UPDATED: FEB 5, 2010
Hi!

Since I am a project oriented person, I wanted to make a thread about what to do to your 4.3, and what not to waste your money on. I intend this thread to contain everything from the basic maintenance to the all out hotrodder's dream build. Unfortunately, I don't know a lot about the latter. To put this in the simplest terms, I want lots of info ALL IN ONE PLACE! Not all over the four corners of the internet.

Here is what I do know:
What NOT to waste your money on:
Oil additives (I don't want to start a war here, there is already a thread for that.)
Throttle Body Spacers - This engine already has asthma, why make a bad thing worse.


Things that DO help:
CAI <- I have been assured that these work by people on this site who have them.
Get a Hi-Flow cat
Port & Polish the throttle body (I am not 100% on that one)
Updated Fel-Pro gaskets (make an old engine with vacuum leaks feel like new!)
Upgraded Fuel Spider - For the ones that came with SCPI (BAD) to make them MFI (GOOD) <- Not sure about this one anymore.
Synthetic Oil <- Been using it forever, had to have someone tell me what sludge was!
Changing your oil frequently <- The more the merrier
Gorilla Snot <- No, not from a monkey! Brown Aviation Sealant around places prone to vacuum leaks.
AC DELCO Parts <- For the man who doesn't want to chance it.
PCM Tune <- Can also get rid of that nasty 97MPH limit!
Shorty Headers (JBA makes some) http://www.summitracing.com/search/D...?Ns=Rank%7cAsc <- Let me know if the link doesn't work. The filters applied are 1998 Chev Blazer 4.3

NEW! Side notes:
"An Eye Opener about Oil Filters" https://blazerforum.com/forum/lounge-5/eye-opener-about-oil-filters-39608/#post295343

I know that isn't everything, and if some of it is wrong, tell me in the replies. I look forward to having some good advice on here for people to see. It's really difficult to work on an engine when you don't know what to do to it.

Some things I would like to see discussed:
Shorty headers - I don't know if they are effective for this engine. If they are, I'd love to hear about it.
Intake mods - Cutting up the airbox, hi performance MAF. etc.
Cams - I'm pretty sure the answer is NO but I am not 100%


Regards,

Thomas

 

Awesome. Can't wait to see the list grow. I was thinking about getting a throttle body spacer and CAI, now I'm having second thoughts. The engine seems pretty strong as is, but a little more power is always nice.

 

God Thomas, it's like you post things as bait for me to come in and disagree with you on

I would like to weigh in on a few points here:

CAI WILL create a minor boost in performance. By minor, i mean MINOR, BUT rain... really? if a cai was suseptable to something as simple as rain, then so is you stock box. they work the same way, air move through a filter and into you engine. wether it passes through a box or not has NO bearing on the fact that water COULD get in either way...
I have baja-ed through some door-line deep water, with never a second thought as to wether or not my cai could handle it or not. if you are really that scared because you drive to work each day take you through a resivoir or some other large body of standing water, buy a K&N drycharger sock for your filter....
it has been said before, water is much denser than air. if there is a way for air to get through your filter, and it is not like 1/2 submerged or more, it will suck in the air long before its suction of water becomes an issue.

oiled filters can be bad for your MAF sensors IF you dont give it enough time to seep in and dry a bit. if you dunk, re-attach, and go, then you deserve the oily build up you will get on your MAF sensor. BTW, even that can be easily cleaned up with a Q-tip and some rubbing alcohol (i prefer 70% isopropal)

as for "cutting holes in the stock air box", or "swissing", you could just get a CAI instead. if you cut holes on the engine side, you are letting in hot air so you will get less performance as hot = less oxygen = less responce etc. if you cut them in the front or underneath the box, now you have to worry about the same rain boogey man that you didn't want a CAI because of. so that leaves cutting on the fender side to be safe....but you can't cut ABOVE the filter... crap! now its pointless....
OR
cut holes ALL over it, build a DIY heat shiled for the air box AND get a K&N filter so it will last longer due to the added contamination the holes will give. now you can clean it, recharge it and oil it, DAMN! Now oil will ruin the MAF?!!?! WTF!!



i dont want to argue the oil addatives thing (i assume you mean Lucas products and the like) as it has been done before and comes down to personal preference as there is not enough evidence to convice people that EITHER way is better (so it should be left off the list for the sake of un-biasness)

an exhaust tip is a COSMETIC mod, and not something that you can recommend or not and remain neutral. either you like em or you dont, but it is not meant to change engine performance in the least and as such should not be mentioned...

cutting out your cat is not helpful. #1, it is a federal offense, and #2, todays technology has led to such efficient cats that there is little to no change on a set up olike ours with out with out a cat. hi-flow, stock, oem-ish, it doesnt matter. the numbers for a cat vs a pipe do not make any REAL difference.

the oil threads are high in number already. no one can say that dino oil trumps synth in neatness. its over and done. as for brands... that debate is all over the forum, just search...

as for shorty headers, not so much, but i chopped my entire tail pipe off and dumped my exhaust just behind my Flowmaster's exit port. it sounds better.... performance wise, it sound better

cams can help the 4.3 a LOT check the searches! BUT you should pair it up with all the other engine upgrade-y parts you can while in there....



something you may want to note: while polishing your throttle, there is a diverter on the blade (butterfly0 that can be chopped down a bit (NOT REMOVED) to get a bit more out of the engine, but nothing noticeable by itself.

light weight pullies wont do much and if you have an uber system could actually cause problems charging the battery to full potential

fuel tornado things you put in your intake to "super charge the air" wont help. period.

running higher octane fuel is better.

larger tires, brush guards and roof racks WILL hurt fuel economy.

