Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

Just what do I need to replace on a 97 vortec that I got used before putting it in my blazzer besides the parts they broke takeing it out ,or what is deffernt?

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

I always like replacing the rear main seal, and what ever gaskets that are hard to get to once its in the truck.

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

I would recommend the oil pan gasket, rear main seal, a new timing cover(plastic), and lower intake gaskets. You will be doing intake gaskets sooner or later, might as well do them now while its easier. Make sure to get the updated gaskets

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

I have herd that the v8 vortecs had problems with the intake gasket so I was wandering about the 6s.
parts destroid ,distributor cap and modual oil sender and what ever that other sensor is by that.

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

I would take a good look at the new used motor and see if there is evidence of a leak. I don't like pulling anything apart that doesn't show signs of leakage. Often times a new gasket can also leak and no need to fix what's broken. With that said, the oil pan and rear main are done in minutes with the engine already out.

The 4.3s have a reputation for consuming intake gaskets so it's worth while to replace them. I like to use the upgraded Fel-Pro gasket set, as it includes steel based gaskets as well as valve cover gaskets, throttle body, etc.

I recently swapped engines in my 97 and both motors had new intake gaskets, but I had parts in hand so I installed the nice FelPros. I was going to do the rear main because it's so easy but it had a fresh one installed when I pulled the flexplate. I kept the stock senders as they aren't too bad to install in the truck, and a new distributor cap/rotor and wires never hurts.

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

The "new engin came from a 2 wheel drive and is going in a 4 wheel drive will I need to change oil pans and the thing the oil cooling lines come off of?

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

You will need to swap the oil cooler outlet at the block. The 2wd had the filter going straight down. The 4wd has the filter behind the bumper. If you don't switch it, the oil filter will hit the front diff.

I' showing 2 different part numbers for the oil pan. I didn't think there was a difference. But if you are replacing the gasket anyway, its no big deal to swap oil pans. If you do swap pans, make sure the oil pick up is at the same place.

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

So what is the best way to clean out the oil lines, thought about useing an old fuel pump and some desel fuel to clean the lines.

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

I have every thing under the hood in front of engine removed exhaust manafods removed and the converter bolts removed . what is the easyest way to get to the bell housing bolts and the bolts on the back of the heads?

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

long extension and universal from underneath

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

Will try. Being a 4 wheel drive, can"t drop the back of the trans/transfer case but a few inches- tail hits on tortion bar cross member.

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

Engine / tran. is out. To get to the bell houseing bolts first needed to drop the transfer case ,then the transmission and cut all the electrical ties the last mechanic used to tie every thing up. to get to the last plugs and ground s on the back of the engine. This thing was leaking like the Exon Valdez, is there a good degreaser that will not mess with the electrical connectors?

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
replace with new ones from the dealer. Do NOT use dorman hoses. repeat, DO NOT USE DORMAN HOSES!!!
I bend the pinch weld flange up and use a swivel socket on a loooong extension. It helps also if you have a truck driver's dictionary.:lol: The ground wires, fuel line bracket etc. on back of heads you pretty much need gear wrenches. In non-rust belt areas I've heard of guys removing body mount bolts and jacking it up to get at bell housing bolts.

as for the oil pans; 2wd and 4x4 take different pans and pick-up tubes. Make absolutely sure the back of pan is flush even with back of block.

that thing you called the module inside the distributor is actually the camshaft position sensor.

Check to make sure the plastic distributor housing didn't get damaged.

after all said and done, you'll need a scan tool to make sure cam retard (dist. position) is correct. The spec is 0 +/- 2 degrees but I find they run better with -5 to -8 degrees depending on chain condition.

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

Have full gasket set+ timeing cover will check timeing gears have both oil cooler hose sets , trans/transfer case gasket ,trans filter ket ang have new oil pump on order. 2 wheel drive and 4 wheel drive oil pump are the same , oil pans are dif. New hy vol oil pump instructions say to check clearance. Anyone have experience with this? 4x4 pan is a little deeper.

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

you need the 4x4 pick-up tube since the pan is deeper and has a different shaped sump. I'd pass on the HV pump. It will wear out the distributor drive gear. Those gears aren't cheap and it doesn't need high volume

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

How much play /defllection is passable in the timeing chain?

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

Ideally, none. With free play comes unstable idle and if it gets severe you will have lean codes and CMP and/or CKP sensor codes

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

Hmmm play is about 1/2 inch or so. got a new set on order.

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

the play was about half on the new timing set. need to swap out harmonic ballancer , outer weight slips on enter rubber. timing cover on ,rear main seal changed..

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

word of further advice. Put antisieze on threads and shank of exhaust manifold bolts. If you ever need to remove them, you'll thank me.

