Hope some one can shed some light on my engine swap problem.

I have a 93 S-10 Blazer 4x4 with the CPI 4.3 with a bad rod. I picked up a 96 4.3 w/o knowing this was the year Chevy introduced the 2nd gen engine that carries many changes.

I know I need to swap 93 heads and intake onto the 96 block. What else would need to be swapped? Will the cast aluminum oil pan fit into and clear in a 1st gen? If not is there any way the early tin oil pan can be installed on the later block? I'm already familiar that the alum pan bolted to the bell housing or auto trans housing but figure I can use the engine mounts,strut rods and flywheel cover from the 93. The 93 is complete so I have anything needed from that to transfer to the 96 block.

To look at it another way I can tear down the 96 engine to the point of being a short block and swap over what ever is needed from the 93.

Thanks, Ken

 

My opinion, sell the newer block and get the one that is proper for your application. You could always rebuild your short block instead of replacing it.

There is an article that goes through the changes entitled Rebuilding the 262 by Doug Anderson, but it does not have much information on the 96+ engines.

As far as the timing cover goes, you will have to make use of the one that's there and hope everything else fits around it. The timing cover bolt spacing did change from 93 to 96. A 96 engine should have a stamped steel pan, but spuratic use of the aluminum pan from 96-97 did occur for one reason or another. The 96 engine will not have the transmission strut towers (those bars that run from the side of the engine block back to the transmission) on it. The cam is also different between the CPI and SCFI engines so you would have to swap cam/lifter over or replace the cam with an aftermarket one for your application.