1996 GMC Safari 4.3L Vortec V6
Question = I spun a rod bearing in a 96 GMC safari. I'm taking the old
4.3L V6 out and putting a new crate motor in. Id love to put a LQ9
6.0L in but I don't think I can pull it off, due to the fire wall. So I'm
looking at a 400 small block or a 350. My biggest concern is, Pulling
the motor is a nightmare all in it's self. I don't want to pull the motor,
and then put a new crate motor in and have the check engine light
always be on. My questions are, how hard do you think putting a LQ9
motor in will be, and do you think putting an after market motor in if
so, will be compatible?
Answer: You're not going to fit the new style motor into your vehicle
without a lot of clearance work. They are much taller than the older
style V8 engines. Either route you take, compatibility will be the issue.
None of your factory electronics, gauges, etc, are going to work with a
V8. Even the PCM will need to be changed. There are kits you can
buy that include a new computer and the complete wiring harness for
engine swaps, although they are quite expensive. Also, if you are
required to pass emissions where you are located, that kind of engine
swap will fail you every time. It would be a lot of work, for sure. The
easiest route would be to throw another 4.3 V6 in it. You can build
those up pretty nice, and they would be factory compatible and not
set the check engine light.