This is not what I was talking about. My Nephew has a 1994 Chevy full size pick-up. It has about 130,000 miles, which is really not that much by todays standards. He was told that it had burned valves. I really don't know how the mechanic determined this because he didn't do a compression check, he just pulled the spark plugs and looked at them. He wants $1100 for a valve job.
I found a complete 2008 4.3 V6 with less then 10,000 miles coupled with the transmission. Both engines are fuel injected. I considered getting the 08 engine and putting it in his truck.
After extensive checking, I found that it could be installed in in as old as as 1996 by drilling the crankshaft position sensor hole beside the distributor and tapping it out to 1/4" pipe threads for the older CPS. This no biggie. I have been told that it will not work on vehicles 1995 and older, no matter what because everything was different. What is so different that it won't work?. The engine mounts are the same and the transmission bolt pattern is the same. The flywheel is different but that can be changed.
People tell me that it won't work and they won't even talk about it. At the worst case, I figured that I could take the intake manifold and distributor from the 94 and install it on the newer engine. I was first looking at a 1998 engine and get the same story about it not working.
This does not make sense to me. If something will bolt up it can be made to work. On the 98 engine I was going to get the complete engine, harness and computer but was still told that it would not work. My idea about the 08 engine is that since the 98 would work as far back as 96, what is so different that it will not work with the 1994? When you ask why it won't work people act like you just asked them about VooDoo.
I am considering finding a 305 or 350 and putting it in place of the 4.3. The 4.3 was a decent engine but in a full size truck I would prefer a V8. I just want to know what is so special from 1995 to 1996 that the engines won't work? When I talk to sellers with the later model engine they clam up and say that it won't work and refuse to talk about it anymore. If I try to install a 96 or later engine in the 94 truck is a gremlin suddenly going to appear and eat me or something?