Hi Im recently new here. A year ago my mother moved out of state leaving me with a rod knocking 97 2 door blazer that she had as far back as when I was 14. A while back I picked up a Detroit 353 out of a Gama Goat. I am in the beginning stages and will update this thread as it comes together. For those who don't know a detroit 353 stands for 3 cyls @ 53 ci per cylinder (2.6L) and it is a 2 stroke motor. This motor is rated @ 110 hp and 265 ft lbs. Latter I will be adding bigger injectors and a turbo to bump the power a tiny bit. The truck currently has a 4l60E with a NP233 and a 3.73 posi rear spinning 31" tires. It also has a 3" body lift which will be a plus when your trying to fit a monster motor under the hood. So far I have started tearing down the 4.3, taking measurements, and tracking down parts. The plan for the drive train is a GM Muncie SM465 4 speed with a np205 case and possibly an advanced adapters ranger torque splitter auxiliary transmission sandwiched between the Muncie and the bell. Here is a few pics and a video of the motor running. The aluminum flange shown is the blower flange that I cut out on a CNC.

 

This is seriously going to be bad ***! Ill be watching this one come along... and I know I wont be alone on that.

 

This build looks badass, subscribing

 

you obviously like the Detroit Diesels, eh?

 

Just a little progress to start the build. The motor is ready to be pulled just need to yank the picker out of storage. I found the rod laying on the skidplate. I also did some practice aluminum tig welds. I have been tig welding steel for a few years but just got into aluminum. I need to get my skill level up so I can build some of the custom parts needed for this build.

 

that is going to be a Bad A$$ blazer

 

Have you run the numbers for your gear ratios yet? Generally detroits are governed to approx 2150 rpm without major modification. They have oodles of low end torque but very restricted when it comes to RPM. I did just some quick math....running the 31's through a 4 speed with no overdrive, you need approx 2400 rpm to make 60 mph. Not trying to rain on your parade...Just want to make sure you crunched numbers. If you have, What sort of road speeds vs. Engine Rpm are you looking at? Good luck! Its gonna sound sweet going down the road!

 

I havent completely ran thru the gear calculations yet. Another reason on why i havent bought a trans for the motor yet. The 353 I have is limited to 2800 rpm. Most say the cruising rpm "sweet spot" for these motors is 1600-1800. That puts the motor in its effeciency range. The turbo versions of the inline 53 series detroits are limited to 2500 rpm. the 2170 rev limit you are talking about applies to the 71/92 series motors which have significantly higher displacements and longer strokes.

 

4.3 and drivetrain is ready to be pulled out. If the weather is ok next weekend ill try and pull the hoist and detroit from storage and set it in the bay to get an idea of where the obstacles will be.

 

This is going to be a pretty sick build waiting to see the end result.