I think I've grenaded my current engine and am looking to repower. It would be MUCH cheaper for me to simply buy a longblock or shortblock and reuse as much of my original parts as possible - intake manifold w/4bbl carb, risers and elbows, etc - than to buy an entire new engine.
Claimed HP numbers go all over the place but as best as I have been able to research old archives and stuff, the standard 4.3 put out about 175~180 hp and the 4.3LX was rated at 205hp or so. The only visible difference I know is the obvious fact that the LX had a 4bbl carb and the std 4.3 was 2bbl. Did just the carb account for the extra hp or were there also differences in valves/cams etc in the head and/or other differences in the two engines?
I've been Googling some links and found some short blocks and some roller-cammed longblocks rated at 190hp. My boat is underpowered as it is (was) and I don't want to buy just a block whlie reusing my intake/carb if I lose any more hp than it previously had. Obviously, if I can just get by with that and keep my 205hp or so, I'd prefer to go that much cheaper route. If there's more difference than just the carbs I need to know; that way I can have the info needed to judge whether a roller-cammed 190hp longblock will provide at least 205hp with a 4bbl on it, or if a shortblock with my original heads (rebuilt of course) will produce that same hp, etc.
If not then I'm looking at an entire new powerplant and may just go to a 5.0 but for the thousands of extra dollars difference between blocks and whole engines I need a little help from your knowledge and experience to enable me to make an intelligent call on what options I have available.
Thanks!
Claimed HP numbers go all over the place but as best as I have been able to research old archives and stuff, the standard 4.3 put out about 175~180 hp and the 4.3LX was rated at 205hp or so. The only visible difference I know is the obvious fact that the LX had a 4bbl carb and the std 4.3 was 2bbl. Did just the carb account for the extra hp or were there also differences in valves/cams etc in the head and/or other differences in the two engines?
I've been Googling some links and found some short blocks and some roller-cammed longblocks rated at 190hp. My boat is underpowered as it is (was) and I don't want to buy just a block whlie reusing my intake/carb if I lose any more hp than it previously had. Obviously, if I can just get by with that and keep my 205hp or so, I'd prefer to go that much cheaper route. If there's more difference than just the carbs I need to know; that way I can have the info needed to judge whether a roller-cammed 190hp longblock will provide at least 205hp with a 4bbl on it, or if a shortblock with my original heads (rebuilt of course) will produce that same hp, etc.
If not then I'm looking at an entire new powerplant and may just go to a 5.0 but for the thousands of extra dollars difference between blocks and whole engines I need a little help from your knowledge and experience to enable me to make an intelligent call on what options I have available.
Thanks!