I am looking to drop a performance built small block chevy in my 1987 toyota. I still plan on driving it on the road on a daily baisis and am not sure on weather to use a 700r4 or a granny low 4spd i am thinking that the 700r4 might be better where I still want to drive this thing on a daily baisis. Any info and advice would be appreciated. I have a few other build questions I would also like to ask for advice on but I will address one at a time.  

A 4.3 V6 (a 350 minus 2 cylinders) would be a much better fit, easier to cool and lighter too. It has same bellhousing pattern so all tranny options would remain. The 4.3 warms up well if you build it.  

my curiosity is based more towards the transmission i am wondering if the 700r4 is a smarter choice then the 4spd for a dual purpose truck i had thought of a 4.3 liter but i have had a hard time finding them and i have sized one up in the past and i have had several friends brake cranks in them plus i have the perfect 350 built waiting for the right chassis  

my first piece of advice is dont listen to what snoman says he thinks that everyone should do what he says and you are wrong if you dont, on the tranny question i would use the 700r4 if you plan on driving it on the street alot, but the 4 speed isnt a bad idea either and it would be nice to have that granny low when you need it, if it were me and i was planning to drive it mostly on road i would use the 700r4 because i like having an auto in my daily driver  

The r4 would be a good choice for sure..  

86GMCSierra:
my first piece of advice is dont listen to what snoman says he thinks that everyone should do what he says and you are wrong if you dont, on the tranny question i would use the 700r4 if you plan on driving it on the street alot, but the 4 speed isnt a bad idea either and it would be nice to have that granny low when you need it, if it were me and i was planning to drive it mostly on road i would use the 700r4 because i like having an auto in my daily driver

No, I speak from the logic of the total package unlike you. When I consider a engine swap I think about chassis, fit, axles, cooling and weight of it unlike many other that just want to do it and think biggest is always best. The Toyota has a light chassis which is fine with a stock engine or a bit more but when you install a engine that weighs about 400 lbs more things change.  It puts a lot of weight and torque stress on front end chassis and axle and then it is a shoe horn fit at best (a 350 in a yota) and then you have to cool it too. Extra weight is never a asset in the front of a off road vehicle (much to the chagrin of some diesel owners) but many never consider this. One reason old Yota's do so well off road is that they are light and nimble with a fairly balanced chassis. With a V8 it is suddenly very front end heavy and difficult to cool in all conditions. To me a 4x4 that is properly built is balanced and as light as possible and NEVER overheats no matter what you do. (I have no place in my driveway for that ever over heats because if it cannot be cured, it is gone) The 4.3 has been around since early 80's in cars and they starting using it trucks in 88 and there is a lot of them out there. Never heard much about busted crank issues but if they break I would find reason why because it is usually a balance issue that sets up a harmonic vibration that can be destructive because the 4.3 crank is not a weak design. (it is a shortened 350 crank and 350's are not prone to break cranks either) The 700R4 is a good tranny when a 85 or later model is used and it has a nice gear spread for off road usage (3.06 first gear and .70 OD) which allows you to run decent gears (deep axle ratio)for great power and traction off road and improved drive train durability and still have a nice decent street cruise RPM because of OD. A 4.3 with a 700R4 and some decent gear in a yota would be bullet proof. (and that is want a fun 4x4 should be) I build things to last not just to do it and I do look at the big picture unlike those that attack my logic sometimes.  

by removing cylinders 5 and 6 which are the ones gm removed they also had to remove the same from the crank and in doing so it changed the balance of the engine that is why some models had a balance shaft in them and useing the fact that they have been using them since the 80's is not a valid reason for there reliability because chevy has been using the 350 in cars and trucks since about 1966 and the 350 is only about 75 or 100 lbs heavier then the 4.3 plus the parts for a 4.3 are more ecpensive and people put 350's in s10 pickups all the time and dont have over heating problems as long as you beefup the cooling system and the clearance probles with a 350 are marginal compared to a 4.3 which is only a few inches shorter about 5" i think and the stock toyota cooling is still not enough for a 4.3 any way i have a 3" body lift in my truck and plans to put a solid front axel under the truck as well and if you have not broke something while you were out wheeling at one point or another then you are playing it too safe i have yet to meet a serios off roader who has not broke something  

5 inches less length is a lot under a yota hood and I would place weight saving higher than 75 to 100 lbs PLUS nice mass or engine is further centered to rear too it can make front axle feel a few hundred pound less than with a SB. Most put in 350 because they are there and to say they did not because it is the best choice. The 4.3 is not a even fire engine but it is balanced weight wise. You might even consider a GM 3.8 V6 (you want one for a rear wheel drive as it has best bell housing bolt pattern as FWD version is different) It is a even fire engine (after about 1979) and very smooth and they was some turbo charged ones that made over 300 HP from factory too and lots of parts are out there for hopping up 3.8's. The 3.8 is a sturdy mill and its basic design is almost as old as the Small Blocks is. Another neat engine with good power and light weight is the GM 215 V8 made until 65. It had a aluminum block and weighed about 300lbs complete. Them warmed up well too. GM sold engine and rights to British Leland around 66 and land rover still uses a V8 engine to this day based off of that block (Toyota Land Cruisers used a GM "stove bolt" in line 235 six for many years after they bought it and rights from GM in later 60's and still use a version of that block too today and not many know that either)

BTW, GM sold the V6 that 3.8 was based on (a 225) to Jeep (when Willys owned it) in 60's and Jeep used it for many years until AMC/Jeep sold it back to GM in mid 70's a few year after AMC bought Jeep and GM increased it to a 231 when they got it back and a few years after that to a even fire engine with a special offset crank.  

I spent some time doing some research and it was difficult to find all the info as to the dimensions and weights to the 4.3L and sbc and bbc.
4.3L = 25.4"L 27"H 22"W and weight is 425 lbs
sbc = 28"L 27"H 22"W and weight is 535 lbs
bbc = 30.5"L 33"H 27"W and weight is 685 lbs
and as to your coments about a 215 that was a buick and olds motor and they have a different bell housing as well as the 3.8L so in order to make either one of those fit would take a little more work and on a good day a 4.3L with a carb unless built up only produces about 190hp and a 350 produces any where from 250 to 350 depending on where it came from in order to push that kind of power from a 4.3L would cost more then $3000 and you for that kind of money you could build a 383 stroker with between 400 and 450hp and in the process you eliminate almost 100LBS by installing aluminum heads and intake  

I have a '87 xtra cab 4x that I am getting ready to install an LS1 into. I have talked to Downey Toyota , and they also suggest that a V6 is used instead of a V8. Their main reason was "it's a hassle to fit a V8 in an early Toyota". Well, if it was easy then everyone would do it. As for the tranny...automatic is the only way to go. "A clutch in a 4X is a hassle".  

If you want a good selection id try a parts locator. One place that can find you a good short or long block for a toyota engine is http://www.swengines.com. They have a link somehow to multiples of thousands of recycling centers and will locate the best one for you.  

on the motor issue do what u want since a v8 will be harder to fit it is very do able and for the tranny go with the stick shift since there is nothing more fun than power shifting through the gears with a v8 under the hood