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Vortec 4200?

Darky

Darky

NAXJA Forum User
Location
29 Palms, CA
Anybody ever though of trying to get the Vortec 4200 in an XJ? Its the 4.2 I6 that GM uses in the Trailblazer/Envoy. 275hp stock and its still an inline. Seems like it could be fun. Might even trick or confuse some people, look under the hood, its an inline 6, tell em its a 4.2, they think its AMC. Then you blow em away with the power of the modern I6...:D Just have to take off the plastic cover most likely...

Or even the 3700 might be an interesting swap. 3.7 I5 from a Colorado/Canyon/H3. Puts out 242 hp, gets 23-24 mpg in the Colorado, one cylinder shorter than our 4.0, should make some extra space up front...
 
Problem is getting it to pass inspection, especially in california or mass. Therefore, you and I are both screwed. One of the main problems is just getting all of the wiring to work.
 
One thing both the GM 4.2 I6 and the 3.5 I5 are relatively lacking is torque. The 4.2 only produces 275lbft at 3600rpm; you can get a lot more than that from a budget 4.6 stroker. Mine puts down 254lbft at 3530rpm to the wheels.
 
You don't want that 6. That is the worst incarnation by GM since the quad4. They often have soft valve seats that cause a idle misfire. The have a bunch of bugs in the wiring. The heads crack often and i beleive they're not serviceable. The block isn't for sure. I work on those often and wouldn't dare contaminate my XJ with one of those.
 
Theres a reason they didn't last long at GM... and GM is king of keeping engines around forever!
 
Eh, it was a thought... :) Driven a few Trailblazers, and they're pretty peppy. Guess I'll stick to strokin my 4.0 or doin a V8. :D It'll be a while for anything though.

For smog reasons, it shouldn't be too hard to pass as the engine is newer than the vehicle. I think that's one thing they check for with engine swaps, no swapping to an older engine. HellBilly04 has a 4.3 Vortec V6 swapped in that meets CA smog...
 
KRAKER said:
You don't want that 6. That is the worst incarnation by GM since the quad4. They often have soft valve seats that cause a idle misfire. The have a bunch of bugs in the wiring. The heads crack often and i beleive they're not serviceable. The block isn't for sure. I work on those often and wouldn't dare contaminate my XJ with one of those.
Click to expand...

actually, working at a gm shop, i know quite a bit about these engines. (it just so happens i finished a head job today.)
the soft valve seats happen once in a blue moon. thats the reason i just put a new head on the one today, first one I've ever seen.
the bugs in the wiring? idk what your talking about, other gm products have more problems than the 4200.
heads crackin? never seen one.
the blocks can be resleeved.

i believe hot rod mag built one of these with intake and exhaust and some other slight mods and put it in an elcamino. 500hp and 450 ftlb of torque. not to bad

wiring it in would be a bitch though. and i'd much rather do a cheap stroker...

oh, and the 4200 is made by isuzu.
 
Maybe they should of stayed with the good ol' 250 C.I. or it's grand pa. the 292.c.i Even the 230........... ;0)
 
BlackSport96 said:
Eh, it was a thought... :) Driven a few Trailblazers, and they're pretty peppy. Guess I'll stick to strokin my 4.0 or doin a V8. :D It'll be a while for anything though.

You think that Trailblazers are "peppy"??? Stock for stock, an XJ's a lot more "peppy". I've always found those things anemic... ESPECIALLY in the torque department :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
 
codyj86 said:
actually, working at a gm shop, i know quite a bit about these engines. (it just so happens i finished a head job today.)
the soft valve seats happen once in a blue moon. thats the reason i just put a new head on the one today, first one I've ever seen.
the bugs in the wiring? idk what your talking about, other gm products have more problems than the 4200.
heads crackin? never seen one.
the blocks can be resleeved.

i believe hot rod mag built one of these with intake and exhaust and some other slight mods and put it in an elcamino. 500hp and 450 ftlb of torque. not to bad

wiring it in would be a bitch though. and i'd much rather do a cheap stroker...

oh, and the 4200 is made by isuzu.
Click to expand...

"intake and exhaust and some SLIGHT mods" and it made 500 hp... :bs:

And you say that it happens "once in a blue moon" and that it's the "first you've ever seen" or that you've "never seen one" but how long have you even been a GM mechanic? Just curious :)

And yea... Isuzu is owned by GM.
 
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Everyone has their opionions. Mine is that engine is junk. I have worked on a lot of them. I have seen that series engine have more failures than any other GM makes. I have seen them cook heads and blocks. I have even done the resleeve procedure. I have even had replacement heads that were bad. The biggest most common wiring problem is on the intake side of the motor where the PCM mounts. The wires will sometimes wear through the harness on the PCM mount causing a bunch of shorts and DTC's. You work at a GM shop call TAC and ask about problems they've had with the heads. The valve seat problem has been improved on. Quite some years ago it happened often. Before that stupid timing chain holding tool came out. Plus if the tool falls out you're screwed. Especially if its 4wd. Oh and Isuzu is owned by GM... Hombre
 
KRAKER said:
Everyone has their opionions. Mine is that engine is junk. I have worked on a lot of them. I have seen that series engine have more failures than any other GM makes. I have seen them cook heads and blocks. I have even done the resleeve procedure. I have even had replacement heads that were bad. The biggest most common wiring problem is on the intake side of the motor where the PCM mounts. The wires will sometimes wear through the harness on the PCM mount causing a bunch of shorts and DTC's. You work at a GM shop call TAC and ask about problems they've had with the heads. The valve seat problem has been improved on. Quite some years ago it happened often. Before that stupid timing chain holding tool came out. Plus if the tool falls out you're screwed. Especially if its 4wd. Oh and Isuzu is owned by GM... Hombre
Click to expand...

i'm not saying they're great motors. i just don't think people quite give them the credit they deserve.
and yeah, sometimes the wires will wear though, but i wasn't considering that a bug, thats a harness routing problem.
I hate that stupid timing tensioner tool!! it has screwed me over more than once! SI says to gently tap on it. HELL WITH THAT! pound the MFer with a 3 lb hammer! haha.

i think other than the wiring swap, the front diff would be a problem. that oil pan is freakin huge becuase the front diff pass side axle goes through it.
 
PurpleCherokee said:
"intake and exhaust and some SLIGHT mods" and it made 500 hp... :bs:



And yea... Isuzu is owned by GM.
Click to expand...

I was told about the 500hp engine from another guy 2 days ago. he said he's gunna get me the mag cause i said the same thing. Once i get it i'll read it myself.
i know they did another one with a one off intake and carborated it. That was interesting....

and i know isuzu is owned by gm. what isn't......
 
I saw a guy put a bunch of psi to one of those on a chassis dyno. At about 500rwhp a rod let go and sawed the block in half. Removed head and oil pan and the rest fell in two.
 
PurpleCherokee said:
BlackSport96 said:
Eh, it was a thought... :) Driven a few Trailblazers, and they're pretty peppy. Guess I'll stick to strokin my 4.0 or doin a V8. :D It'll be a while for anything though.

You think that Trailblazers are "peppy"??? Stock for stock, an XJ's a lot more "peppy". I've always found those things anemic... ESPECIALLY in the torque department :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
They pick up speed quick. Maybe you had a dud :dunno: I've driven many vehicles and SUVs while I was working for Hertz, the Trailblazers were among the quick ones, them and their Envoy twins. Quicker than the Explorer, Outlook/Acadia/Enclave, etc.
Click to expand...
 
Either way, those thing make a lot more power than we do, I just liked the idea of that power in my XJ. :)
 
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