1995 chevy truck 1500 model

rocketrich · June 21, 2002

did the 95 3/4 ton k1500 truck come with a vortec motor if so what sizes.

to get a replacement motor for that year. what would it coast for a new or used motor .

longblock $------.

shortblock $------.

what modifcation would be needed to upgrade to v8.Has the R4 trans. would it have to be replaced or not .

June 21, 2002

I don't know what the 4.3 would cost, but a 5.7 is around $1500 for a long block.

If you change motors, consider the following;

Intake and exhaust manifolds

TBI

Oil pan and valve covers

Water pump and pulley

Change to a 4L60E tranny with the 5.7 valve body.

Drive shaft(s) (maybe)

Computer

This is not a cheap swap like it used to be in the pre-computer days.

Also, the Vortec motors first came out in 1996.

I had my 5.7 replaced and asked the GM tech what it would cost to upgrade to a 7.4. his reply? "You don't want to know. It would be smarter for you to buy a new truck."

So unless you are really attached to this rig, I'd have to say that your best bet would be to replace the whole thing with a V8 pickup.

Colorado Kid · June 21, 2002

The only '95 motor that was called "Vortec" was the 4.3 V-6, which has always been the "Vortec V-6". It was a 160 HP TBI motor. It was not uncommon in K1500s.

Call a junkyard for a price, the truck probably isn't worth a new V-6 price, and the above post is right on about swapping to a V-8, but he missed radiator, fan shroud, motor mounts and even tail pipes are different between V6 and V8 trucks of this age. Not gonna happen unless you have one truck with a blown V6 and another that has been rolled but has a perfect V8 powertrain and very little front end damage.

textruckr · June 22, 2002

Here are a couple of things to consider, one the K-1500 is not a 3/4 ton truck, it is just a 4 wheel drive 1/2 ton truck.

The Vortec label was used from the inception of the 4.3 liter engine, but in late 95 (MY 95-1/2) they gave it SFI which bumped up horsepower and torque considerably.

If your unit is the SFI model, it is rated for 200hp and 235 lb-ft of TQ. Not shabby when you compare that to a TBI 350.

If your truck has the 4.3L TBI, here is another (more cost efficient) option. Order the '96 and later 4.3 engine with the upgraded heads and other goodies. GM Parts Direct may offer the special intake that allows the installation of the TBI to the head angle of the later block. I know that they offered one for the 5.7L and there were others in the works too (like for the 7.4L and the 4.3L). You may not make the advertised power of the SFI engine, but with a good exhaust and intake, the roller rockers and other improvements will certainly be an improvement over the older TBI 4.3. The balance shaft alone makes it seem like a different engine - smooth rpm jumps throughout the entire band.

The GM Goodwrench Crate engine comes with 3 yr, 50,000 mile warranty which will be honored at ANY GM dealer. Of course they cost more. The other option would be Auto Zone or Pep Boys. They offer quality reman engines with varying warranties (up to 2 yrs and 24K miles).

Good luck with your truck.

Texas Truck - r