Guest Fontouk Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 I'm a newbie, and still just poking around in the theoretical world (read: cheap dreamer), and have really taken a like to the 4.2L straight 6 (L88) in my new Trailblazer. Note: this is NOT the old 4.3 pushrod from the S10. It's all aluminum, DOHC, 275HP 275lb/ft. Seems as it's all aluminium and a straight 6, it would seem a natural replacement for the orig straight 6, and allow the weight to be kept down. Just eyeballing it in the truck, it looks a little tall. Was curious if anyone had sized it up in a 1st gen Z? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aaron Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 Welcome! I think there was discussion of this engine about a year ago, but in doing a quick search, I did not find it. I think that the consensus was that the powerband of that engine would not be very suitable to our light Z's. (Who said it had to remain stock though?) I don't think anyone discussed the height issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Fontouk Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 Thanks for the feedback and welcome, I appreciate it. What did you mean as far as the powerband being "suitable"? Not enough on the top end? The torque curve is very flat. One thing I like about it, since I'm a "torque-monger". From Chevy's site: Vortec 4200 six-cylinder engine generates 275 hp at 6000 rpm and 275 lb.-ft. of torque at 3600 rpm. In fact, 90 percent of the torque is available from 1600 rpm to 5600 rpm which means power on demand. Review: http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/83758/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 This may have been discussed before but the offroad race trucks using this engine make HUGE power and sound insane! And they were NOT lacking top end power. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Fontouk Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 I actually first read a review of the engine in an off roading magazine. They were using a modified (of course) version in the Baja races, and were making 800+ rwhp to do some development testing. They were blowing the doors off V8's because of the weight savings of an all aluminum I6 vs iron V8. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Fontouk Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 Found this about the baja runs: http://media.gm.com/chevy/00news/c001120a.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Fontouk Posted November 5, 2003 Share Posted November 5, 2003 Ball park dimensions of the engine: from the oil pan to the air cleaner, the engine is about 32" high. What height engine can a 1st Gen Z accept without hood modification? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted November 5, 2003 Share Posted November 5, 2003 Here is some info: http://media.gm.com/division/powertrain/news/4200_Overview.pdf http://www.autointell-news.com/News-2003/August-2003/August-2003-4/August-27-03-p10.htm http://www.joebasilchevrolet.com/engine.htm http://www.motortrend.com/future/concepts/112_0203_blazer/ http://www.thebetterprice.com/Chevy_Trucks/trailblazer/engine.htm Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Fontouk Posted November 5, 2003 Share Posted November 5, 2003 Here's some pics that I grabbed from various places. In case you're wondering, the hole in the middle of the oil pan is for the 4WD version's front axle. Rather than mount the engine above it, they went through it to keep a lower center of gravity (think Fjord's Exploder) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 240hybrid Posted November 6, 2003 Share Posted November 6, 2003 If I remember correctly my old co-workers F150 truck (92 I think) has a 4.2 liter straigh six also.... I didn't know that Chevy made a 4.2 inline 6. Learn something every day. I had the exact same thoughts about the potential for a swap to a Z when he popped the hood and it was a monster L6 . Although, I'm not much of a ford fan, I've had bad experiences dealing with my brother's 5.0 and my mother's Mercury which has caused me to lean away from them. I would like to see a swap like that though, Chevy or Ford, as the torque they make is great. As for the issue if their suitability to a Zcar setup, wouldn't experimenting with different trans. and rear end ratios make it applicable to a Z?? Neat idea to toy with though, and I don't see why it wouldn't be doable. Chase Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BigWhyteDude Posted November 6, 2003 Share Posted November 6, 2003 inline 6's are generaly known as relatively torquey engines arnt they? I mean in general. Sounds like it would be a neat swap to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Boyd Posted November 6, 2003 Share Posted November 6, 2003 I had a Trailblazer for a short time that had the I6. I loved the power! In fact, I used it to tow