4.3L Engine Installed In A 1989 Chevy S-10 - Heart Transplant Part 2

1. With the sensors, mounts, and stuff installed, it was time to set the motor in the engine compartment. What you can't see is the transmission that is being held up in position by a floor jack. Luckily I have access to a lift because the cherry picker I borrowed wouldn't slip under my lowered suspension.

2. Since everything was new, I had to fight the engine just a bit to get the motor mount bolts lined up. The best advice I can pass along is to install the motor mount bolt that lines up first and then use the cherry picker to wrestle the engine around until you can slip the other one in.

3. The Holley throttle body is only a year old, so I grabbed some new O-rings for the fuel lines and tightened the unit down to 12 lb-ft. All of the electrical connections were marked during the teardown so plugging them back in was a snap.

4. I ran the lift up in the air so I could install the bellhousing, starter, and torque converter bolts. Because the firewall is so close to the transmission, the bellhousing bolts were kind of a pain to install, but with a little patience and a long extension I got them in. The starter, while heavy, went in without a problem and with the exhaust manifolds not being in the way, hooking up the wires was a snap.

5a. Since the factory uses thread locking compound on the torque converter bolts I added a few dabs of new stuff then torqued the bolts to 44 lb-ft.

5b. I used a flywheel wrench to prevent the flywheel from turning while I tightened the bolts. If you don't have one you can use a large screwdriver or a pair of locking pliers.

6a. Before I installed the exhaust manifolds, I ran a tap over the threads and used a large file to make sure the flange was flat.

6b. I also picked up a new set of seals at NAPA so the system should be nice and quiet.

7. While the factory didn't have any gaskets between the manifold and head ATK still sends a set that I decided to use, again in an attempt to ensure a leak-free system.

8. Since I was going all out on this one, I picked up a new belt and water pump. With the new water pump installed using the gaskets ATK provided, the front drive accessories could go on. The brackets were cleaned up with a bead blaster and all the pulleys got a fresh coat of satin black paint. I got this A/C delete assembly from Summit because I just didn't have the funds to replace my busted compressor.

9. With the same basic stuff I used for the balancer, I installed the power steering pulley. I had to find a different center bolt and nuts, but it worked. Luckily I have a bin of random hardware to scrounge through. If not, this would have halted the job until I could borrow or buy the right tool.

10. I got a new ESC (Electronic Spark Control) module from LMC Truck. This works in conjunction with the knock sensor to pull back timing when the engine detonates. Since detonation can kill a motor pretty quickly, I wanted to make sure this system was in tiptop shape.

11. Another new sensor I picked up was the MAP (manifold absolute pressure). It senses the manifold pressure and then the computer calculates how much fuel and timing the engine needs.

12. The Firepower ignition system from Performance Distributors I installed awhile back works great and will facilitate a plug gap of 0.065 of an inch. The larger plug gap leads to a more complete combustion of the fuel mixture, which in turn provides more horsepower, better gas mileage, and cleaner spark plugs. After gapping the Autolite plugs, I installed them and plugged in the yellow LiveWires.

13. My radiator was still pretty new as well so that went back in. I used a flare wrench to tighten the transmission lines and pick up new upper and lower hoses from NAPA.

14. With all the connections done it was time to fill her with fluids. Since the oil will be changed in 500 miles, I picked up some regular 10W-30 and a standard FRAM filter. I also filled the radiator with a 50/50 mix of Prestone coolant and water.