You can type here any text you want

gn or typhoon motor question

Welcome!

By registering with us, you'll be able to discuss, share and private message with other members of our community.

SignUp Now!
T

t3intercooled

Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2004
Messages
844
Hey all I was curious. I have a astrology van with the 4.3 in it. I'm looking to give it a little more torque and power so was going to try and find a typhoon 4.3 to drop in it. However I have a gn 3.8 sitting on a stand. Now do the 4.3 have the same block as the 3.8 or will it tatake to much to put a 3.8 block in place of a 4.3. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks to all who respond in advance.
 
Depending on ...

available $ and time, adding a pro-charger would be the simplest!:D the 3.8 would be unique, but the swap would become a project w/harness, motor mounts, exhaust, trans, etc. finding a 4.3 out of a typhoon would be another project, but it would be a little less laborious as far as a shoe-in and the exhaust match up.
No, the blocks are differant. But hang in there for a little while, there are some guys on this board that have typhoons I'm sure and could probably tell you better.:)
 
I'm not trying to be a douche or anything, but your GN is soon to have an all aluminum full roller motor shoved in it and you have to ask if the 4.3 CHEVY motor and the 3.8 BUICK motor are the same????

I don't know what year your astro van is but either way if it's a 4.3 tbi motor or a vortec motor and v8 swap would be another option, probably cheaper also. You could keep your existing transmission and almost everything will be a bolt up since the 4.3 is just a mini 350 in a sense. A friend and I swapped a 4.3 tbi motor out of his 5 speed work truck for a 355 with headers. The headers bolted right to the Y pipe, all the accessories bolted back up, and the throttle body, intake, distributor and computer were just a junkyard trip away. That was a fun truck:cool:
 
Yes a V8 swap would be easier but not as fuel efficient. Now yes I had a question about the block size. I've never even looked at a 4.3 block so with that said that is why I asked the question. If I was to swap the 3.8 gn motor would I only have to swap the computer for electronics or if not what all would need to be swapped for the 3.8 to fit. Thanks for all who reply.
 
I'm almost positive your Astro van uses a 700-R4 and they only have the Chevy pattern whereas the Buick has a different trans bolt pattern.
 
If you have a 4.3 and want more out of it the question is, "How much more?" The reason I ask is that I have both, Syclone #1659 and an 86' GN and the Sy 4.3 is a rare set up and not the easy to find. The Sy/Ty motor setup is a pain in the a$$ to work with so I would look at a couple of other options first. The very first thing we need to know is what is the ultimate goal with this motor? I am sending you a PM. Jon Hanson
 
t3intercooled said:
Yes a V8 swap would be easier but not as fuel efficient. Now yes I had a question about the block size. I've never even looked at a 4.3 block so with that said that is why I asked the question. If I was to swap the 3.8 gn motor would I only have to swap the computer for electronics or if not what all would need to be swapped for the 3.8 to fit. Thanks for all who reply.
Click to expand...

The thing is, an LS motor would actually be just as effecient as your 4.3 or a buick v6. My friend had blazer with the 4.3 vortec and my truck gets just as good gas mileage. My truck gets 20mpg on the highway (5.3) at 65mph with the a/c on. I do have aftermarket exhaust and a k&n intake on it though.
 
A 3.8 Buick and a Chevy 4.3 share nothing common. If you swap over to the 3.8 you would need a trans adapter and all accessory brackets and likely some accessories. Whether or not the turbo plumbing would fit would be a gamble also and would likely need modding. The cheapest and easiest would be a 5.3 LS truck motor. I have seen complete 5.3's sell for less than $500 with mileage around 60-70K. A local shop recently bought a complete 5.3 with 90K miles for $350 shipped from a wrecking yard in Chicago to go in a 240 conversion project!
 
