Low Comp or High Comp v6 ?'s

[low&slow]

So my buddy has an s10 pickup with a v6 in it. He wants to build it as a toy truck. What would be best, a high compression or low compression?

Specs: 1992 s10 p/u

4wd
borge warner tcase
pl60e performance 5 speed

He wants to have some fun off road and on the street. Decent fuel mileage.

[Tom]

How high is high? How low is low? What else is there? This is such an un-informed question there is nowhere to begin. To give a general answer: high.

[Cape Codder]

I don't know what he wants from his truck but if he wants to make more power I would look into a turbo, a supercharger, or a V8. Raising compression will not raise power enough to outweigh the need for high octane fuel. Just my opinion but he should be asking his engine builder.

[speedygonzales]

Changing compression ratio by itself will not yield great results. On the other hand, if he goes too high, he will have problems with detonation.

His best choice is to get a V8 and buy an adapter kit to make install easy. Crate engines can be had around $2500 and even cheaper if he goes to a bone yard.

Trying to modify an engine can create problems that can far exceed the costs quoted above.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/add-713123

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/na...make/chevrolet

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/na...make/chevrolet

[rickpilgrim]

Think of the 4.3 V6 as a 350 vortec as the V6 is the same except for 2 cylinders cut off and the necessary changes to do that. I would rebuild it with forged 8.5/1 pistons and clevite 77 bearings, a cam for the 4.3 GMC Syclone and get a turbo kit w/intercoer and run the efi and injection by mega squirt or a good "piggyback" unit and go spank some of the V8 conversion trucks. I watched those GMC Syclones beat plenty of small block mustangs and camaro's 10 yrs ago at the strip yrs back and if you build a copy of that 4.3 you won't feel the need for a small block IMO

[Cape Codder]

The all wheel drive helped the Syclones a lot. V8's just plain sound better. I have a 4.3 in my truck that runs awesome but I wouldn't put the money into building it. A neighbor of mine has a 50 chevy coupe with a very built Buick V6 that is a 9 second car but still sounds like a 6.

[rickpilgrim]

If for sound alone it's hard to beat a V8. Yes, AWD helped the Syclones in one way but added 340 or so lbs to it. Remember also GM never released a all out version to the public, we got the tamed down warranty versions which none of us would be satisfied if we were building.
And no naturally aspirated small block at 450hp can be as smooth and streetable as a turbo V6 efi motor at the same power level and still be V6 fuel efficient when off boost. And also on the V8 S10's I've seen the exhaust is the lowest part under the truck, not good for off roading.
These are the reasons that I feel centrifugal blower or inter-cooled turbo would be better than a non od trans carbed small block conversion.

[Cape Codder]

I am old school but have to agree carbs are a thing for the past.