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Help with 87 4.3L tune up

4K views 11 replies 6 participants last post by  jlcustomz 
#1 ·
I'm getting ready to do a tune up on my 87 4.3L ! It has 171,000 & most of the stock sensors, Should I change the sensors out or wait till the service engine light comes on ?? If I need to change them, Which ones should I change ??
I will be changing cap,rotor,plugs & wires ! I think I will get a new 02 sensor & cat !
What other sensors do you suggest I change or leave them alone ??
I don't know all the sensors that's on the 87 4.3L ??
I'm old school guy carb & motor & that's it !! Still learning all this computer control stuff !!
Will also be changing tranny filter & fluid,rear end oil,coolant flush,checking vacuum hoses,spray the throttle body,
Any suggestions on changing some other parts while I'm doing this ?? or things to look for ??
Thanks !! :beer:
 
#3 ·
Changing the o2 not a bad idea, I've changed those before they had a chance to seize themselves in and became un-removable.
Never changed the cat on spec. before though, bit it can't hurt.
Don't forget the fuel filter. Everything else? If it ain't broke............
 
#4 ·
I,d go with the items you mentioned, not any other sensors.If cat is original, I,d definitely get rid of it.
Another little thing I'd do is dump a couple of bottles of chevron techron cleaner in a low tank of gas just before driving it a while.This will give your injectors close to the same cleaning a shop would do for approx $90.
 
#5 ·
Joe
My GM buddy told me the same thing about the techron but he said 2 big bottles for a tank of gas ! How much gas do you have when you do this ??
Oh Ya Advance auto has them for buy 1 get 1 free right now !!
 
#8 ·
My 92 pickup has a 4.3. Changed the ECU temp sensor once, and O2 sensor once. Not too much has gone wrong in 270k miles, but lifters are rattling ! Good on gas too, for a work truck. Oh yeah, the tensioner for that dam serpentine belt has failed twice, (50 bucks), tearing up the belt (30 bucks). I like V belts :smileyb:
 
#12 ·
Steve,you can just get rid of cat if wanted.No need for trying to richen up , Computer Will adjust that little bit no problem by readings it gets from oxygen sensor & map sensor. May have a little more exhaust gas smell over a properly working cat, that's all.
Your stock 4.3 ecm shouln't need tuning unless you get into large cam/ported heads type of stuff, which you're not.Your ecm has a removable chip which is swapped or a new program to be burned in by a properly equipped shop,FYI. (laptops instead of screwdrivers)
 
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