 will even bolt up to your tranny. Then you need to crank the torsion bars a smidge to bring the front back up and get her aligned. All the accessories on your 4.3L V6 will bolt up to the V8, including the accessory bracket. The V8 engine weighs roughly 100 pounds more then the V6 4.3L. The only difference between the 5.7L V8 and the 4.3L V6 is two pistons. Both are strong as hell.

Welcome to the site.

 

Thanks Han!!!!

I wanted the Jeep from my dad since the day he bought it, then I got it home and my daughter claimed it (probably a good thing because I would have sold the POS by now... really starting to NOT like Jeeps). The more I search on the "Heep" conversion, the more I think I won't do it, but I do like the idea of a 350 in the Blazer. My wife grew up around Ford like I did, and she really hates the Blazer (it sure as hell beats her Expoder, or Imploder as I call it - self destructing), but this little Blazer is growing on me, I like driving it, comfy, and just the right size for most of my jobs. If I need bigger I have my gas guzzling V-10 Dodge (as you can see, I am getting away from the POS Fords.....LOL)

I knew the 4.3 was basically the 5.7 with a couple cyls missing, but didn't realize the swap was that easy...... So the 350 bolts up to the 4L60-E trans in the Blazer????? and it will hold up to it huh?? awesome!!! I would want to maintain FI, will most of the sendors or at least plugs convert over? I would definatly get a trans cooler, probably an oil cooler fo rthe swap, but is the 4.3 radiator good enough or should I upgrade it too?
Maybe I can get this done before heading to Moab at the end of February....hhhmmm

One last thing (for now), I did a body lift on a Toyota, and the bumper hung in the stock place with that stupid looking gap, the bumper covers on the 95 Blazer are with the body, but the 5 mph bumpers bolt to the body, correct? How does the BL kit work on these trucks? May do 2" so I can clear 31's without problems.

Thanks again!!

 

I also used to drive Fords. Got pretty good at fixing them, got tired of fixing them. My Chevies have broke down too, but usually I know in advance, witht he Fords,it was Found on Road Dead.

I too am not fond of the Exploder. My brother in law has one. It has less leg room in the back seat. The Exploder is wider, taller, and longer then the S10-Blazer, however none of that helps its ability off-road. It doesn't have more gorund clearnace, doesn't ahve a wider tire stance, doesn't have a better wheel base, itis just wider,taller, andlonger. About the only good thing on the Exploder is the 8.8 disc brake rear axle, mates up nice to aHP D44Ford axle for up front on a solid axle swap into the S10. Or go with a EarlyBronco axles if you want to keep it around the same width and get a Ford 9".Your rear axle is propable the 7 5/8" version, although it could be the 7.5" version. ZR2 came with a 10bolt (8.5") narrowed to fit the ZR2, which is about 3" wider then the stock S10-Blazer.Pretty stout axle ina light weight rig. And if you do a solid front axle swap, put on some wheel spacers to correct the lug pattern so the front and back match, your good to go. Stay away from the Heep Dana30 front axle, its not stronger then your factory reverse cut front axle.

Yep, the 350 and the 4.3L are both 90 degreee engines. Both bolt up to the same trannies. A,most everything willswap over, power stering, a/c, alternator, sensors, etc. Get the JTR manual, it covers all of that.More importantly covers all that specific to teh fuel injection system your running. Keep the same fuel injection system as your current engine, or go TBI and get a different chip. Custom or salvage.

Look at your current radiator, it no doubt alreay has a oil cooler in it (drivers side lines), plus it already has a tranny cooler (passengers side lines)in it. Stock from the factory. I highly recommend an after market tranny cooler to run up front after the factory cooler. The tranny you save will be your own. Yes, your stock tranny will survive behind a stock V8. When it doesneed a rebuild, tell your rebuilder how you intend to use it. About the only hardware change is get 5 pinion verse the 3 pinion in the S10version.The beauty of the 700R4/4L60/4L60E tranny is its versitility. There are so many upgrades, modifications to this tranny it has been built and survives behind every thing imaginable. from street racing to hard core off-roading. Plus it has the added benifit of the lowest first gear in an auto tranny,the best overdrive gear in a auto tranny, and it bolts up to all SBC and the 4.3L V8 engines.

Body lifts.
On the S10-Blazers its body on frame. Bumpers bolt to the frame, not the body. Since you have a '95 youdont have to modify the tranny shift linkage. '95 is the first year GM put a cable tranny shift linkage from the column to the tranny. crawl under and look. Not sure how the bumper relocation works on the air bag set-ups. On the non-air bag set-ups itsjust a couple of brackets to relocate teh bumpers, front and back. Altough the rear cannot be used for towing if you raise it.

Couple of other things to consider and compare to the Heep.
Fully boxed frame from the front bumper to at least the tranny cross brace. Much stronger then the Heeps frame.
Flat bottom. Nothing hangs below the Blazers frame rails. Look under the Heep, see the t-case, gas tank? both prone to trail damgae and subject to hanging you up. Plus they reduce your ground clearance, and in the case ot the t-cae reduce yourbreak over angle.
Parts- they are everywhere for Chevies, and are interchangeable. A V8 power steering pump, hell a Astro van power steering pump will fit and work onyour4.3 or SBC V8.
Wheelbase-Blazer 100.5" 2dr, 107" 4dr. Wrangler93". TheBlazer is much more stable when

 

After talking things over with my daughter (since it's basically her Jeep), I think we will leave it stock, I'll probably go through and rebuild the gutless 2.5 in it now, and call it good. She just wants a "cool" daily driver.

After looking I see what you mean about the flat bottom. I like what I see with the Blazer for off road!! I was toying with keeping the IFS on it, I had an IFS rig before, and I won't be out hardcore wheeling, rock crawling and crap, we hit trails around Washington, snow and mud. I've been to Moab 1 time, but haven't wheeled there yet, that what the plan is for the end of Feb, go down and play on the moderate trails for a few days. Has anyone had any major problems with the IFS on the Blazers?

In your opinion, is it worth doing the V8 swap, or just keep the 4.3 and do a few mods to it? I like the idea of having the 350 under the hood, and of course the sound and attention it would bring ois a nice added bonus. Keeping in mind no hardcore stuff here, and we obviously won't be drag racing the 4x4.... although I have done it with my Dodge.....LOL

 

This is my plan for moderate wheeling.
30" tires, or 2" body lift and 31" tires.
Rear locker. I want a Aussie locker, but not sure if they make it for our axles yet. I think they make it for the ZR2 axle, so I might swap one under my truck. Its a shortened GM10bolt/Dana 44.
Skid plates.
Custom bumpers to gain approach and departure clearance. I figure the body lift will give me room to move the bumpers up some to gain a little more clearnace.
Rear tire spare carrier, like the ZR2 have. Get it out from under the truck.
Mount a hi-lift on the spare rack, and./or winch up front in the custom bumper.
Might add some rocker protection too.
Might even make a Safari rack for on top of hte truck too.
I plan to take a welding class at the local community college and build that stuff there. I dont have the $500 for a welder at the moment, especially when the class is only $60 plus materials. Its 3 hours per week, all hands on welding pratice.

There is a guy at work who takes his stock Liberty to Moab. 30" tires and IFS. He has some great pics and some decent trails. Him and his wife go during Jeep Safari week.

I toy with the V8 and solid axle swap. Maybe on a different rig, one that gets trailored.