You are right Logan the 2.8 is crap.

I have a 1988 4x4 s10 I have to pull the engine to do some engine work and was thinking of putting a 4.3 in it. It has the 700r4 Auto , will a 4.3 out of a truck the same year be a bolt the engine in change the ecm(simple swap) ? I have heard the 4.3 and 2.8 have different bell housing bolt pattern. I am looking to buy a donor vehicle if I do the swap.

 

you need EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!, tranny, mounts, crossmembers, hell even keep the rear axle, that is why my truck is setting in the barn with a fully built 275 horse 4.3 setting in the bed.......mine had best of everything and now its junk cause of my worthless brother.......i was 15 at the time and he built me a great motor but then decided not to put it down in the truck and it got moved from one garage to another then to the barn where it sets decaying, its really sad actually......it was 30 over, new hypereutectic flat top pistons, full aftermarket better roller valve train, i think 1.96/1.86 valves, i cant remember the specs cause its been years, 4 barrel intake which is VERY hard to find from what i understand.....we had 1500.00 in everything......


if you dont want to do that, swap a 3.4 rear drive engine into it, thought they are almost impossible to find, the swap kit used to be sold through GM Performance Parts and back in the day from what i hear some dealers would do the swap cause of the 2.8 being junk....


oh and i found out a 6.2 diesel only weighs 150 more pounds than a small block chevy does, so maybe a 6.5 turbo or 6.2 turbo hooked to a 1/2 ton 700R4 would be a nice swap............


there are other options but these will probably be to your liking, WELL, atleast 2 will be anyways.....