The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Straight Six installation in S-10 pickup.

I have 235 six(Out of a 63 GMC short box fleetside.)that I would like to install in a 1988 Chevy S-10 pickup. I've encountered a lot of information on the installation of V8 engines in the S-10, but nothing on a stovebolt swap. I'm wondering if I can do this without moving the stock S-10 automatic transmission.I would appreciate hearing from someone who has knowledge of this swap. Thank you.Merry Xmas.

WHY?

There wasn't any 235's produced after 1962. Is it a 230 by chance? If so, the bellhousing bolt pattern will be the same as the S10's original engine. I'm not sure that your front clip will be long enough to set an inline 6 in with room left for the radiator. Do a lot of measuring first,
Scott

A V8 is a tight fit. Two additional cylinders of length will be very close to the grill. You can do anything with enough determination, but a swap like this will be rough.

Yeah...there isn't much way in the world a 235 is going to be coming out of a '63 GMC. An L22 230 is much more likely...very different motor.

an s10 four cylinder and a 250/350 have the same bolt pattern?i know the 2.8 v6 is different.just asking.

I thought in '63 the six available in a GMC was the 305 V-6?

OldSub, the L22s were available in GMCs, as were the V6s. My uncle bought a '65 GMC pickup brand new, it has a 230 or 250 I6.

I like your creativity. You may have to move the firewall back some and do a lot of cutting and fabbing. I hope the thought of that does not discourage you. It would be cool to add some old school touches to the s-10 to make the transplant complete, some old rallies, some old body emblems, tailgate chains...just a thought. Good Luck!!

Seems to me the 2.5 four cylinder and the 2.8 V-6 have the same bellhousing pattern,but it won't fit a straight six or V-8. The newer Straight sixes (after the 235) and V-8's have the same bellhousing pattern and can use the same flywheels and clutches.
This'll be an interesting swap. Keep us posted on your progress,and don't forget PICTURES-lotsa pictures.
Speed

limpwell- I would carefully measure the height of the straight 6 and try and estimate where the front of the valvecover will sit under the hood. You may not have enough vertical room between the crossmember and hood with the additional length of the 6. The carb will need to sit pretty level and not tipped forward or back. The 4's and V-6's are shorter and don't interfere with the downward slope of the hood.

I think the 2.5L "Iron Duke", which was the base engine in a lot of those trucks, has the standard Chevy V-8 bellhousing pattern, which is shared by the '63-up straight sixes as well. The very early S-10's (at least one 1982 model that a previous employer bought new) had an Isuzu four. Don't know when they started going with the Iron Duke.

The 2.8 V-6 has a different bellhousing pattern (shared by all of the GM fwd fours and v-6s, and semi/partially by the Cadillac Northstar V-8)).

I think you would be challenged by the length of the engine plus possibly hood clearance problems, not to mention smog compliance.

I have a clean '97 GMC Sonoma with a bad 2.2L four (Cavalier engine). I'm thinking about swapping for a 3800 V-6 from a late model Camaro.

the hood clearance issue could be solved by the addition of a hood cowl...and it would look really cool. my buddy made his for his truck out of sheetmetal and it turned out pretty sharp. i think this idea has merit...and smog comliance be damned. good luck.

Just a thought here --- but when the Chevy monza came out in the 70's one of the availble engines was a 3.8 liter v-6. It was a pretty hot little motor out of the box, and I think many speed parts are readily available. Soomething to think about.

Boo

I agree. Why? The 235 is a really low power powerplant, except for reasonably decent torque. It would probably feel okay, compared to the Iron Duke 4-banger, but probably not worth all the work. For a lot less work, why not get a small V8? The smaller 305's have good torque, not a lot of power, but would feel more than adequate in your S-10, and are a dime a dozen. Besides that, they sell V8 kits for an S-10 very inexpensively.

Either that or maybe upgrade to the tuned port 4.3 liter V6, which probably has the same bellhouse bolt pattern.

Hot Rod Dad gives good advice. I would seriously look at V-6 engines. I don't know wich ones came in an S-10 but the one Dad suggests, and the one I suggest are both good engines, and would be a snap to install!

Boo