Bottom line I came across this AWD astro van for 300 bucks. The 4.3 in it is having major fuel issues, by that I mean its pouring raw fuel into the exhaust. I've been to every avenue with it from chasing the filter, pump,spider harness which has the regulator on it, intake gaskets, full tune up including O2 sensor. Still it pours fuel. The vortech 4.3 is a decent motor but I am looking at using this to tow my cars etc. I already have a full air ride suspension for the rear so it can haul anything without breaking a sweat suspension wise. It just needs the power. When I put a test run pulling my buddies trailer with 2 cars in it the rear didn't even squat however the engine was VERY weezy as you all can imagine. so turbo equals torque, and 6 cylinder equals duel economy. My GN motor would get consistent 28MPG on the highway, which is why being my motor will be sitting its rest of its life on a stand if and when I decide to buy another regal or make a hybrid. I believe my 3.8 motor is going to be the ticket requiring the least money. I have a friend who is an absolute amazing fabricator and has agreed to help me tackle this project. so with that in mind what are some suggestions of everything I will most likely have to address as in what will give me the most hickups in this project. I really appreciate everyone that gives me advice on this. THANK YOU ALL IN ADVANCE, I GREATLY APPRECIATE IT!!!
 
t3intercooled said:
Bottom line I came across this AWD astro van for 300 bucks. The 4.3 in it is having major fuel issues, by that I mean its pouring raw fuel into the exhaust. I've been to every avenue with it from chasing the filter, pump,spider harness which has the regulator on it, intake gaskets, full tune up including O2 sensor. Still it pours fuel. The vortech 4.3 is a decent motor but I am looking at using this to tow my cars etc. I already have a full air ride suspension for the rear so it can haul anything without breaking a sweat suspension wise. It just needs the power. When I put a test run pulling my buddies trailer with 2 cars in it the rear didn't even squat however the engine was VERY weezy as you all can imagine. so turbo equals torque, and 6 cylinder equals duel economy. My GN motor would get consistent 28MPG on the highway, which is why being my motor will be sitting its rest of its life on a stand if and when I decide to buy another regal or make a hybrid. I believe my 3.8 motor is going to be the ticket requiring the least money. I have a friend who is an absolute amazing fabricator and has agreed to help me tackle this project. so with that in mind what are some suggestions of everything I will most likely have to address as in what will give me the most hickups in this project. I really appreciate everyone that gives me advice on this. THANK YOU ALL IN ADVANCE, I GREATLY APPRECIATE IT!!!
Click to expand...


A turbo 3.8 would not be a good choice for towing. Turbo 3.8's make great torq but require boost to make that torq and running a 3.8 down the road at 15 psi would make short work of it. There are lots of things to consider when towing and power is just one of them. Using an Astro van to pull a trailer with two cars in it(so enclosed I assume) is pretty scary!! I am sure you could get enough power in it to tow anything but when you get it in bind it will be dangerous. If you are looking to tow with the vehicle you need to consider a 5.3 or other V8 option. There is a reason that GM did not have a trailer towing option on the Syclone or Typhoon.
 
Here's all you gotta do.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAa7Dsq15Oc[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqsbqXKLXN0&feature=related[/YOUTUBE]
 
Have you checked the egr? They have a aftermarket gasket that has a screen on it. It's a common problem on the 4.3. Does the scan tool or code reader indicate what is rich/lean? WHat are the codes?
 
The codes that pop up every now and then is oxygen sensor running rich. now I did everything from fuel filter, cap, rotor, plugs, O2 sensor, fuel pump, spider harness, air filter, EGR valve. compression is good yet it pours raw fuel through the exhaust to the point where it makes your eyes water. Just at a loss
 
Sounds like you checked the entire fuel system except for the injectors. You might have a bad one that's just dumping fuel into the engine.
 
I'm guessing you have more than one 02 sensor on that. Do you have any exhaust leaks?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
N/A to Turbo Swap
2
680
Ronr3914
R
J
Regal build info
2
245
TexasT
TexasT
M
Bad hesitation on acceleration from a stop.
9
509
Chuck Leeper
Chuck Leeper
blacknight80
Oil Pressure Loss
2
297
blacknight80
blacknight80
S
1985 3.8 GN Supercharger possibilities
5
1K
srsaunders
S

Online statistics

Members online
2
Guests online
397
Total visitors
399
Totals may include hidden visitors.

Latest posts

Newest members

Stay Connected

Back
Top