Engine Swap Question

[Ynot0323]

My buddy has a 84 K-5 his dad is talking about giving to me, my only question is, how hard is it to change it from a V8 to the V6..

I really wish it already had the Standard V6 motor in it, but if thats all i have to put into it, no big deal..

Any and all help would be appreciated

thanks,
tony

[TRX450R_Racer]

Those trucks never came with a V6. They came with a V8 gas or a diesel.

I think you would be able to make a 4.3L V6 work since it is very similar to the V8.

[JackL]

WOW, I never thought I would live to see the day someone would ask a question like this.

[foreman1]

If better fuel mileage is the reason you want the v-6 , then dont waste your time and money. I have an old 76' Chevy K-10 with an original straight six and it gets the same mpg as a 350 v-8 . Heck I wish I had a V-8 , 6cylinders might do ok to get around but they'll fall flat on their face under a heavy load , be it deep mud or a heavy trailer.

Keep the V-8.

[Ynot0323]

TRX450R-Racer, I was going by what i read here, http://coloradok5.com/specs.shtml#1984 which shows for that year, the OHV Six Cylinder was the STD engine.. Options included the 305,350 and the 379 diesel.. Sorry, i am not familiar with the trucks, just going by what i read..

Foreman1, i just assumed the smaller the engine, the better fuel mileage it would get.. I am wanting to have it as an everyday driver but also take it out to the JetPort in Collier Cty every now and then.. For a daily street driver, your saying a 350 would get the same mpg as the 6 cylinder ?

I was thinking more along the line of a Ford Ranger with a 6 cyl or the Bronco II figuring it would get better "On-Street City Fuel Economy" but can also be taken out to the Jetport..

Maybe i need to do more research..

Currently i drive a 03 Ford F-250 6.0 PSD and the majority of my driving to and from work is city, i am on the hwy maybe 2 miles, then right back to city driving..

Tony

[Chevy1500z71]

a v6 may consume less fuel under the same throttle position/rpm vs the v8 but when you have to sink your foot to the floor to take off becasue it has an underpowered 6 banger than you have defeated the purpose. a v8 will get the truck out of its own way so it will consume less fuel than a v6 that is constantly straining to keep it rolling.

[digginfool]

The standard engine in a K5 was not a V6; it was a straight 6 and actually made for a nice truck.  My brother had one.  It was no speed demon but it definitely did just fine in the Central Florida sand.  If I remember right, though, fuel economy wasn't it's strong point.

[foreman1]

Ynot,
Dont get me wrong on the 6cyl motors , what they lack in power they more than make up in reliability .Theres a saying that says , straight sixes run badly forever , I believe it . My 6 cyl chevy has over  250,000 hard miles on it with no engine rebuild , factory everything inside . I've always been on it w/regards to the oil changes/ gear oil.
I did redo the head due to 1 bad valve causing a bit of a lope at idle .


Mine has a (1ton)SM465 manual transmission which is a 4spd  ,1st gear being a low granny , the transfercase is Dana 205 one of the best cases ever ( gear driven) , 12 bolt rear , dana 44 up front .

I've thought of turning it into a buggy , but it keeps on runnin so I'll let roll till it gets tired.

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2217151150061770339gqtWvY

Old trucks might rust bad but they dont die .

[Chevy1500z71]

The standard engine in a K5 was not a V6; it was a straight 6 and actually made for a nice truck.  My brother had one.  It was no speed demon but it definitely did just fine in the Central Florida sand.  If I remember right, though, fuel economy wasn't it's strong point.

that v6 is pretty much the sawed off 350 right?

[foreman1]

The standard engine in a K5 was not a V6; it was a straight 6 and actually made for a nice truck.  My brother had one.  It was no speed demon but it definitely did just fine in the Central Florida sand.  If I remember right, though, fuel economy wasn't it's strong point.

that v6 is pretty much the sawed off 350 right?

The 4.3 is , the bell housing bolt pattern is the same as the small block v-8's. Chevy also  had a 2.8 liter that was used in s-10's and a variety of other GM cars which is not compatible.

[Fox17]

get a bronco II. they are cool. i have one with the 2.9 and a 5-speed. i can drive it to school and work for 3 weeks on 25 bucks. im not sure of the mileage but its pretty good. id guess around 25-26mpg with my foot in it. i drive it like i stole it all the time. i could save more money if i did it conservatively. i took it offroad with street tires and it went almost everywhere in 2wd with the exception of this huge rut my friend dug in front of me in the sand. i beat it to death and it has run good so far. i did brake something on the radiator hose (some little connector) due to a major impace from driving it crazy offroad but it was my fault. throw some BFG ATs on it and it would go anywhere. mine is the 86. first year of fuel injection.

[Ynot0323]

thats what im thinkin of, a bronco II..

it would barely get used off road.. I drive 15 miles each way to work, 2 miles of which is highway..

does the bronco II have the capability of taking the camper top off like the K-5 or Bronco's

Tony

[TRX450R_Racer]

They stopped making BroncoIIs in 1991. Good Luck finding one.

[Ynot0323]

My g/fs neighbor has one for sale, but its manual trans 2wd for $800, for an everyday driver i prefer automatic trans..

Tony

[yunt2ride]

Putting a 4.3 in it will not get any better milage then a 350cu. The problem with putting a V6 in a full size truck is that it has to work harder then a V8. So not enough of a gain if any for the power loss. Put another V8 in it. Also keep in mind what larger tires will do for it if you ever decide to go that route. My son has a 2000 model S-10 Blazer 4X4 with 31 inch tires and it only gets 15mpg. My 1997 1500 4X4 extended get 15 and a half and will pull anything I hook to it.

[AmericanRobster]

Keep the V8!!!!!