home my '78 280Z. I had it on a full U-haul trailer and it pulled and handled like a dream! I actually 'launched' the Trailblazer and few times and liked what I felt. Now considering the same motor in my Z, WOW! Hehe...in addition to that, there are now superchargers on the market for that engine! I wonder if I could find that engine in a junkyard? Wonder how much $$$? Screw using the stock EFI, I'd MegaSquirt it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonzer12 Posted November 6, 2003 Share Posted November 6, 2003 Inline configurations in general tend to be torqier than most other setups. At least I have always thought/understood so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Fontouk Posted November 12, 2003 Share Posted November 12, 2003 $1500 20k miles. According to GM, they've already made a million of the 'em.. shouldn't be too long for the Envoys, Trailblazers, and Bravada's to start piling up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dramier Posted November 13, 2003 Share Posted November 13, 2003 Sounds like an interesting motor. What tranny options? Typically when using truck motors the tranny is the weak link in the chain. Rear-end swap? Perhaps you could pull a 4WD truck setup while you're at it... $1500 for one with 20k miles? That seems awfully cheap.. What kind of forged components does that engine have or not have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ls1z4me Posted November 13, 2003 Share Posted November 13, 2003 Sounds like an interesting motor. What tranny options? Typically when using truck motors the tranny is the weak link in the chain. Rear-end swap? Perhaps you could pull a 4WD truck setup while you're at it... $1500 for one with 20k miles? That seems awfully cheap.. What kind of forged components does that engine have or not have? I just got back from an engine design course at the University of Wisconsin., and we had one of the engines there that was dissembled and laid out on the table. The block and head are aluminum and created from lost foam castings. The block has cast in steel liners. Crank is cast iron and along with the camshafts. It has 2 bolt mains the utilized an aluminum ladder frame the tied all the main caps together which helped with the rigidity of the block. Rods are powered metal, with cracked rod caps. The pistons were cast and used a floating pin. The valve train consists of the hydraulic lash adjuster with roller followers that are actuated by the camshafts. The intake manifold and valve cover are made from a fiber reinforced plastic. Throttle body looked to be about 70mm’s and was digital controlled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg55_99 Posted November 29, 2003 Share Posted November 29, 2003 Sounds like an interesting motor. What tranny options? Typically when using truck motors the tranny is the weak link in the chain. Rear-end swap? Perhaps you could pull a 4WD truck setup while you're at it... $1500 for one with 20k miles? That seems awfully cheap.. What kind of forged components does that engine have or not have? Tranny option for this motor is easy. It currently uses a 5-speed called the AR-5 or "MA5". It has the same design as the 88-92 Toyota Supra Turbo R154 tranny. Get the stock GM bellhousing from the 4.2 and bolt it up the Supra Turbo gearbox. Walla! You're on your way! http://media.gm.com/division/gmc/canyon_launch_082103/transmission.html Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zgeezer Posted December 6, 2003 Share Posted December 6, 2003 If you are really Ford hard core and have friends in OZ, take a look at the new 24V 4litre turb charged BAFalcons. Do a google search on Ford of Australia, Falcon. g Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Batman Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 Yes those new fords are nice, much nicer than the new commodores. They had to de-tune the turbo six from the factory so it didn't overshadow their new quad cam V8, it's only running a few pounds and still makes around 230kw+ But these engines are pretty new, so they could be fairly costly..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg55_99 Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 Here's a bellhousing from an 04 Colorado pickup 3.5L I5. http://www.jeeps-offroad.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4929 This will bolt your Jeep AX15, NV3550 and 96 and later Toyota R150 as well as the Supra Turbo R154 up to a Chevy Vortec DOHC 4.2L I6, 3.5L I5 and 2.8L I4. I just got this from Todd Kozak of Kozak Automotive in PA. He's got a few more if you're interested. Contact him at: djd@acsworld.com The 4.2L makes 275 hp and 275 ft-lbs of torque N/A. Downside of this motor is the front mounted sump. There's also no flywheel for the 4200 but the 3.5L and 2.8L have them. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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