Have opportunity to buy 97 chevy s10, 4.3L vortec engine with 250km on it for 2000 if I bring my own rims and tires, or 2500 if I take rims and tires that are on it now. He originally wanted 3500 for it earlier today when i first emailed about it.
I was concerned about high km, but guy says “it’s a high output vortec motor and km’s dont hurt them” is this bulshit?
Thanks
[i]Common problems on this vehicle are failures of the Fuel Pump, Fuel Injectors, Fuel Pressure Regulator, Crankshaft Position Sensor and EGR Passages. Failures of the Fuel Pump or Crankshaft Position Sensor can cause the vehicle to stall or not start. The cost to repair the Fuel Pump is estimated at $536.70 for parts and $169.00 for labor. The cost to repair the Fuel Injector is estimated at $82.67 for one injector and $156.00 for labor per injector. The estimated cost to repair the Fuel Pressure Regulator is $72.72 for parts and $156.00 for labor.
The estimated cost to repair the Crankshaft Position Sensor is $58.30 for parts and $39.00 for labor. All prices are estimates based on $65.00 per flat rate hour and do not include diagnostic time or any applicable sales tax.[/i]
And engines who don’t suffer wear and tear from KMs is bullshit, yes. High Output, supercharged, turbocharged, and other similar “let’s get more from less” technologies only help the process along.
If the engine is taken care of (regular oil changes and other maintenance), it shouldn’t be a big deal. This is the case for any engine except those that have known issues, such as old Toyota Inline 6’s that burned more oil than gas.
I believe the 4.3 Vortec should be ok. Just give it a look when you pick it up. Make sure the undercarriage isn’t all wet with fluids and the engine sounds ok when you let it run. If there’s no leaks, sounds ok, and doesn’t smoke, you’ll be good to go.
I operate about a dozen pickup trucks in my business. Is the Vortec a diesel or gas? I usually operate our diesel pickups until they get to about 400K miles and then repair and maitenance becomes excessive.
A diesel pickup will run for a long time with proper maitenance. I have gotten over 500K on several. (F-250)
You could do an oil test on it. I think they runa bout $50. Will tell you alot about the engine.
[quote]pookie wrote:
And engines who don’t suffer wear and tear from KMs is bullshit, yes. High Output, supercharged, turbocharged, and other similar “let’s get more from less” technologies only help the process along.
[/quote]
Eh, yes and no. If the high miles are from stop and go driving and if the engine isn’t taken care of, then yes, it’ll wear out faster. However, if the miles are all highway and regular maintenance is performed, it’s not out of the question to get several hundred thousand miles before a rebuild would be needed. If you look at a lot of the repairs, they’re all on external components and not internal, which are much more expensive to repair.
As for the “high output” remark the seller makes, it’s just a sign that he has lack of knowledge. Manufacturers label things as “high output” and “high performance” to generate more interest in their product. If memory serves, that engine pumps out a whopping 190hp at the flywheel and mid 200s in ft/lb of torque. That’s like a newbie saying he’s elite when he benches 200#.
[quote]hedo wrote:
I operate about a dozen pickup trucks in my business. Is the Vortec a diesel or gas? I usually operate our diesel pickups until they get to about 400K miles and then repair and maitenance becomes excessive.
A diesel pickup will run for a long time with proper maitenance. I have gotten over 500K on several. (F-250)
You could do an oil test on it. I think they runa bout $50. Will tell you alot about the engine.[/quote]
It’s a gas engine. What exactly is an oil test, and how do I run one?
It’s chevy, therefore it’s cheaply made parts and shit quality. I drive a Chevrolet Blazer and I can’t wait until the day I have enough money to take a baseball bat to it.
OOOOHHH! That kind of “GEAR” head -lol
-S
[quote]Doug Adams wrote:
Eh, yes and no. If the high miles are from stop and go driving and if the engine isn’t taken care of, then yes, it’ll wear out faster. However, if the miles are all highway and regular maintenance is performed, it’s not out of the question to get several hundred thousand miles before a rebuild would be needed. If you look at a lot of the repairs, they’re all on external components and not internal, which are much more expensive to repair.[/quote]
It’s true that proper maintenance will prolong the life of any engine, but I think that saying that mileage has no effect on an engine is pushing it a bit.
If the owner can produce all the invoices for the maintenance since 1997, that would be a very good sign that the engine might still have a good deal of life left in it.
As for “high output,” I was referring more to engines with turbos and superchargers. My mechanic once told me to avoid buying a used car with any of those, as they tended to wear out the engine sooner. Especially since many owners of performance cars tend to push them harder than average.
[quote]js385787 wrote:
Have opportunity to buy 97 chevy s10, 4.3L vortec engine with 250km on it for 2000 if I bring my own rims and tires, or 2500 if I take rims and tires that are on it now. He originally wanted 3500 for it earlier today when i first emailed about it.
I was concerned about high km, but guy says “it’s a high output vortec motor and km’s dont hurt them” is this bulshit?
Thanks[/quote]
While his comments about high output are bullshit, this is a fairly bulletproof motor. It is derived from the a shortened version of the 350 V8, which has historicly been a very tuff engine.
I have the 4.8L Vortec in my truck and am very pleased with it’s output.
I had a 98 Blazer (same engine) and the crank shaft froze up on the highway while I was going 70mph. Umm yea the damn thing exploded. I later purchased a 2003 blazer which was eventually classified as a lemon. I would never go with any s10 or blazer. The reliability sucks.
[quote]js385787 wrote:
hedo wrote:
I operate about a dozen pickup trucks in my business. Is the Vortec a diesel or gas? I usually operate our diesel pickups until they get to about 400K miles and then repair and maitenance becomes excessive.
A diesel pickup will run for a long time with proper maitenance. I have gotten over 500K on several. (F-250)
You could do an oil test on it. I think they runa bout $50. Will tell you alot about the engine.
It’s a gas engine. What exactly is an oil test, and how do I run one?
[/quote]
An oil test is a test that is done to sample the oil in the engine. They test for a bunch of different metals and by products. I have had them done when purchasing tractors. It will give you an indication of certain types of problems that the engine is having or tell you it is running as expected.
A garage or dealership can tell you where to get one. I have always had them provided by the seller for trucks or tractors. Sample the existing oil, not new, and they will generate a report based on what they find.
The 4.3 is a pretty solid motor. My niece drives a Jimmy with 190,000 on it and it ran fine until my idiot brother drove the thing for 70 miles in low-range. Dumby.