Chevrolet 4.3L (265 cu in) firing order — diagram & guide

Back in the 1950s, Chevy’s small block V8 engine was born with the 4.3-liter V8 being among the first-ever engines of this type. Fast forward a bit, and these days we have the old-school first-gen Corvette models still having this engine under the hood, granting it a status of a legend.

However, things get a bit complicated when it comes to servicing and maintenance. So, if you are looking for the Chevrolet 4.3L (265 cu in) firing order, you’ve come to the right place since our team will give you a brief on the firing sequence and the way cylinders are arranged within this engine.

Chevrolet 4.3L V8 firing order

To avoid confusion, we don’t want to have you mix up the firing orders for the 265 cu in V8 with a more recent GM’s 4.3-liter V6 EcoTec. Now that we’ve put that out of the way, the Chevrolet 4.3L V8 firing order is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2, and this firing order is specific for all first-gen small block V8s.

However, this engine is a bit specific since it was the start of the line of the now famous small block V8 and it had vulnerable pistons and camshafts exposed to rust and cracks. Still, if your 4.3-liter V8 is well-maintained, you should be able to use the firing order for some minor repairs.

Chevrolet 4.3L V8 cylinder diagram

Back in the day, Chevy used a simple cylinder ordering scheme for its initial small block V8 vehicles. So, the cylinder order for this particular engine had cylinders 2, 4, 6, and 8 on the right side, and 1, 3, 5, and 7 on the left side, looking from the radiator towards the windshield.

The 4.3L engine is still considered revolutionary to this day because the cylinder arrangement for all longitudinal small block V8s remained the same for decades to come afterward.

Chevrolet 4.3L V8 vehicle applications

The 4.3L engine used by Chevy back in the day was famous for going into the Corvette as the main model, but it also came optional for a few other vehicles, so here’s a full list:

• First-gen Chevy Corvette
• Chevy Bel Air
• Chevy 210

Overall, the engine became iconic for its impact on the small-block V8 lineup and the engine block design that stuck with Chevy engines for years to come.

Our take

Well, there you have it – if you own a legendary gen-one Corvette or simply one of the few other cars that came with Chevy’s 4.3-liter V8, now you know the exact cylinder firing sequence.

Make sure to also consider the way in which the distributor cables are connected so you can properly maintain the engine and keep its resale value.