350 Chevy Motor Worth it?

[Runninthetrails]

 

Has anyone put Chevy Motor in their Yota.  If so I was wondering exactly I would need to do that and if it is actually worth it?

[kyle_22r]

i think it's more work than it's worth.  if i was doing an engine swap i'd rather do something like a 4.3l v6 or a buick v6.  still plenty of grunt but you won't be replacing parts left and right like with a big V8

[blyota91]

I'd love to have a V8 in my yota, but it just seems to me like it is going to make it too hard to work on since it will be wedged in there, and then I also have concerns about keeping it cool.  I would definately go for a V6 swap though.  ONe of my dream toys is an 89-95 2wd regular cab with a small block ford or chevy engine in it.  It would be great.

[reklund5]

GM motors suck.  period. 

Be original and swap in something cool. 

[Skinny_Pedal]

white trash has one in his 84. im sure he'll get an hold of this and let loose on ya

[Runninthetrails]

Hey the v6 swap might be a little easier to do and take care I will have to think about that one.  Which v6 would be a good conversion.  I would like to keep it carburated to though.

[WHITE_TRASH]

So reklund are you saying you wanna run'em for pinks??  I really hope not Im starting to run out of room for more trucks. 


The 4.3 is an excelent swap choice, it fits nicely and has more than enough power without being too much for the axles.  I absolutely love having way too much power in my 84 but its hell on the drivetrain.  The only thing that hasnt been replaced multiple times it the t-case, its still stock and completely untouched other than output seals.  I had a few cooling issues with mine from time to time but I can either lug it all day long or rev the piss out of it with absolutely no cooling issues now that i have it dialed in.

[blyota91]

Well, if you want to be original then by all means swap in a turbo charged mazda rotory, I don't know if it can be done and still use any yota trannys or t-cases but it sure would be fun.

[83yota]

run a 350 w/ 2 1/2 ton rockwell, allison trans, duel 205 t-case and tuff built drive lines and have a ball.

[SWAMPER]

Yeah that would work

[skid]

I've been running one very happily for six years.  Something fun about 15 sec 1/4 mile with 35" tires.  Bigger aluminum radiator, and bigger axles are a must.

[kyle_22r]

mazda rotaries suck in anything that needs torque

i'd agree with whoever said GM motors aren't original swaps, but i'd change that to chevy.  everybody's done a chevy motor swap.  what i'd like to see is something more along the lines of a buick 215 aluminum V8... only around 5lbs more than a 22R 

[Brandon]

A: never listen to anyone about swapping that hasn't done it..

B: I have..

C: 95% of the time my fan isn't even on, it's electric and about 1" thick and I have NO clutch fan. Cooling is NOT a problem AT ALL. Then again, I have a ford..

I drive my truck daily, it's in the parking lot at work here right now. If your going to do a swap, do it all the way and get the full 8 cylinders. That's my opinion. Then again, consider a vehicle with a V8 allready if you need the power. I love the power, I could never go back to a 4banger. I have put about 6k miles on my engine since I put it in. It does use oil so someday I'll need to bore it out or atleast hone it. It's great being able to look at a summit racing or jegs catalog and find things for your engine..

To give you an idea of what it takes I swapped the motor, tranny, front and rear axles, both drivelines, suspension front and rear, went to a different heater, swapped the shafts in my tcases to the 23 spline, extended the frame and made custom radiotor mounts, installed hood pins, custom exhaust, custom tcase mount, etc etc etc etc 

Yes, it was worth it

[reklund5]

No WT, I don't want to run 'em for pinks.  I know I'd lose every time against a torquey 'merican V8.  Your statement about too much power breaking drivetrain components pretty sums up why I don't like most V8 swaps.  I just think that there are more original and power-"appropriate" engine conversions out there than the 'ol standby 350 chebby.

I WOULD, hoever, love to ride in a overpowered V8 toyota truck    I just wouldn't own one...

Ryan

[TacoRunner]

If you are looking for good power reliability and orginality then got with the Tundra 4.7L
Almost no one has done it so it is orginal, it s way cool, but best of all its still Toyota.

[UNBREAKABLE]

I agree with TacoRunner If you are gonna go all out -balls to the wall- and are loaded do a 4.7 swap. They are an aluminum block too! Light weight and very powerful.

[kyle_22r]

correct me if i'm wrong...but i thought the V8 is an iron block while the 4.0 V6 is an all-aluminum motor.

one more thing...you can't run a manual tranny behind the V8! that is unless toyota uses it in other countries, then there'd most definitely be the option, but you'd still have to import the clutch/flywheel/crankshaft and most likely the tranny as well

[Runninthetrails]

No, isn't that why they make bellhousing adapters. isn't there an olds v6 that bolts right up to a yota tranny?

[kyle_22r]

well a bellhousing adapter doesn't do much good if the tranny behind it cant handle the power...i'd be leary of even the R151F behind a V8.  now, something like a H55F would be nice

another thing is that the V8 probably isn't drilled for a pilot bearing, so you'd have to have some custom work done on the crank and most likely a custom flywheel

as for direct bolt ups, look in the thread "5-speeds" in the suggestions section.  i think with an '88-99 jeep 2.5l bellhousing you can bolt a W or G series to a 60* chevy bolt pattern, and a '96-99 dakota 2.5l bellhousing will bolt an R151/R150 tranny behind one of the same.  motors with a 60* bolt pattern include the FWD buick V6, northstar and shortstar engines and of course the 2.8, 3.1 and 3.4 60* v6 motors.  you'd still have to work out the kinks like the flywheel, clutch etc but the major work is already done

while the buick is essentially the same engine as the 231(RWD buick), it's mounts and bellhousing pattern are different.  the 231 uses a standard buick olds pontiac pattern so you'd have to buy a bellhousing adapter from downey or AA to run a toyota tranny behind that

[WHITE_TRASH]

All 350's are drilled for pilot bearings.  Its mopoor's that had those issues.  Ive seen Marlin state that a r151f is good to 300 hp.  Id swap one of those in, or just use a Marlin t-case adapter to a sm420 behind it.

[Brandon]

one of the advantages of going V8 is the options of tranny's with super low first gears..

[83yota]

even better run a 3408 cat and an eaton fuller 13 speed. that will give you LOW gears

[kyle_22r]

All 350's are drilled for pilot bearings.  Its mopoor's that had those issues.  Ive seen Marlin state that a r151f is good to 300 hp.  Id swap one of those in, or just use a Marlin t-case adapter to a sm420 behind it.

nah, i was talking about the toy v8s.  i'm sure those and supposedly a lot of 3.4 V6 motors aren't drilled for a pilot

i think the only GM motors that were consistently not drilled for pilots were olds engines