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What the hell motor should I put in my truck...

Stomis

Stomis

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Now that the end is in sight for my street truck as far as pre-occupying the garage 24/7 Im starting to think on my tube frame trooper turned s10 project. Im no longer on the prevailing rate job at work so all of the sudden money is an object again. Nothing is really set in stone. The frame is going to get either a box s10 ext cab or if it comes along for the right price a colorado ext cab on it.

I know the simplest answer is a 4.3/nv3500/np241 or 231. Thats just so blah though and the 4.3 is sorta crowed in an s10 engine compartment. I would really like to use my toy tcases I have kicking around. So far Ive considered a 3.8 S/C motor, problems in regards to getting a RWD trans behind it in some cases though but doable. Ive also considered a larger ecotec which I thought would be nifty and easy to work on but probably the most expensive route. Then theres the easy answer of shoving a 4.8 in it and being easy on it as to not break stuff.

Thoughts? Input? I really think a turbo or S/C ecotech would be really cool but I know nothing about their support for standalone etc.
 
Aluminum LS.

This is actually a build I've been daydreaming about off and on for a while. I'd start with a regular cab 93 or earlier S10 shortbox, thinking jeep TJ front axle four linked, with 8.8 exploder rear on leafs. I'd go aluminum LS, with an un determined trans/t case. Probably a TH350/ 208. Thinking it would be a decent driver, part time wheeler. I'd keep it on 33s or 35's at the biggest.

Hijack off.
 
I must have missed it but I thought you had a diesel setup for the trooper? I'm by even sure when we switched from trooper to s10 and I'm subscribed so I didn't think I missed much.

But I will say a 4.8 tube frame build would compliment you LS street truck nicely.
 
305 big block V6 with a sm465














:dunno:











:popcorn: You know, unless you could find a 478 V6 instead. Little harder to come by. Both I think had Stromberg 2bbls. Two barrels saves gas, right? :D
 
Stomis said:
So far Ive considered a 3.8 S/C motor, problems in regards to getting a RWD trans behind it in some cases though but doable.
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Holden put S/C 3800s in RWD drive cars. You probably won't score one of those engines, but there useful parts coming up on eBay sometimes, like intakes, fuel rails and brackets. The old way to do it is use a Camaro 3800 and swap L67 guts into it, but that is basically a whole engine build. I know the series II N/A 3800 does pretty well with S/C top swaps and turbo conversions (like 400hp), but I don't know if the Camaro engines had as stout of a bottom end.
 
I know a guy who built a tube buggy with 3800 S/C engine and used 2.8 v6 s10 700r4 built behind it with 203 range box and Toyota case behind that .

easy to do .
 
sweetk30 said:
I know a guy who built a tube buggy with 3800 S/C engine and used 2.8 v6 s10 700r4 built behind it with 203 range box and Toyota case behind that .

easy to do .
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Problem is that there's no good 60* sticks. Just t5s from 2.8 s10s.

Call me crazy but the Ecotec thing is stuck in my head. 250hp with a turbo or blower and it would be a piece of cake to work on... Probably get low to mid 20s even pushing 4wd around.
 
Smokinthehippies said:
I must have missed it but I thought you had a diesel setup for the trooper? I'm by even sure when we switched from trooper to s10 and I'm subscribed so I didn't think I missed much.

But I will say a 4.8 tube frame build would compliment you LS street truck nicely.
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I did and I decided to nix it. I traded it for the 6.0 I have sitting in my garage. And no one tell me to put that in the s10! Its going in the street truck later! Basically decided I wasnt comfortable with the diesel being 180k miles, plus I was in uncharted water with a diesel and decided to get out of it.

The trooper turning into an s10 came from me having problems getting the back of the trooper body down low enough with the rear leafs to stick with 33s. Plus I always wanted an s10 truggy ever since I saw redders on pirate. Despite originally wanting the trooper to sleep in I've decided to either buy a popup when the comes and lift it and put 33s under it or get a rooftop tent.
 
Stomis said:
I did and I decided to nix it. I traded it for the 6.0 I have sitting in my garage. And no one tell me to put that in the s10! Its going in the street truck later! Basically decided I wasnt comfortable with the diesel being 180k miles, plus I was in uncharted water with a diesel and decided to get out of it.

The trooper turning into an s10 came from me having problems getting the back of the trooper body down low enough with the rear leafs to stick with 33s. Plus I always wanted an s10 truggy ever since I saw redders on pirate. Despite originally wanting the trooper to sleep in I've decided to either buy a popup when the comes and lift it and put 33s under it or get a rooftop tent.
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Gotcha. Well than the simple answer here is build the 6.0 for the street truck and put the 5.3 in the s10. Everybody wins!

Also I don't know if your planning on a bed or not for the dime, but sportztents makes those truck bed tents I've always wanted to try.
 
Smokinthehippies said:
Gotcha. Well than the simple answer here is build the 6.0 for the street truck and put the 5.3 in the s10. Everybody wins!

Also I don't know if your planning on a bed or not for the dime, but sportztents makes those truck bed tents I've always wanted to try.
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Nah the s10 is gonna have a tube bed like I always wanted to do to my K10.
 
So despite my asking and no one liking the idea Lol I'm really leaning towards doing an Ecotec. 2.4s are a dime a dozen, like $300 for a sub 80k mile motor. Whip up a 8psi small turbo setup and they're good for around 250hp. With 4.56s, skinny 33s and a 4:1 first.gear nv3500 and a 241 I think it could be a very cool and different setup.
 
How heavy do you plan on this being when completed? When I think of off road vehicle, I don't think of a turbo 4 banger (unless you're talkin sand rail).

I'd have no problem putting a 3.8, either NA or SC, in an S10 based truck. They are everywhere for cheap and are reliable. I've got two that have over 280,000 on them, and they still run like new.

I'm not up to speed on the Ecotecs, but I'm guessing it won't just fall into place with off the shelf parts. Same with the 3.8. So...either way you'll be fabing/sourcing parts.


Edit: For my honest opinion.....some kind of LS based motor. I'm not on the LS bandwagon (yet). But for what you can get out of them for their price, they are hard to beat. Even a stock 5.3 takeout would be a step up. Might even come in a little cheaper too.
 
I'm guessing somewhere in the 4000lb area.

Consider the 22re Toyotas of the same size. 100hp.

Turbo Ecotec would be between 250 and 350hp and much better trans gearing for moving a truck around.
 
A super charged 3800 would be perfect. All that torque down low for a camper or wheeling and not constantly turning high rpms as you would with the ecotech.
 
I think driving style might have a little bit of play in this as well. Are you the type to crawl through things at low/moderate RPM? Or do you go flying through balls out?

Sure the Ecotec might make 250hp, but at what RPM? If the power starts coming in at 4000 and is done at 5200, what good does that do you. I've never seen a dyno graph for one. And....it gets old listening to a motor buzzin along all day when you are only moving 5mph.

Having the bigger motor will give you the displacement edge. I know you can play around with turbos, BOV's, etc...to get it to spool where/how you want it. But you still need some kind of load on the motor for it to spool. With a super charger, that thing is pumping air whether you want it to or not, so the power is there right on tap. Unless you get one with a bypass, but I wouldn't think that'd be needed here.

As for mileage, look at the 4.3. It was used in S10's and full size trucks. On paper it looks like the S10 would get better mileage. They didn't get that much better than the bigger trucks in the real world. With the smaller motor you will be working it harder, using more fuel. Actually, a 5.3 could get the same if not better mileage I think.
 
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