New Body Style 10. 97 S-10 TRUCK WITH 97 VORTEC V8 Part 2

 

The reason the V8 appears to fit in this S-10 so well is because the radiator support was modified so that the 1986–1988 Corvette radiator could be placed in the "forward" position. This required relocating the 4.3 V6 air-conditioning condensor in front of the radiator support. The original 4.3 V6 radiator will not easily fit into the "forward" position because it is too wide. The 4.3 V6 fan shroud was modified and trimmed to work with the radiator and modified radiator support.

The engine was set-back about 3/4" inch. It could not be moved further rearward because the LT1 exhaust manifold on the driver's side gets close to the upper a-arm. Also, the LT1 exhaust manifold on the passenger's side requires some hammering on the firewall to move the engine rearward.

The LT1 manifold on the passenger's side interferes with the starter used on the V8 trucks. The flywheel or flexplate should be replaced with the 153-tooth unit used in passenger cars, and a 93–97 Camaro LT1 starter should be used.

The hood clearance is a bit tight, and the hose fittings on the air-conditioning compressor contact the hood insulation. On another 97 S-10 with a Vortec V8, we cut the ears on the Stealth Conversions mounts (using the 2wd Blazer position) which lowers the engine 3/4 inch, and will work fine. But the corner of the oil pan sump has to be hammered in to clear the front crossmember, and the transmission oil pan ends up being as low as the frame rails on the truck. Also, the exhaust headpipes will hang a little lower and may cause ground clearance problems.