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

Pulled the ballancer from the other engine and I think it will be ok sence the timing marks line up with the engine set a tdc. their is a little grove on the sealing surface. though. valve cover of and cleaned ,intake off and apart. first plastic distributer that I have seen.. I like to use antiseze copper on them ,and teflon on all bolt that go into the water jaket.

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

blue loctite on lower intake bolts and torque to 132 "lbs. Any more and it will distort the block
doing intake on an 02 Astro right now (ugh, I hate vans) and on Tuesday I do another on an 02 S10. I think I could do these blindfolded

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

Oil pan on, oil cooler adapter on, lower intake on. working on valve covers descovered hole in 1 of them, cleaning cover from dud engine to replace it.

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

Used a pair of Papermate pens in oppossite corners to giude the intake on . Just the right size to fit in the bolt holes in the heads and the manifold hole still fit over. Second valve cover on. stopped for the day. as hard as the little screws that hold the cam senser in to the distributor are to get to + out I 'm thinking of using a new one instead of the one I pulled from the old engine.

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

turn dist. shaft and the screws are wide open.
personally I'd leave it alone. They rarely give any problem. The only time I've seen a code set for CMP is when the chain is severley worn and the CKP-CMP relationship is off

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

All sensers reinstalled . Cam senser was damaged as was the knock senser and the oil presser sender . It didnt look like they unpluged them before they pulled the engine. NEw engine mount installed ,both old one where broken on both engines. Upper intake installed mabe ready to install tomarrow.

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

I like to leave the upper, injector assembly, and fuel tubes off to make access to upper bell housing and ground bolts. Put duct tape over top of lower

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

engine back in, transmission still out. Both grounds on back of engine, oil sending unit, knock senser, and cam senser hooked up ,and fuel lines and purge line hooked up. Still need to install flywheel, and trans. Have filter kit for tranmission to install first .

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

you did make sure the distributor is installed with the rotor contact pointing at the 6 inside the triangle while cylinder #1 is at TDC, right? Don't trust the marks on the balancer since there is 2 of them.

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

Didn"t move the crank sence installing timing chain. There seem to be 2 timing marks on the cover that line up with both marks on ballacer .

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

Fly wheel is back on. Spent today working on transmission cleaning the gasket off the transfer case mating surface ,changing the filter , and welding up the hole the salvage yard drilled in the pan. Engine stands also work well for tranys . finished by raising the blazer high enough to roll the trany under it on a trans jack.

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

Got a new distributor cap to day on the way home from work. (work 3rd and 12s on weekends) Used a ohm meter to check which termenal went to #1 tower(all the way to the opposit side of cap by the tryangle with the 6 in it) pulled the distrbutor and turned it 180 degree to match. thanks for the tip!

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

Monday wasn"t a good day wether wise ore other. temps droped from the 50s to the 30s and misted most of the day. Stayed at it most of the day ,and only got about 1 hour of work done. we"ll just say that the dip stike tube must be installed in the trans. before installing the trans.

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

Thursday went Well. pulley installed on harmonic ballancer and all bolts torked to spec. Converter bolts installed and torked. Sifter cable hooked up. Water pump with pulley installed. hope to install transfer case tomarow.

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

Transfer case in , all electrical connections made for transmission and transfer case. had to replace the main vacuum line for the transfer case. Transmission cross member and mount back in. "Y" pipe back in al 3 o2 sensers on y pipe pluged in. Spent yesterday cleaning and installing remote oil filter adapter under the radiator and replaceing oil filter lines, what a pain, make a note to install oil lines on engine before droping engine in.

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

or remove left mount through bolt, lift engine with block of wood and jack, and slide lines between diff. and pan.

did you replace vacuum switch on top of transfer case? They go bad and worst case they send ATF into every single HVAC actuator (big job replacing) and the front axle actuator.

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

No ,didn"t replace the vacuum switch don"t know much about these things or 4x4s.Wife bought this thing without me and the first thing I had to do was to re build the frount end ,ball joints a frame bushings pitman arm and iddeler arm. 4new tires, the rear had 2deffert sizes ,you know what that means.
The oldes one drives it and I haven"t figerd out how she killed the engine and trans at the same time.
Used the jack and block of wood ,didn"t take the left mount loose barly worked it through .

Today changed the spark plugs, 3x platinum, set gap at 60, old plug were 80+. Put exast manaflod on bolt up y pipe.
also freed up the flair nut on the egr tube and reused it.

Re: Things to do before installing 4.3l in 97 blazer
 

Witch locktite would you use to install the drive shafts , red or blue? I have had them work loss before.