I know most of the questions here are LSX oriented. I was reading online about the 4.3L dependibility and how long it will last. For you guys that own, have owned, or know anyone with a 4.3, how long has the engine gone after it gave out due to a serious problem.
I've been driving my mom's 4.3L 98 4x4 Blazer since I wrecked my T/A.
So far it has over 165,000 miles, the tranny went out at about 120,000, brand new ball joint at about 130,000, the rear diff. broke at about 135,000, and new alternator and radiator(moderate crack on one side) at about 140,000.

How long have you seen them go????

 

I have been around three and know of more that have gone 300k+. one was a tbi and the other two were vortec models. They may not give the best performance but they last forever. They were all s10 and the tbi never even had the valve covers off and would still be running if the teenager that was borrowing it (long term) didn't run it out of oil.

 

300K!!!!!! Wow. . . .My momcomplains that everything has gone wrong with ours but since I started driving it about 2 years ago, I've been using mobil 1 syn and changed oils every 5000 miles, with the air filter included, cleaned the injectors about every 6-8K. . .If some have gone up to 300K, I think I still have another tranny to go trough

 

owned one, beat the **** out of it for 12 years and sold it running just as good as it did rolling off the showroom floor.

just didnt have that Grrrr i needed

 

lol. . . guess that means me floring it after every light wont hurt it very much. . .

Looks like not many people here have had expirience with this engine. . . .anyone else have any expirience with this. . . .

 

not alot other than it is a solid motor, pretty much a 350 small block with two cylinders chopped off.

 

My dad has owned 2. He had a 95 S10...he put about 140K miles on that one, when he sold it the truck was running just as good as the day he bought it. He now has an 02 ZR2 S10..with somewhere around 85K miles..I usually change the oil in it about 5-6K miles with either Mobil 1 or Pennzoil Platinum. Its still perfect. (knock on wood)..This guy used to bring his Astro vans in for service at this chevy dealership i worked at....He owned a painting company and one of them had over 400K miles on it..no joke. He used Mobil 1 in all of them, and changed it about 7K miles or so..and the last oil change i did on it it had like 412K miles. I dont work there anymore but i'm sure the van is still on the road. I have seen many though with over 200K miles and there still goin strong.

 

i believe the s10s with the older 4.3 are some of the hardest trucks ever....

my 95 is rolling with 180k miles....cold ac and the biggest things ive ever had to replace was the fuel pump and distributor....that trucks made 28 drives from nashville to jacksonville....

my old HS football coach had a 93 s10.....NEVER changed the oil....just added it when it needed....we all called it the grey ghost because it was fading blue......it had over 200k miles on it....it always ran hardcore to

 

everything seems to point toward a good reliable motor that will give years of service. . . .

 

My 03 ZR2 only has 48500 on it right now... I will have to get back to you on that. But one guy I know has over 270k on his full-size chevy 4.3L and it runs great. it doesn't even puff blue smoke from what I could see

 

GM rated that engine to last for 450K Km before a rebuild would be required.........as long as the engine was maintained properly.

 

I have a 97 jimmyslt with 74kmiles still like new...

 

http://theoildrop.server101.com/foru...0&fpart=1&vc=1

Im not sure if that van has a 4.3L in it or not..but either way if its true thats an insane amount of miles on a gas engine.

 

Miles right????

 

My parents used to have a 4x4 chevy astro van with a vortec 4.3 in it and when we got rid of it there were 210K miles on it with no major probs at all (reg 3K mile oil changes and proper upkeep)

 

got a 91 with 170k.drive the **** out of it still..we use it for dump purposes

 

He's from Canada...

I have a 99 Trail Blazer with 195,000 and I have used it for the last 2 years to pull a 16' tandem enclosed trailer full of bread everyday. It hauls at least 3-4,000 lbs and the only things that have gone are the fuel pump and the ac compressor. I have put over 100,000 on it myself in 2 years.

 

100,000 in just 2 years!!!. . .and I thought I lived on the road. . . .

 

The best chevy engine I ever drove. It is asome great power compared to wheight ratio. And it lasts forever also very strong. We went to the states last year and went to my aunt with my dad she got my grandpas ole 87 4,3 pickup it just ran on like 2 cyl when we got there so new plugs pvs valve e.t.c. well we didnt know it had know oil in it and my dad cranked her up all the way to get the carbon out and all the other crap. So we checked the oil well no oil in their. She was dry so right away we put oil in her and drove her ,.... ran like new thats what I call strong. We drove her 9 hours straight twice with it after it hadnt been driven since a year and never had a problem only the tires blew after we put the atv on it due to dry rotting.

I prefer the 4,3 over the 5,0 everyday no comparision should have kept it and put it in my chevelle as a twin turbo setup. I mean look at the thyphoon or syclone they are screamers.

 

^^^^now that sunds like a dependable engine