Wow, I am finally posting here. I have used suggestions and read solutions from this forum for a long time and have nearly never been steered wrong. And even when I was it was because of my own oversight lol. Anyways I recently was proposed a trade of a 1995 sierra pick em up that I have had sitting around a year of so for an engine and trans for my 1999 blazer. The blazer is my daily driver (4.3 vortec, 4x4, 4 door) and I need to know if the motor and trans I am being offered will either: directly swap out, swap out with little commotion and extra cost, or break the bank and start swearing it will be a long project (my original idea was to put a 1999 LS1 from a camaro in but was told since it's 4wd that would be REALLY tough). So anyways down to the question whate years and trans from blazer/tahoe/sierra/silverado will directly bolt in if possible to my 1999 blazer. I am assuming that for best results the replacement trans should be a 4wd so no swapping of case nightmare. I believe the actual one in question is a 1996, 1998, 1999, or 2000 and is out of a sierra and it is a 4WD. Now for engine it is out of a 2000 sierra or silverado, will I have to change intake,sensors, that kind of normal stuff or am i looking at a whole lot more. Thanks for so much help I have already received from this site, and any answers to this post. Also sorry I blab too much, it is a gift and a curse

 

No v8 engine will be a direct bolt and a v8 swap will definitely be more than a little "commotion". By far the easiest type of swap will be an SCFI 5.7L v8. You will still have to modify engine mounts, do headers and pay around with the radiator cooling fan (e-fan). But the most daunting portion of this swap will be the wiring and reprogramming of the PCM to the v8 software. The wiring will consist of possibly lengthening wiring to fit the larger engine as well as the addition of the wiring for the two additional fuel injectors.

The transmissions from any 98+ will work provided it is a 4L60E and not the heavier 4L80E. The older 96-97 4L60E transmissions will work, but the bell housing may be a different configuration (1-piece vs. 2-piece).

 

So, a trans as long as it's a 4l60e from a 1999 sierra and a 4.3 out of a 2000 sierra will be possible to replace the motor and trans in my 1999 4wd blazer, does the replacement trans have to be from a 4wd or does it not matter? Also, if putting a 4.3 out of a pickup in to my blazer anything that needs changed can come from the original blazer motor and swap over on to the pickup motor, correct? Thanks so much.

 

You will definitely want the replacement transmission to be a 4wd transmission unless you like tearing things apart to replace the tail shaft (hint - requires gutting the transmission)...

And yes, a 4.3L out of a fullsize of the same general year range (96 thru 01 or 02) will work. The transmission will work as well provided it is from a 4wd truck.

 

If the other trans is a different configuration (mine is a 1 piece I believe) is there a way to "adapt" or make it work or is that a done deal at that point?

 

Any 98+ 4L60E should have the removable bell housing. If it were a 1-piece main case, then you would have to find the appropriate adapter to go from the back of the 1-piece case to your transfer case as I recall that the overall length of the 1-piece case is different than the 2-piece case.

 

Just to clarify when you are saying 1 or 2 piece bell housing are you talking about being able to remove the tail portion of the housing in order to bolt up the transfer case as opposed to a "normal" rear wheel drive trans where the trans housing is all one piece from where it bolts to motor all the way to the rear seal, right? (I hope)

 

No. The bell housing portion is the removable part on the newer cases. The tail section has always been additional on these transmissions. My descriptions have always pertained to the main case.

The early 4L60E (1-piece main case) also have a square, 4-bolt pattern for the transfer case adapter (or tail housing on a 2wd) while the later 4L60E (2-piece main case) has a hexagonal, 6-bolt pattern at the back.

Your truck should have a removable bell housing.

 

Things are working out, thanks much for your help.