14 OCTOBER 2019 4-WHEEL & OFF-ROAD 4WHEELOFFROAD.COM
COVER SECTION: JUNKYARD SPOTTERS’ GUIDES
JUNKYARD
ENGINE
SPOTTER’S
GUI DE
THE 4-1-1 ON A CHEAP NEW
POWERPLANT FOR YOUR 4X
J
UNKYARDS ARE THE ULTIMATE DEPARTMENT STORES FOR
cheapskate gearheads. At each location there are acres and
acres of potential goodies, but it takes a sharp-eyed bargain
hunter and some special knowledge to grab a junkyard gem.
This is true of many vehicle components but especially engines.
It’s often not enough to know the year range and models for the
engine you’re seeking; you need to make a definitive ID before
plunking down your hard-earned cash for a new heart for your 4x4.
It bears mentioning that among all the components you can poten-
tially score in a junkyard, there is no bigger wildcard than an engine. Cars
end up in junkyards for a reason, so if it’s not wrecked, more than likely a
major component failed. Therefore, the chance the engine is bad is bigger
than it would be for many other components. It’s definitely a situation of
buyer beware, especially if you plan on plunking the engine into its new
home without a rebuild.
For starters, when engine shopping we’d purposely stay from anything
that wasn’t wrecked, and we’d probably opt for a warranty if the yard
offers one. Keep in mind that even a collision can cause engine damage,
whether it’s external or internal (you never know how long the engine
kept running once that rollover landed on its roof ). It can be dif ficult to
do a thorough inspection in a junkyard, but at the very minimum turn the
engine over by hand and yank a valve cover to get an idea if the previous
owner ever changed the oil.
We’ve done all kinds of tips for buying a junkyard engine in the past, so
this time around we focus on how to identif y good potential swap candi-
dates as well as a few to avoid. Most of these we found while perusing a
handful of yards in just one afternoon, so there’s plenty of opportunity for
a cheap heart transplant in your own 4x4.BY Trenton McGee
[email protected]
PHOTOGRAPHY TRENTON MCGEEGENERAL MOTORS
CHEVROLET 4.3L V-
Identification: Decode the eighth spot
in the vehicle’s VIN. The letters B, Z, X, and
W are among the codes that denote a
4.3L, depending on the year of the vehicle
and whether it’s a car or a truck. 1987-
1992 engines have the engine ID number
stamped on a boss just ahead of the
passenger-side cylinder head, while 1993
and later engines are on a machined pad
on the back of the block just behind the
driver-side cylinder head. If it’s in a 1987
and later Chevy or GMC truck and has six
cylinders, it’s more than likely a 4. 3L.
Donor Vehicles: 1985-2002 Chevy S-
Blazers Astro Vans, and trucks; 1985-(^1) ⁄ 2 -ton full-size trucks; and a limited num-
ber of GM cars in the mid to late 1980s
Significant Milestones: 1986 one-piece
rear main seal; 1985-1991used throttle-
body injection (TBI); in 1992 balance
shafts and central-port injection (CPI)
appeared; 2013 coil-on-plug distributor-
less ignition appears.
What to Look For: Just about any 4.3L
is a viable swap candidate, so focus on
finding one that has been well maintained
and is complete. It is best to har vest the
complete harness and computer from the
same donor vehicle.
What to Avoid: Beware the 60-degree
2.8L V-6s in the 1984-1986 S-10 trucks,
which share nothing in common with the
more desirable 4.3Ls. For 4.3L, the CPI
versions are known for fuel spider issues.
Many, many marine versions of the 4.3L
were also produced, but they have several
subtle differences that can be problem-
atic for a vehicle swap.
Notes: If there’s an automatic attached to
the engine, it’s likely a TH700-R4 or a 4L60E,
both of which are good. The 4.3L shares the
same 90-degree bellhousing bolt pattern
as the small-block Chevy, so transmission
choices are virtually unlimited.
CHEVROLET 4.3L V-