im in the middle of cleaning up a 94 4.3 cpi for a suzuki 4x4 buildup. i managed to get an all access pass into a parts yard and i picked up a supercharger from a 3800 while pulling parts for my rig. i can get two of them if i need a second for some reason. im a fairly advanced welder but self taught mostly. most of it ive learned through trial and error. im thinking of building a sheet metal supercharger intake for my engine using a junk/donor engine as a jig. anyone here try this?

i have pleanty of resources and equipment. the mechanical stuff is simple. id just like to talk to someone who has done it. maybe pick up some tips. this would be my first sheet metal intake.

 

Nope haven't heard of it but give it a shot I'm interested to see how it would turn out.

 

me too. i think it will be placed on my list of things to do this summer. ive looked up sheet metal intakes and found a few for superchargers. maybe it will be do able.

 

I've heard of cutting down 350 intakes for a 4.3 and welding them together, don't have any idea how it works out tho.

 

im thinking of doing a short runner setup. im trying to keep it as low as possible, but i think i will need to kick it off to the left a little to clear the distributor. may even have to build a remote throttle body to get around it. its kind of up in the air right now. first i need to get the engine under the suzuki samurai's little hood with the 700r4. once ive got the rig built, ill have room to play with the idea a little more. ive got the permission to yank the second donor/jig engine for the project though. i just need time to do it.



the engine clean up is still a work in progress.





figured id post up some pics. i know its not a blazer. i do own a bravada though. some idiot used it to haul his house i think. the rear frame is bent. im swapping the drive train into a 2 door blazer here soon. along with all the cool little goodies inside. ill post picks up when i do.

 

sounds good, nice first gen btw.

 

i swapped in the composite valve covers. i thought the first gen was the tbi. im a tech but not 100% up on the different phases of the 4.3.

btw can i delete the balance shaft? its ugly. it gets in the way of one of the intake ideas i had.

 

I rebuilt my 95 CPI and my engine builder and I had planned on removing the balance shaft also.
A few weeks later he remembered why they hadnt removed balance shafts before.
He said there is an oil passage in the bore the rear bearing fits in.
If you remove the shaft/bearing, you will have oil spill out in the lifter valley.
Not that oil in the lifter valley is bad, it just could starve whatever is supposed to receive the oil after the balance shaft.
Im not 100% on the oiling system on these engines but I left mine in though I would like to have removed it also.
I got a 93 parts Blazer and was going to use the long block in my 91 but the 93 was a balance shaft (to my surprise) and the TBI intake off my 91 wont clear from what I hear. I didnt get to try and fit it though.

 

if it it a 91 it has a 4.3L TBI
if it's 92-94 it has a 4.3L vortec

 

if you remove the bearing race where the oil passage is, and reinstall it crooked so that the oil passage is plugged off by it, the oil pressure will not be affected. it has its own dedicated oil gally so nothing else depends on it. i knew how to fix that from info i recieved from a chevy tech. but i hear its pretty important to leave it in from another non chevy tech who i dont quite trust. i guess it shakes pretty bad without it. the funny thing is that the crank has the same part numbers between balance shaft and non balance shaft 4.3's. which leads me to believe he's full of s***. so im about to just chance it. i dont care if it has a bit of a wiggle. it will be one less moving part to worry about. and it gives me room to expand the intake a little if i decide to.

i figured id ask you guys to try and sum it up.