i was thinking of doing this today and yesterday. im thinking it might happen this winter. its my DD but thats why i would do it. its worth it. im a parts guy at gm, so i would get a screamin deal on like an L31, which is the 97ish v8 from a full size truck.

 

I would drive a V8 S10 as well. It'd be a great hot rod especially at the track... But, things do go wrong. Plain and simple, we are all human. Which gives us the chance to make mistakes. Parts guy or not, I will never suggest using your DD as a project car.

 

LOL, putting a project in my DD doesnt scare me. i have some of the best GM parts guys in the world at this dealership, and several technitions with whom i am friends who have done this swap. ive got the time, theyve got the experience, and i get my parts around 70% less than the general public. no prob, bob.

 

You would be better off buying a YUKON GT

 

INHUMAN, i think what ghost was trying to say is, this ain't no weekend swap, 'cause, no matter how good you may think you and your friends are, NOTHING ever goes exactlly as planed-that's why they're called "projects".
i also beleive he was trying to tell you to have a back-up diver while you're doing this (even if it only takes you 3 or 4 days, you'll still need something to do some ruinning around).
as for the end results, sure, why wouldn't you drive it daily? if you can afford to do it, and fuel it, then you may as well brive the bitch.
good luck with your swap brother, keep us updated on your plans/progress.

 

Actually, most people that swap in an L31 tend to get better mpg than with the 4.3L. This is of course if you don't drive like you now have a V8. Great thing about the L31 swap is all accessories from the 4.3 will bolt right up, wiring is pretty straight forward and you can use your PCM.

I'll be doing a V8 swap once my 4.3 dies but not sure what I want in there as of yet. I'd love to put an LSx in but those are a bit more involved. I'll more than likely have a shop do it for me, though, either way.

 

I want something other people don't have for a real wheeler, not a stock square.

 

Local shop for sure. About the L31, will it handle the MASHING involved when I am literally crawling up the mountain. Not bashing, but I want the V8 power at 13000' and I want to know I can use it, there is some cool ISH out there if you can get to/over it. I have a dream list of trails I want to run!

 

if you're running @ 13000 feet, you'll want to have something that can be adjusted on the fly (ie. a variable programmer of sorts). 'cause, you can make all the power in the world (up there, or, down here), but it'll never perform amazing in both.

 

hey Bert, i've heard that the L31 is a more common, straight forward swap, but, besides the mount issues, how well does it fit? and what about the LM7? besides being (practically) built in my front yard of St. Catharines, Ontario, i heard that these actually spool up the power curve quicker, and are higher reving (much like the origional 327 it's based on)?