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Post by hootie on Jan 9, 2009 19:41:27 GMT -8
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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2009 16:55:45 GMT -8
I bought this blazer in Nov. of 2007 for $1300. had the 4.3 liter engine and the TH350 with the NP205 transfer case. Had the straight axle conversion already done. Had the black rims with 35" tires. Welded rear axle gears. No back window.. Leaking water pump. Towed it home with the sellers AAA Card.
1st trip out was to browns camp with poorboy offroad club.
Had some trouble getting it up on to the frosty trailer.. driveline turning... hmm. kitty litter on the deck of the trailer and up it went.
At browns camp.. about halfway up firebreak 5.. noticed front end not turning... yes driveline.. no wheels. hmmm front end gears? nope.. turns out had no gears in the warn hubs.
so a few thousand $$ later... new front end.. ( old one was bent ) new gears 4.56 front and rear. Aussie lockers front and rear. Toyota hubs in front. new front driveline.. and its on the road.
During a trip up to brownscamp with Pistons Wild and the WA DNR I broke a front birfield on little rubicon.
Took a while to fix that... steering arm on top of left knuckle had two broken bolts.. after a few tries at drilling out and replacing those,, got new knuckle for $45.. should have done that 3 weeks earlier.. dumb me. ok thats fixed. just in time for bronco rally.. SOB at sand lake.
Friday night,, blew the engine.. never demonstrate your rev limiter... it is just Not worth it.
So... kind offer from Rick and Kira,,, and I helped remove the engine (350) from their full size blazer,,, and hauled it home.
A few months later.. 12/28/08 and that conversion is finally done. Just in time for a hangover run. Saint Helens Mud Bog.
Well,,,, after weeks of messing with the computer and fuel injection ( of which I am now VERRRY experienced ) and I am following Daryl and Crystal Crowder up to St. Helens by way of longview and Rainier OR.
Daryl pulls over about 7 miles (actually exactly 7 miles) south of Rainier. hmm checking map? nope don't need to lift the hood to do that.... Jeep died.
And,,,, after an hour or so of messing with the jeep... decided it must be a fuel injection or computer problem... ( this is getting WAY TO FAMILIAR) So my real shakedown run with the blazer and the new 350... was,,, towing a Jeep back to Ridgefield on a strap.. Blazer Seems Done.. going to the Snow Tomorrow.. 1/11/2008.
Pictures of different events and outings with the blazer follow. Also some video as well. See you out there... somewhere.
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Post by hootie on Jan 10, 2009 17:04:34 GMT -8
here is a pic of the truck as I bought it.. checking the flex. not bad for leaf springs front and rear.
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Post by hootie on Jan 10, 2009 17:09:10 GMT -8
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Post by hootie on Jan 10, 2009 17:32:28 GMT -8
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Post by hootie on Jan 10, 2009 17:36:04 GMT -8
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Post by hootie on Jan 10, 2009 17:45:21 GMT -8
And here are some pics of the day we took WA DNR up to brownscamp in the tillimook forest. I just went up to Look at Little Rubicon. But, Daryl just kept guiding me a little further and a little further up. Almost made it. Daryl says next time he will get me up it. Did not want to spend too much time there as DNR was with us and we had other places we wanted to show them. Ended up breaking my right birfield while backing down. as per story above. But Blazer does look cool flexing up the rocks.
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Post by hootie on Jan 10, 2009 17:51:29 GMT -8
Here are two from Mollala Mud Bogs. www.molallamudbog.com/some deep ucky stuff and a ledge finally stopped me in this little ditch. my truck did awsome in the mud bogs on the lower area. I drove all around down there.
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Post by hootie on Jan 10, 2009 17:55:05 GMT -8
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Post by hootie on Jan 10, 2009 18:01:40 GMT -8
And now,,, the engine swap. As I mentioned in first post. Got this dirty little girl from Rick and Kira. Loaded it in my cube van. hauled it home to my shop. Next,, removed the front clip from my blazer and then removed the engine from the blazer. Then with empty engine bay,,, Did a Test fit with my Dummy Engine. ( aka, me.) Looks purdy huh?
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Post by hootie on Jan 10, 2009 18:12:10 GMT -8
The engine swap. Putting a 350 V8 into an S-10 is no easy job. Truck did a lot of kick'n and scream'n. ( may name the truck that !) Required orders from Jegs That Run. www.jagsthatrun.com/Pages/Chevrolet_S-10_V-8.htmlBought the engine swap motor mounts and adapters. bought the corvette style radiator, and a few other parts.. $500? +or- . Cut the front clip radiator core support top and bottom to make clearance for the corvette radiator to fit up where the ac condenser once resided. ended up a nice fit. Engine went in fairly well. scared us a couple times.. (us = Darel and Rick and I ) a few comments like "this is not going to work" kept it interesting. Had to use the recommended 305 exhaust manifolds from an 82-92 camaro. others we had,, (bigger) would not clear the frame. Once engine was in.. the fun with the wiring ,,, computer,, and fuel injection. pics..
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Post by hootie on Jan 10, 2009 18:16:53 GMT -8
Then,, put on the front clip. and with Rick and Daryl back to help... tried to fire it up. ( he said fire ) and again,, After a puff of smoke on the first try.. ended up being the fact that we had not connected the main battery ground to the engine block,, ( only the little body ground,, which smokes if you try to use only that as a ground ) And on second try,, IT"S ALIVE !! IT"S ALIVE !!! Fired up,,, runs,, not perfect,, but runs.
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Post by hootie on Jan 10, 2009 18:25:25 GMT -8
And a few days later,, I pull it out of the shop,, no exhaust except for a 1 foot pipe on each side to help keep from warping a valve... video is of truck running A very loud drive down Padden Parkway ( concrete walls on both sides of road) and then 136st ( narrow road with concrete walls on both sides ) and to the exhaust shop to get it all hooked up. Ira,, under the truck,, for several hous,, truck still kick'n and scream'n even now.
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Post by hootie on Jan 11, 2009 17:21:16 GMT -8
AND the Engine IS DONE. Looks purdy. Looks like it could have come this way... V8,, in and S10 Blazer.. Should have come this way.
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Post by hootie on Jan 11, 2009 21:05:55 GMT -8
Went on a snow run 1/11/2009 with Daryl and Crystal, Bill, and my passenger Zach. 41 Road from Sunset Falls near Yacolt. after a long trek through the snow we encountered a snow drift and just for fun I worked on it until I got buried. Daryl presented me with the Cow Bell for the fact I needed to be removed from the snow bank via a tow strap. Thanks Daryl !
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