S-10 trying to have it both ways!

[hayden55]

How much are you willing to spend on the truck? A lot of the mods spoken of on here will probably never pay off not to speak of all of the opportunity costs in time.
I would just do what everyone does to small trucks: delete almost all of the accessory drive and regear the rear end as low numerically as possible.
OR just go get a v6 Ranger/s10. The 3.0 only gets 1-2mpg less than the 2.3 and will tow 4000lb. I was able to get 25 mpg tanks with a 96 Ford Ranger 3.0-5speed with 3.73 gears. If I am able to get it 3.08 swapped it would be a 30mpg capable truck that would tow 1500lb objects respectably.

Reminds me of the ad on the CRX when it first came out with the extremely overgeared trans and the engineers were talking about how fun the car was because you really had to maintain momentum to keep it going in high gears lol.

[Ecky]

My experience with a swap, from a 1.0L to a 2.4L, was that even with re-gearing, I lost around 40-50% fuel economy. Granted, it was an exceptionally efficient 1.0 with great gearing for economy to begin with, and the new engine makes the car near supercar quick. The new engine is really hard to drive at ten tenths though, and while it's a hoot, driving a slow car fast by wringing out everything a small engine has is pretty entertaining too. The extra utility the engine swap brought has a monetary value, but were I you, I'd rebuild the stock engine and maybe bump compression a hair, or go with a *very* small turbo. That has its own issues though - aftermarket turbos inevitably have leaks or things rubbing that cause ongoing maintenance.

[freebeard]

Stroker crank for low end torque.

[pashiner]

Do they make a stroker crank for it? that could be a pretty sweet option!
I was thinking a small turbo with a t-3 flange, considering that's how the aftermarket turbo manifold is configured.
my budget is right around $3000, but if it stays together for a while, that'll increase.

[freebeard]

Since the 1940s speed shops built up the journals with weld metal and then machined it back down to a new center.

Forged cranks came later.

[ksa8907]

My favorite solution is TURBOCHARGER.

You keep the same engine, same fuel economy when not in boost, more power when needed.
Really the only big changes are mechanical of adding the turbo then the electrical of finding a compatible Ecu for tuning.
Sell the 5.7 to fund the rebuild/turbo

I re-read your original post. No need to get exotic on the rebuild, the stock engine should handle low boost without any issue.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by pashiner

The question I'm trying to answer is how does the idea of a low boost turbo 2.2 build stack up against the 5.7 swap in terms of real numbers?

Most likely a boosted 2.2 would pull like the 3.8L 60-degree V6, considering that a turbocharged engine in a FIA-sanctioned racing series would be classified as if it had a 70% greater displacement. The same seems to be usual regarding normal vehicles too.

[JRMichler]

Originally Posted by pashiner

I've got plenty of top-end power at 70+mph, keeps up with traffic just fine...but is sorely lacking bottom end torque.

I'd like to keep fuel economy as good or better, and will explore aero-mods at a later date.

Another approach is to change the transmission. The late model Chevrolet Colorado has a six speed manual transmission with a wide ratio range. First gear is 4.47:1 and sixth gear is 0.61:1. That's a 7.3:1 ratio range from first to sixth. Drop in that transmission and change the rear end to get the same total ratio as you have now.

You would have a lower first gear, so better ability to start out. And use your tach. It's OK to run it to near redline occasionally. My old Colorado had no trouble accelerating to speed on a short uphill onramp. I just needed to run it to redline in first and second gears, and speed shift.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by JRMichler

Another approach is to change the transmission.

There is usually some compromise, but sometimes a different gearing may be a cost-effective measure too.

[19bonestock88]

It seems that nobody is suggesting the fairly obvious choice here. What OP need to put in his S-10 is another GM 2.2, the Ecotec. The first generation L61 is a simple engine to hook up and run and I can speak from experience that they’re pretty efficient. They also happen to love boost if the ~140hp/145lb/ft in stock trim is insufficient, and there are factory parts that can accomplish that from a junkyard, cheap. I’d wager that 30-35mpg wound be very doable with modest gearing and maybe some aero that were done at the same time as the swap