Budget s10 Blazer mods? (new member seeking ideas)
 

Need some ideas here. Have a late 80s s10 blazer with the 4.3. With the stock manual. I'm on a tight budget and I'm looking to take my stock s10 blazer and make it more fuel efficient without losing much power. Now I am on a budget so I'd prefer ideas to either be A: Cheap or B: junkyard friendly. I will appreciate any and all help

welcome
 

Hi Reaper - welcome to the forum.

Have you had a chance to go through these pages? 65+ Efficiency Mods & 100+ Hypermiling Tips

The cheapest, quickest route to savings is adjusting the nut behind the wheel (you). You need an instant & resettable trip MPG display to do this properly & to maximum effect. Don't balk at the price of a gauge -- it'll pay for itself fast in a vehicle that consumes a lot of fuel.

Also, are you recording your tank to tank mileage now? That's another key, so you can see the motivating effects of changes to your driving & mods to the Blazer.

Reaper, Metro really knows his stuff. Adjusting your driving style is free and can make a larger difference than anything else.

I think that a grill block, air dam, and smooth wheel covers are the cheapest aeromods. Of the three, I think that an air dam looks the best.

Thanks for joining! Good luck!

Just a thought...do you need the Blazer? Before you put any money into it, think about getting a car that gets better mileage. Will a wagon work if you need the space??

Pulse and Coast, is the way to go. I am seeing great results in my GMC Jimmy with the 4.3L. Right now I am averaging around 25mpg which is way better then 15-17mpg I was getting before. Oh yeah the best part is its FREE!

how about adding power without losing economy?

the 4.3 had some pretty significant improvements over the years that boosted output, i don't remember EPA rated fuel economy ever going down when output went up though.

you would need to modify your calibration to safely do such a thing, but you'll find plenty of communities that are capable of guiding you through it or pointing you to someone who is capable.

4.3 + manual was apparently never offered in the 80s on the S10 blazer though... optional for 1990-upwards. assuming 2WD, original EPA rating of 17/23. i checked 95, 98 and 00 with 4.3/5 speed 2WD, all had the same 17/23 rating.

assuming you have a 90, you're pushing out ~160HP/235lb-ft.
a 95 is ~200HP/260lb-ft
a 98/00 is ~190/250



just food for thought.

In my S10 experience, the 4 cyl 2wd is waaaaaay more efficient than any 6 combo.