What s the easiest/simplest V* swap into a 98 AWD

[ScottS]

Ok time to exhume this project

Whats changed in the meantime is I have a 1995 AWD Safari with a VERY clean Chassis. Interior is not so nice but underneath is spotless-as is 99% of the body. It also has new torsion bars and coilover rear shocks and timbrens.

The engine in the 95 knocks. So now I am looking at either taking the engine out of the 97 and swapping into the 95 or putting a v8 in the 95.

Realistically the cheapest thing is to put the 97 engine into the 95- what am I going to run into ?



I recall I discovered something about the driveshafts in the front being different cause i saved these two pics

[LiftedAWDAstro]

Other than the 97 V6 will not work without swapping the entire harness and ECM it should be no problem. Yes the front CV half shafts are different as you have shown. The bottom pic is the one for the 90 to 96 vans and the top one is for 97 to 2002.

[rlsllc]

Other than the 97 V6 will not work without swapping the entire harness and ECM it should be no problem. Yes the front CV half shafts are different as you have shown. The bottom pic is the one for the 90 to 96 vans and the top one is for 97 to 2002.

There is no easy swap for a '95. They have a goofy trans that is only '95, as well as a non-swap friendly CPI engine. The trans will only work right with a 1995 ecm.

If you have emissions testing, I don't know what would be best. The easiest, IMO, would be a TBI 350 with a 1995 V8 truck ECM, and mod the harness by adding the extra injector wires. LockDoc has done this swap, IIRC.
The other swap would be to use the 1997 trans and harness, the 97 engine or a Vortec V8, but it would be a complex wiring job. Look at http://WWW.LT1SWAP.COM this guy know all about using these drivetrains.

[Cobra]

that needs to be added to the links thread lots of useful information

[ScottS]

Well I could approach this differently- If I could use the sub frame from the 95 and put the 97 engine, trans etc in it and bolt it back up to the 97 body. Would that be less of a problem / Why so much of a wiring difference ? Are there differences in the systems between the two year I thought they were both "W" engines ?

The trans is good in my 97 as is the transfer case so they could be swapped as a unit. its the subframe on the 97 that's cah cah

So if I put the engine, trans and transfer case in the 95 subframe and back into the 95 van I have to change the computers etc ?

[ScottS]

Ah so Vin W is not the same some years

W = 262 ci V6 4.3L CPI
W = 262 ci V6 4.3L MFI ('98-'05)

So i need to verify what the 95 has ? it could be CPI ? If it is MFI like the 97 does that mean things are easier ?

Im so confused lol

[rlsllc]

Ah so Vin W is not the same some years

W = 262 ci V6 4.3L CPI
W = 262 ci V6 4.3L MFI ('98-'05)

So i need to verify what the 95 has ? it could be CPI ? If it is MFI like the 97 does that mean things are easier ?

Im so confused lol

It is CPI (the 95) and the 97 is C SFI. It will not be what I consider easy by any means.

Trust me, the 1995 and 1997 "W" motors are very different, totally different PCM, wiring harness, heads, intake, sensors, even the gauge cluster is different in function (it hooks to the PCM, IIRC)

1995 does have CPI, and is not anything like the 1997 engine. The 96-02 engines use a CSFI injector similar in function to the CPI, and the 03 and on motors have an almost identical in appearance but different functioning MPFI.

The wiring would be a challenge, but is do-able.

[ScottS]

Ok based on this I will give the 4.3 L35 to my dad he has a 98 GMC 1500 that it should fit , and i will rebuild the 4.3 in the 95 and part out the 97.

Unless I will be able to get a V8 into the 95 , still want to explore that.

[ScottS]

Finally got the engine out of the 98

Mow to get to work on the 95 still don't know what I am doing- either a new v6 or a v8

[ScottS]

[phr1$k37]

Yahoo! Your project is under way!
It sounds like you are ready to spend some money already ... go V8 and dont look back with regrets.

Peter ... you are selling ZZ?

[SoCalli V8]

The ZZ has been sold dude....

[phr1$k37]

Yes ... so I have been told :(