A 502 crate engine would do the trick. A buddy of mine just completed an LS1 swap that is super nice and looks like it came with the S10 Blazer.

Vince

 

I big block is really too and heavy for a S10 (unless its got alot of aluminum parts on it) and I worry enough about getting my smallblock trucks inspected so I can't imagine the look on the inspectors face when he raises the hood and see a big block.:drunk:
If i had the money to build any engine i want I'd build a 377 or some other big bore short stroke engine.
A torque engine like a 383 isn't really what a S10 needs because they're so light.

 

some kind of ford block.......

a warm to hot 350 would really make it scoot......

 

327,350,383, any would be fine, just stay away from the 305's

 

I'm planning a build-up on a iron block 383 over the winter. I"m going to get it bored .030 over and with everything planned, it should do about 500 hp or real close to it. I want it to be streetable and it will have an overdrive tranny in it. I just got to figure out a rear end and some traction issues but that should do the trick.

 

I had an S-10 with a small block in it... not fun. Very tight fit and always ran warm.. I was running an aluminum radiator, manual fan with shrowd and 2 10" electric fans on it.. still ran warm.. I woulndt even plan on doing a big block unless your really want some headaches.

 

Badlilstang, You did all that and still had heating problems???

My 88' S-10 runs a $95 copper core Auto Zone radiator with a single 10" electric puller fan. No belt driven or shroud at all. I drive the truck on a daily basis. 100 miles a day to and from work. The weekend before last, I made 16 back to back passes on a 98* day and it didn't go over 210*.....Dan

 

to me 210 is already warm... mine ran around 210-220.... I had ac on it of course. Motor ran totally different when around 160 degrees compared to 210.. I just dont like my motors to get over 200 degrees. I was 10.5:1 compression and i had iron heads wich didnt help.

 

The truck in my Avatar was driven daily and had a Stock 305 out of a '94 Caprice police car (with stock alum q-jet intake modified to fit the centerbolt heads) and it never ran warm on the hottest days with a mid 70s camaro radiator ,engine driven fan and no fan shroud.
The S10 that i'm working on now is a 9.5:1 383 and i'm going to try using a stock 4.3 radiator and a mechanical fan. It will also be a daily driver so I hope that it cools well enough.

 

I was running 11:1 pop up pistons with open chamber iron heads.. the high compression will make it run warmer compared to a lower compression motor. Plus I live in Texas and it gets hot as hell here.

 

I have a '82 GMC S15 with a 350 mildly hopped up and do not have any overheating problems.I am running a corvette c4 radiator moved to the forward position.I put this truck together just for a play toy and my temps stay between 160º - 195º, but i do not have a/c which i know makes a difference.I do run a large clutch fan that came from the siverado 4x4 that i used as a donor.Its fun, its too fast and has no traction.But i did build it to be a toy.The engine is a .040 over 350, with 60cc heads and a lumpy cam.Its the easiest v8 swap that i have ever done.The only problems that i had was a cracked bracket for the power steering pump that thru the belt on the interstate.I can easily punch it at 40 mph and leave double black marks.I am looking into buying a s&w rear half to install to cure some of my traction problems.The BBC is very doable, the biggest problems that i have seen is exhaust and steering shaft and traction.We have a couple of guys over at s10v8.com who have done the swap, with pictures of the steering shaft mod and exhaust manifolds ( the ones to look for).It is cool to look under the hood and see all of that metal!With the 350 in there, its not that tight at all to me.Granted, the only power acessories i have is power steering.It takes me much longer to change the plugs or oil on my vette than it does on the small pick up.I like it alot!I am trying to find me an extended cab to throw a bbc in.If you happen to build a bbc s10, you need to look into getting a ford 9 inch rear, I believe the stock 7.5 will blow on ya...Have fun......Jay

some of my swap pics

 

put a ford small block in it and then it would be worth something






just kidding hahaha

 

383 with a good set of heads

 

some one that i work with told me if your going to drop a engine in a S-10 drop a 350 in it. 1st thing i would do is write out what componets you want to put on the engine 1st. im putting all edlebrock parts on mine. 2nd find what trannys you want to use. 3rd work out your cooling problems. some time you will have to get a better grille to let more air in. the less the engine has to work the cooler it will be. 4th work out your gear ratio that you want to use. remember what you want to do with the s-10. is it daily driver or week end play. if its daily driver then go with gear that will get you up to speed quick but wont bust your gas milage to hell and back. lastly. make sure you can afford it and plan your budget right to do it.

 

Just go smallblock:thumbup:


CHEVY smallblock

 

howziit guy!

JMO, if you anticipate traction problems with a sbc in an S10...install a "small" sbc...namely a 302.

if that's too expensive, just find a sbc 283, sonic test for block integrity, bore out .125", and build "THE GIANT KILLER" of the early 60's..."the 301"!:thumbup:

 

MY SON IN-LAW AND I ARE ABOUT TO PUT A V-8 IN HIS 94 4X4 EXT. CAB. WE ARE PUTING TOGETHER A 327 C.I. FOR GAS MILAGE & PULLING THE LIKE'S OF A SMALL ATV TRAILER. I USE TO HAVE A 65 VETTE AND GOT GREAT GAS MILAGE WITHA 600 HOLLEY , FIGURE IT CAN'T BE ANY WORSE THAN THE 4.3,PLUS A LOT MORE POWER, I HAVE NEVER SEEN A 350 GET NEAR THE MILAGE AS A 327 DOES.

 

my brother dropped in a 350 a few years back into his s10. He isnt much of a mechanice but hes not an idiot either he never had cooling problems and this was in Midland TX, the center of the sun!

 

1987 3.8 granny motor 200r combos are sick too in a s10 and get something my toy does not gas milage Little work to make a s10 scare the kids and laugh at most imports but hey since its so hard to find boneyard grandnationals now any small block chev with a mild cam intake carb combo will make that little truck move along hapily. The hardest thing is to get the suspension working good enough so they hook up . Side note 4cyl 5 gear s10s have 410 gears btw



Mike

 

Well I myself went with what came in my Sonoma. I decided to
build a turbo powered 4.3 V6. I did get a blueprinted marine
engine and a set of ported heads with over sized valves. Got
forged pistons and rods. Comp hydraulic roller cam and roller
rockers. Check out my project journal. PEACE>Tony:thumbup:

 

What a bunch of responses... OBVIOUSLY the biggest, most powerful motor you can put in there will make it go the fastest. I'm assuming that's what you mean by "best."

K

 

The motor is probably in the truck by now, this post is almost a year old.

 

YEAH, THE MOTOR PROBLY IS IN BY NOW.WHAT'S WRONG WITH ADDING MORE INFO TO AN OLD POST ? SOME OF US ARE BUILDING SIMULAR PROJECTS AT THE MOMENT AND LIKE TO HEAR MORE ON THE SAME TOPIC. THATS WHY THE OLD POST ARE THERE
FOR US ALL TO READ UP ON, ADD TO, AND MABEY LEARN A THING OR TWO.

 

i agree deadman, i have been gathering info and parts for 4 months. now that the
2.8 is out and the 350 is going in. this is really going to be fun!

 

I would go for the big block. Look at my gallery. I just put a 408windsor stroker into my 87 suzuki samurai, If I can do that you should have no problem fitting a bigblock in your s-10.




Ben