Vortec 4.3 Swap

[newb]

So, Im getting ready to swap my tired little 3.8 for '96-'98 Vortec 4.3. It didnt come with a wiring harness, TB or sensors, so the easier route for me is to get an Edelbrock Vortec 4bbl intake and a non computer distributor. After that I was gunna pull the ECM and the newly uneeded wiring.

First, any tips or input on using the 4.3? I believe I know what its gunna take, but some first hand experience would be nice hear about.

Second, is there any reason I should leave the ECM and wiring harness in the car even its not being used? If I swap another engine in, it would be an LSx with a stand alone harness.

Thanks

 

[clean8485]

A bit more information would be helpful. What kind of car are you working on? What year is the car? What transmission is in the car? Which 3.8 engine is in the car-the Chev 3.8, or the Buick 3.8? What year and type of vehicle did the 4.3 come from? If you could provide some more info, chances are that more people will be able to help.

 

[newb]

The car Im workin on is an '83 Malibu wagon with a Chev 3.8 and TH350. I dont know what the 4.3 came out of, but casting numbers say its a '96-'98 Vortec.

The part Im worried about most is the wiring. It should go just like swaping in any other carbed engine, but Ive never done a swap on one of these cars.

 

[clean8485]

Is the 4.3 going to stay as a carbureted engine? What wiring are you concerned about?
Keep in mind that there is a difference between the 3.8 and 4.3 Chev engines, in terms of the firing order. The 3.8 has a "semi-even" firing order, and the 4.3 has an "even" firing order. The distributor from the 3.8 will not work in the 4.3.
I'm planning a similiar swap in an '81 Malibu that I have that currently has the Chev 3.8 in it. I'm using a late '80s 4.3 long block, but I managed to find a 4 barrel intake and HEI distributor from a carbureted 4.3, from an '85-'86 Chev truck. Around here, those parts aren't easy to find.
The late '80s 4.3 engine block will also have to have the hole drilled into it for the fuel pump pushrod, as I'm planning to keep a mechanical fuel pump on the car. The later '80s 4.3 blocks did not have the mechanical fuel pump hole drilled into the block, because they came from the factory with fuel injection on them.
Hope this helps. Good luck.

 

[1986Cutlass#71]

I have been debating the same swap in my 1986 Cutlass.