Do they all have the vortec or just some. How many horses are coming thru the engine. I was guessing around 200-230. Just traded in my 00 Vette and already miss my horsepower. But hey, no more watching where i drive to miss bottoming out,4x4 full steam ahead.

 

hahah... its a HUGE difference to go from a Vette to a truck, I had a Trans Am and went to a truck... but after a short while your appreciation changes. at least MINE did. hope ya have good luck with it...

 

Yeah, the Vette was really fast(too fast for anyone under 25). The repair cost were slowly popping up and tires for the car cost $400 a piece for the fronts and $450 for the backs. Also had 80,000 miles on the engine so I decided to get out while the gettins good at $18,500. 2 days later went to as dealer 15 miles away and he had a 1997 blazer 4x4 that was traded in the day I sold my car. It had not even been cleaned and had cedar chips? in the rear cargo bay. I asked how much and he said fixed or unfixed. Told me about the ac not working and i said unfixed. Bought the blazer with only 74,500 miles for the super low(to me anyway) price of $3,600 in cash(including tax and license). So far so good with the first 250 miles on my blazer. Also the stock Bose sound sytem in my Vette was just minutely louder than that stock in the Blazer. A very pleasant surprise.

 

thats not too bad and plus you have so much cash left over that fixing the a/c shouldnt be that big of a dent for you. but i think definitely a smart move. well welcome aboard and hope that you'll stick around!

 

Gonna be doing some mods soon. Will post pics when i get thru. [8D]

 

Nice upgrade.

In answer to your question. All 4.3L V6 engines are Vortec. Have been since '86. The most desireable version, Third Generation, came out in '96.

Welcome to the site. You could always drop a V8 in your Blazer. Guys do it all the time.

 

Um, I believe the engine in my 91 is TBI, not a CPI, and no where does it state it's a vortec. Most infor I have seen, states that the vortecs didn't come out in the blazers till 92.


The TBI is 170-180hp and around 230-240ft/lbs

The vortec is 190-195hp and 260-270ft/lbs

mean while, in 1996, they made the change to all 4.3L vortecs.

 

Well, then let me shed some light for you.

Light lol

Many people are talking about Vortec heads these days. While the Vortec head is a very powerful and inexpensive production head there is some confusion as to exactly what makes a head the Vortec head. This article will explain the Vortec head and give you picture comparisons so the next swap meet you will know for sure your buying a set of 'Vortec' heads!

A Little History
The Vortec name first appeared on 4.3L V-6 engines in 1986.These engines were the first to use a new "Vortex technology" designed to create a vortex (powerful swirl like a tornado) inside the combustion chamber. The Idea behind this is to create a more even and well mixed air/fuel charge that both generates more power and is more efficient. Over the years this Vortex technology has changed and improved to develop many new changes in the GM power train division. In today's world 'Vortec' Means power and here is where the confusion starts. There are literally thousands of cylinder heads that have been made with the vortex technology since 86 and many people refer to 87 and later small block heads as 'Vortec' heads. While this is a half truth the heads that GM sells under the Vortec name and the ones everybody is buzzing about did not exist until 1996.

You'll have to read the rest of the article at the link posted above.



TBI or CPI is just the fuel injection method.

GM didn't advertise the Vortec heads like they do today. Just becuase it doesn't ahve the word vortec on the engine, doesn't mean it doesn't ahve Vortec heads. Once GM realized that Vortec was a selling point, it started advertising it, and placing it on the engines. In that regards, yep, '92 or so is when the word Vortec first appeared on the engine. However, the engine was a Vortec since '86 in the fullsize trucks. All S10 truck 4.3L V6 engines are votec engines.

 

so why the big difference in HP?

 

HP differences came from the evolution of the engine itself by way of different injection setups, intake manifold configurations, cam profiles, and more precise tuning along with the design changes in the heads, exhaust manifolds, etc...

To my knowledge any '96-'03 Vin W, RPO L35 in a s-series suv will have 190hp/250ftlbs...