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04 silverado 1500 4.3

R

randy1

Member
looking at a 04 sileverado 4x4 with a 4.3 engine need it to haul 2 4x5 rnd bales at a time and ocassionly pull a stock trailer with a cpl horses any thought
thankks
 
I had a 4.3 in a 2000 model, bought it new and worked it hard sometimes. it was a great engine. it should do what you want. Mine had a 5 speed straight shift, I would always run it in 4th when loaded.
 
People used to haul with the 350 four barrel and thought it was lots with 148HP. 4.3 Snoreteck is rated at 195HP.
Main concern is the vehicle is getting old at 10yrs.
 
just my op but I think you'd be a lot happier with a V8. I had an full size 86 with the 4.3 and it worke hard. Now I have 99 with the 327 ci and the engine does not have to work near as hard and gets better mileage.
 
You don't have to be the first one up the hill when pulling. Myself, I see no reason to buy a big engine or Diesel when you are pulling 5% of the time you drive and just driving to town the rest of the time. As far as it being ten years old, I wouldn't worry as long as its in good mechanical shape and you keep it that way. Its no fun being broke down along the road with a load. But not everyone can afford 40,000 for a new truck ever few years.
 
I think it will be just fine for your needs, and as far as the age, heck my "new" truck is a 2001 2500. I have a '94 1500 that has a snowplow for the winter months, and a '79 3/4 ton that was my grandpas. I keep them all maintained inside and out (no rust on MN trucks!)and I wouldn't think twice about driving any one of the three anywhere I needed to go. If that truck has been well taken care of, I'd say go for it.
 
I had a 1992 Chev 1500 2wd with a 4.3 and a five speed. I loved how that truck would run and work and still get fairly good mileage. I pulled a 14 foot bumper stock trailer a lot with it. You did not put a bunch of fat cattle in it but I hauled a lot of calves that way. I also pulled a 16 foot car trailer to. I hauled a JD 5300 around a with it and it pulled it fine. So you needing to haul two round bales would be an easy pull.

I would get 15 MPG pulling the trailers and 19-22 MPG empty.

Daughter was driving it when a car ran a stop sign and tee boned the truck. She was fine but it totaled the truck. I really missed having that truck.
 
Lots of those trucks around with 200,000 miles and still going. It will easily do what you are asking, just not as fast as a big V8.
 
I have one now, for my daily driver. Works for me, has 213000 on it, starts and runs good. empty highway MPG is 20 to 22 consistently, depending on where I fill up. Use the tow/haul part of the tranny when towing.
 
Had an 07 classic (left-over 06) with the 4.3 and 3.73 gears. Got 20-23 highway on long trips, running tow/haul at 60, on 2-lanes it got 17-19 regularly. Had a 7,000 GVW 18 foot car trailer that I pulled with it, did pretty good up to 4,000 pounds on the deck, anything more and it really wanted lower gears.

Tow/haul changes the shift schedule, keeps your RPM's up to take some stress off the transmission. Keeps the torque converter locked too. Keep it steady around 60-65 with a light pedal and it will stay locked up in OD. There's no real benefit to running it empty in city driving, it will burn up more gas due to the higher revs.
 
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