Yes, Even The 4.3L EcoTec3 V6 Will Have Cylinder Deactivation
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During yesterday’s media event that revealed the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks also came the announcement of a new engine family: the EcoTec3 line. And while the aluminum-based engines share next to nothing in common with the outgoing Vortec line, the displacements remain the same. As such, a 4.3L OHV V6 remains in the lineup as the base work-truck engine, but not as you’ve known it before.
This big V6 shares a lot of fuel-saving features with the larger V8 engines, including direct injection, variable valve timing, and yes, even cylinder deactivation. One might think that if the 5.3L and 6.2L engines shut off half their cylinders to reduce fuel, the 4.3L EcoTec3 would do the same. No. Instead, the V6 engine will also replicate its big brothers by switching to a four cylinder engine in certain driving conditions, deactivating two of its cylinders.
We still await the official output and fuel economy ratings at this point. So we’ll leave it up to you to speculate.
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i predict around 300hp, 320lb-ft, 26 mpg, 7500lbs towing.
Thinkin GMFans numbers are spot on.
Thanks man!
yyeah gm fan i think your dead on. If your off i think its gonna be by a hair
I was thinking this is the replacment for the 4.8L or the old (2013) 5.3L 315 HP. 335 LBS / Ft. New engine for the Coloardo / Canyon.
New 4.3 for Colorado/Canyon? Sounds really powerful and would probably get 28 MPG on the highway. 3 engines needs to be offered in Colorado/Canyon #1 4.3 v6, #2 economical 4 cyl (30 + MPG), and 2.8 duramax, it’ll be the most expensive but will deliver great power with great MPG.
So, will those with a 2nd (or even later 1st) gen S series p/u or SUV be able to swap their old 4.3 for the new 4.3?
It would be nice to see HP and torque ratings that beat Ford’s base V6. To counter the marketing power of ecoboost and the new Ram truck, I think that GM needs to put a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty on its engines and come out of the gate swinging, Much better than just discounting!
The old 4.3L lasts forever, but that would be cool to drop a new 4.3L into a 99 blazer or something, doubt the transmission could handle it though… This new V6 is exciting, as are the new trucks… Not sure why some of the negative comments, the trucks look great… Very reprasentative of the brands…
I would like to see the numbers up 300-310 range for the 4.3L but that would be at around 100 horsepower.. The torque is at around 260 which I think it will be well above 300… I know DI and VVT does improve horsepower/ torque ratings a lot.. But that’s a major jump from its 195/260 rating it had for years.. Excited to see it come out.. Use to own 03′ silverado with the 4.3.. It ran great.. It’s amazing to see 8 years ago v8’s were at around 300 horsepower now it’s so common to see v6’s at the same level..
Also I think the v6 fe ratings would be at 26 with a 6 speed.. 28 maybe with the new 9 speeds
I meant 10 speeds..
Gm fan should be very close on power rating this new 4.3 replaces both the old 4.3 and the 4.8 v8..this v6 should be @ least 310 hp/330ft lbs which is pretty feasible seeing as the high feat 6 makes 323 hp in the camaro..good job gm for not just dropping the LFX i it and calling it a day like ford and ram did they will for sure have the most powerful na v6 in the truck market
yeah I am glad gm didn’t go with the 3.6 and copy ford and ram. It makes sense to refresh the 4.3 and with the torque advantage over the others V-6’s the towing numbers should be the best for a standard V-6
So I’m not entirely sure from the article, is this new 4.3 related to the old/current 4.3?
Related in displacement only. This 4.3 will be completely new, just like all the engines.
I’m predicting a rating of 270HP/300 lb/ft. One of the problems with 90deg V6 engines, particularly of this capacity, is balance and NVH. As such, I think it might be slightly de-tuned in comparison to the V8s.
I think Fred here is probably closer to the truth than any other guess… You have to keep in mind that while this is a thoroughly modern engine, it is still a pushrod 90 degree derivative of a V8 engine… That’s not meant as disparagement, it’s just the truth. One of the reasons that the Ford 3.7 and the Dodge 3.6 make over 300hp is that they’re DOHC revvers. This engine will most likely not redline as high or make as much horsepower as those 2 V6’s, but it should absolutely blow them out of the water in torque, both low end and otherwise… which is what a truck needs anyway. This engine will make the base GM pickups the tow/haul king among half-tons, but don’t go looking for it to make over 300 hp and win drag races, it’s not designed for that.
If Fred/Ken are right. I’m going for the small diesel.
I’m not sure what small diesel you are referring too. I haven’t heard any news about Chevy introducing the smaller 4.5 liter duramax they designed a while ago. I really wish they would, and so do many other people. As to why chevy refuses to give us a small duramax in half ton trucks is beyond me. Why would a company refuse to give customers what they demand? This doesn’t make sense to me from any marketing/sales perspective.