LEDS dont make your car any faster, but can help visability.

dont underestimate the power of Under Coating from frame rails.

a hydrogen generator is bad.

"ebay perfomance chips" are not good. if you want more out of your engine, send me $20 +$6 s&h and you will get as much of a boost out of that as you will one of the chips

i'll look into more.




again, i dont want you to think this is some how an attack on you or in anyway what you are doing here. i enjoy you being here on this forum, and like i have said time and again, i enjoy our chats. BUT with something like this, i just have to dump my in a pile on this matter.

i thin kwhat you are doing is a good and noble cause. its like what i tried (and failed) when i mde my common fixes to common problems thread. i hope you actually make yours work

good luck man!

 

A lot of that was just what I had been told. I will remove the stuff about the CAI. I guess I'll budge on the exhaust tip thing, but the cats are there to stay because I never said you have to do any of this.

Tell me everything you know about this. I have been trying to get a straight answer about that on this forum for so long! Google returns nothing. Can I remove that big black tumor on the back of the butterfly? Do I have to fill the rivet holes with something? TELL ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Regards,

Thomas

That is so not a federal offense! They just say come back when you can pass emissions or we'll pull your registration.

 

*clears throat*:
Rules for Replacing Converters
In 1986, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued new guidelines for the construction, efficiency and installation of aftermarket catalytic converters. All CleanAir converters listed in this catalog have been designed, tested and manufactured to meet this policy.

In addition, CleanAir converter listed in this catalog is appropriate for use under the current requirements of the California Air Resources Board (C.A.R.B.).
E.P.A. guidelines state that replacement converters may be installed only in the following situations:

1. The vehicle is missing a converter
2. A state or local inspection program has determined that the existing converter needs replacement
3. Vehicles manufactured prior to 1996 must have more than 50,000 miles, and a legitimate need for replacement must be established and documented
4. In cases of OBD Il-equipped vehicles (1996 and later), the O.E. manufacturer's 8-year/80,000-mile warranty must have expired and a legitimate need for replacement must be established and documented.
Please note that Federal law prohibits removal or replacement of a properly functioning O.E. converter. <--FMW
When replacement of the converter is appropriate (as outlined above), the E.P.A. further requires that:

1. It be installed in the same location as the original
2. It be the same type as the original (i.e., two-way, three-way, three-way plus air/three-way plus oxidation)
3. It be the proper model for the vehicle application as determined and specified by the manufacturer
4. It be properly connected to any existing air injection components on the vehicle
5. It be installed with any other required converter for a particular application
6. It be accompanied by a warranty information card to be completed by the installer.

referenced

as for the diverter:
just search "diverter"
some more on it

PCM tunes = worth the $$$
you will also see pros and cons of changing clutch fan to e-fan. it's all choice baby!
also the 4L60E can benefit from a shift kit and/or Corvet/Impala shift servos from 1-2 and 3-4

 

So wait a second, does that mean no cherry bomb cats if yours is still working? They can shove it up their a**es.

Thank you for the info on the "diverter", I always thought that was called the restrictor plate.

And thank you for the info on PCM tunes. However I have to disagree about shift kits in some cases. Shift kits to make the shift firmer are IMO bad. The reason, how do you know your tranny is about to go? It starts shifting hard. I also read on a Corvette *nice spelling* forum that a person who installed a shift kit was burning through bands in a matter of days.

Thank you for the information!

Regards,

Thomas

 

Curt, your responses are spot on. Couldn't have said it better myself.

The speed of a shift really is no indication of the health of a transmission. The longer the shift, the more wear you are imparting on the bands/clutches and the more heat you are generating. Heat is the #1 killer of transmissions. Reducing the shift time reduces heat and wear both at the same time.

 

the swartlkk seal of approval! *basks in the glow*

i will probably screw it up by spouting off something dumb in a day or two, so i'll enjoy it while i can

as for the spelling; said it once, i'll say it again: i never claimed to know how to write or talk american good. 'nuff said. coreveht

 

Yeah when I read that about CAIs in the original post when he was talking about MAFs, I litterally paused and thought 'Oh crap, someone's gotta clear that up and explain how hard it is for water to defy gravity, go vertical into JUST the right spot, get through a filter, and have the momentum to travel like 2 more feet to get into the throttle body and then into the engine.'

Good thread idea though, so kudos to you Thomas . And A+ on everything you said Curt.

 

LED's are more efficient than incandescent bulbs... incandescent dual stage bulbs are around 8w low and 27w high, a two stage LED bulb draws not even half of the low end when its on high = less power draw -> less battery drain -> less alt work time.

The most minor changes can make the biggest differences sometime... i would think of it as the same concept as grounding kits (in my own logic anyway) a ground "kit" i.e HKS circle earth kits are designed to add multiple ground points to smooth out power distribution... makes starting more responsive etc..

i in no way support the ginormous gains associated with LEDs OR these ground kits, but my theory is if it draws less power OR smoothes it out then it has SOME gain, somehwere.

before with incandescents everywhere including a true 2000watt amplifier and aftermarket deck, heat on high, 55w foglights on, 55w headlights on, flashers on and foot on the brake id drop to 13.2/12.8vdc at idle.

now with HID's(after initial lamp start) all exterior LED's incl. fogs and the amp/radio and other said variables as stated before active i sit pretty at 14.4/14.2 at idle.

with initial hid lamp start i drop to 14.1 and it rises back to normal within a few seconds.

this frees up a whopping 1 volt to go elsewhere like to ignition cycles or power accesories, its seems small but it helps out.

ill stick by ground kits too, static energey interference is hell on electronics of any type, i ground whatever i can when supplies / ambition allow. im not saying just start grounding stuff thats bad because if your grounds are too long they lose effectiveness. there is a ton of math involved and research trial and error