QuestionQUESTION: As you may remember, I asked you a few questions about a Silverado I purchased. The one I drove from Ohio to Pennsylvania with no brakes...ended up stuck in W. Virginia with it...remember now? Anyhow, I'm in need of your expertise. 1994 Chevy Silverado Ext Cab, 305, 5 speed, 4x4...as a refresher. Due to sticking the rear end into another truck, it needs a rear end now. It had the 14 bolt cover, 3.73 ratio, 6 lug hub. A buddy of mine has a 97 Z71 with the 5.7 Vortec...4x4 Ext Cab. His tranny went...but the rest of the truck is good. Engine has low miles and runs like a raped ape. Even the body is decent. His rear end is the 10 bolt cover tho...and he had an automatic tranny. He'll let me have his 97 for $700...but I don't know how interchangable the 2 trucks are. Can I drop his 5.7 Vortec into mine? Can I use his ear end? Thats the 2 main things...the engine and rear end, can they be used in my 94? Cuz for what itll cost me to buy a used rear end, I can get an engine and rear end...and other parts...for even less if I take whats left to the scrap yard. I dont see why I couldnt use the 97 rear since its a 4x4 as well. So, please...grace me with your knowledge. Can I use the 5.7 Vortec and 10 bolt rear from a 97 Z71 in my 94 Silverado that has the 5.0 and 14 bolt rear end? (oh, when I say bolt cover, Im referring to the pumpkin cover and how many bolts it takes) Thanks
ANSWER: HI GOOD BUDDY !!!! I REMEMBER YOU... WELL LETS START OUT WITH PUTTING THE REAR DIIF IN YOUR TRUCK FROM YOUR BUDDYS TRUCK..YOU DO KNOW THAT BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR DIFF'S WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED DON'T YOU..REASON IS BOTH GEAR RATIO'S HAVE TO BE THE SAME,NO IF'S AND OR BUTT'S ABOUT IT. IF THE RATIO'S ARE THE SAME YOU LUCKED OUT...WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOUR REAR DIFF ?? CAN IT BE FIXED ??? MAYBE CHEAPER. AS FAR AS THE ENGINE SWAP ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE,IT WILL FIT. BUT DO YOU REALLY WANT TO GET IN TO ALL THIS WORK AND ELECTRICAL NIGHTMARE ??? YOU MUST HAVE ALOT OF TIME ON YOUR HANDS. WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME THIS I TELL THEM ,[[DO NOT DO IT]]] KEEP IN MIND,, ALL COMPUTER, WIRING,SENSORS,AND HARNESSES WILL ALL NEED TO BE REPLACED WITH THIS ENGINE YOU ARE PUTTING IN YOURS. [NOTHING WILL INTERCHANGE] IT IS A BIG CLUSTER ....]I WOULD NOT DO IT.NO WAY. DO YOU WATCH ALOT OF PIP MY RIDES ??? JUST ASKING. MAKE YOURSELF HAPPY DONT'T DO IT..THE REAR DIFF,THAT IS OK BUT YOU MAY NEED TO RECALIBRATE YOUR ODOMETER IF RATIO'S ARE DIFFERENT.LETS FIX THE REAR DIFF. .LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU DECIDE... WAITING IN N.Y. TOM.
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QUESTION: I sheared almost half the teeth off the ring gear in my 90 Chevy hauling over 12k lbs in a trailer. Going up an incline, I let the clutch out too fast. So I used the rear from the 94 to get the 90 back on the road. The 94 has 3.73 and the 90 had the 3.42...so I don't use the 4 wheel...I know better lol. Gotta keep at least one on the road, right? I don't know the ratio in the 97. I know the front and rear would need to be changed in the 94 if the 97 isn't the same. Just wasn't sure if it would fit. As for the engine swap...if it isn't a simple swap and plug...yeah, I won't be doing that. Cuz I hate wiring. So...let me run this by you. That 97, its an automatic...and the tranny is bad. I have auto tranny from a 93 Silverado. The 93 had the 305 but was only a 2 wheel drive. Would the tranny from the 93 work on the 97...would it mate to that Vortec engine and handle 4 wheel drive?
ANSWER: HI CHRIS,YES IT WILL MATE UP,BUT AGAIN YOU ARE GETTING INTO ELECTRIC ISSUES AGAIN.THE 97 HAS MORE SHIFT SENSORS THEN THE 94. SO YOU WILL BE DEALING WITH PLUG CONNECTIONS,BECAUSE THE 97 NEEDS THE PCM TO TELL IT WHEN TO SHIFT MORE SO THEN THE 94. LOTS OF TROUBLE HERE !!! BUT IT WILL FIT,SHIFTING MAY BE RUFF HOWEVER AS IN NO SHIFT FROM 2ND TO 3RD. YOU WILL ALSO NEED TO REMOVE THE TAIL HOUSING TO BOLT UP THE TRANSFER CASE...I DONT THINK IT IS A GOOD IDEA..SORRY. CK YOUR LOCAL JUNK YARDS FOR THE CORRECT YEAR TRANS..SOORY ABOUT THE REAR DIFF NOT BEING ABLE TO FIX.WHEN THE RING AND PINION GO OUT,THE BEST WAY IS USED.CHEAPER IN THE LONG RUN..GOOD LUCK TOM.. GET BACK TO ME IF YOU NEED MORE INFO...THANKS FOR THE RATING !!!!!!
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QUESTION: Ok...let me ask you this. You said the auto trans from the 93 will mate to the 97...but it needs plug connectors that the 93 trans doesnt have. What if I use the computer from the 93? Put the 93 trans and computer into the 97? Will that cover the shifting and connectors? Cuz I still have the whole 93 truck. And can the computer from the 93 run that Vortec engine in the 97? Im working on a very tight budget...and need more than one running truck. The 90 belongs to my step-dad and the 94 is mine. The 93 was a parts truck for the both of us. It would be great if I can get mine fixed...and scoop up this 97 and be able to get it going from parts I already have and cant use in my truck. So...if theres a way to get this 97 on the road with parts from a 93...I gotta fnd out how.
AnswerHI CHRIS, YES I SUPPOSE THIS WILL WORK AS LONG AS YOU DO NOT MIND REMOVING THE PCM AND ALL OF THE WIRING HARNESS FROM ONE TRUCK TO THE OTHER. THIS WILL NOT BE FUN YOU KNOW !!!THE 93 COMPUTER WILL NOT RUN THE 97 ENG. THERE ARE MANY CHANGES FROM YEAR TO YEAR. YOU WILL NEED TO SWITCH 97 COMPUTER WITH THAT ENG AND HARNESS. I CAN'T KEEP UP WITH YOU !!! SO TO RECAP WHAT I THINK IS GOING ON TAKE ALL OF THE WIRING HARNESS FROM THE 93 AND MOVE IT ALL TO THE 97. THIS MEANS PCM, HARNESS, TRANS AND ENG. THE FUEL PUMP SHOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE LOAD...YOU GOT SOME WORK AHEAD OF YOU...LET ME KNOW HOW THINGS GO. GOOD LUCK TO YOU.I WILL BE HAVING A COCKTAIL FRIDAY NIGHT THINKING ABOUT THIS..YOUR GOOD BUDDY TOM...
