6.5L Turbo Diesel Blazer Project [Archive]

More Power

08-09-2021, 16:34

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Duramax-head-gasket/Blazer-65-500.jpg

This is the way the Blazer's 6.5 looked this morning, after spending yesterday installing new cam bearings and setting the crankshaft into the block. :) The engine shop that did the machining already installed new cam bearings, but they weren't installed with the oil holes clocked correctly. So, they had to come out and another new set installed. Since this photo was taken, all of the pistons/rods have been installed along with the 16 roller lifters and oil pump. I also looked through the various and sundry boxes of parts. Haven't found them all yet, but it's early! I wasn't the one who disassembled the Blazer, so my foggy memory and the GM service manuals will have to suffice with the re-assembly process.

Onward and upward... My daughter helped me a few of the weekends during the two Duramax head gasket jobs. After a couple of weekends, she looked over at the 1994 Blazer, and asked what I was going to do with it. Long story short, it's now hers, and we'll work together to make it go. She's a trooper, likes learning and enjoys spending time with her dad. Plus, she'll have a rig to haul a kayak and do some light camping with her friends.

Jim

More Power

08-23-2021, 09:59

Well, it begins.

I've had this Blazer for some 11 years now, and it seems like there were always higher priority projects that prevented me from working on it. Then there were the obstacles, the hurdles - the complications that got in the way of moving forward. Things like a damaged crankshaft that required replacement (finally bought a used crankshaft from a local engine shop for $300 in 2017)... The original cylinder heads were not rebuildable, and replacements were hard to come by... unless I wanted Chinese heads or way too expensive GEP replacements. I finally bought a set of rebuildable GM heads a few years ago from a guy in MN for $350 (they are right now at an engine shop being rebuilt). When I got it back, the Blazer was rolling on oddball tires/wheels that just wouldn't work, so they were removed/replaced with the OE tires/wheels from Lil Red. I wish the Blazer had come with its original set of factory wheels... Then there were the hard water deposits all over the exterior of the Blazer. Before I acquired it, the Blazer apparently sat unused for quite some time right next to a sprinkler system that pulled water through what must have been a limestone deposit of epic proportions...

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/Blazer-2021-01.jpg

After several days of working on the hard water deposits, the above is the result... There really was a Blazer under all that crap. We tried every product and chemical known to Youtube, and discovered that Youtube has not yet found a way to remove 10 year old hard water deposits/stains from auto glass or any other part of a vehicle. I was at a point of considering glass replacement. Unless you have already experienced it, removing fossilized water spots (more akin to the buildup around Old Faithful - a little hyperbole) from auto glass is near impossible. Getting the paint and chrome clean is far easier by comparison, but it's still an ordeal.

We tried ZEP, CLR, Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner (that works wonders on tub/shower hard water deposits), vinegar, and carefully tried other products that contain phosphoric acid (NAPA's Aluminum Brightener & A Must for Rust). None of them would touch the hard water stains/deposits on the glass - none. The Lysol TB cleaner worked best (though not quick) on the paint, but we couldn't use it on the chrome (it'll turn dark). We tried steel wool on the glass, and we tried auto rubbing compound with a power buffer. Wouldn't touch the stuff on glass, and would only polish the water spots on paint/chrome.

What worked, and did a great job was not found on Youtube... It was a desperate attempt to find something, some combination that would save us from the pit... The saving grace came in the form of a combination - Steel wool and 3M Auto Advanced Rubbing Compound, used together by hand, cut the hard water staining/deposits on the glass and chrome where nothing else would. It actually became... well, maybe not easy, but not all that hard either. The glass is now almost perfect. Looks almost new, in fact.

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/3M.jpg

Jim

arveetek

08-23-2021, 12:03

Looking good, Jim! I'm glad to see another Blazer being saved.

Casey

More Power

08-23-2021, 12:45

Looking good, Jim! I'm glad to see another Blazer being saved.

Casey

Thanks Casey,

Plans include a roll-on bed-liner coating (like Durabak) below the belt line, on the fender flares, and applied to the front 6-8" of the hood and 6-8" of the roof. And we'll install some good looking/tough mud flaps and small/good looking steps. It'll be driven on winter roads with road de-icer, so the underneath will get some rust prevention treatment. Along the way, it'll get new steering, suspension and brake parts to make it drive like new. Oh, and Sarah tells me it'll get new audio components... Vroom sounds aren't quite enough... :(

Jim

Robyn

08-23-2021, 13:24

LOOKING GREAT
I wanted one of the GMT400 Class Blazers (Diesel) and could never find one.

trbankii

08-28-2021, 06:17

Looks like a good start! I'll be following to see your progress.

Here's mine:
https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5557&d=1573041688

Yukon6.2

08-29-2021, 10:33

Here is my blazer project
Doing a yard cleanup at my business,it's all mine now as i just paid out the X for her half of my life.I have a big yard out back of my shop where there was 100+ vehicles accumulated after 25 years of running the shop.
I have plans for the middle of the lot so i am going to limit myself to vehicles double parked down the one property line.
Then my straight body keepers along the back property line.
This blazer had been sitting in the back for about 12 years,it's an 81.The diesel still turns over no water in the oil.The body is going to the dump,engine going into dry storage. I have another rust free califonia blazer that got hit hard on the hinge side of the drivers door,that frame is bent so the rust free body is going on the straight frame,and if i don't find a nice blazer at least the pieces i have will make a good start.Plus i reduce the keepers by one.62256228622962306227

More Power

08-30-2021, 07:10

Looks like a good start! I'll be following to see your progress.

Here's mine:
https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5557&d=1573041688

Nice!! But, no holes in the bumper?

It's interesting that GM put fender flares on their 2-door diesel Blazers/Tahoes. I wonder if they also put in heavier torsion bars?
Jim

More Power

08-30-2021, 07:14

Yukon6.2

08-30-2021, 08:33

I will continue to save what i can...
I have a soft spot in my head for the GM diesels
This summer i have been given a couple GM Diesel trucks that their owners had enough of
One a truck i almost bought when it was a year old,PO thought he destroyed the tcase,91 4x4,the other a 3500 dump truck with 19.5 tires,both trucks run and still have usable life in them.Since i got my first 6.2 and joined the site i have accumulated a good stash of parts and running engines,i have 6 trucks that haven't been on the road in a while that have the GM diesel in them.

arveetek

08-30-2021, 13:12

Here are the most recent pics of my Blazer (Tahoe):

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51413557221_8a8a4bf48e_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51412812962_d36e984e98_b.jpg

Mine originally came with a set of factory running boards/fender flare combos, but I swapped them out for the black fender flares. I originally purchased the Tahoe back in 2005 for my wife, but since then I have inherited it and made it more of what I thought it should be like.

2005, when we purchased it with 174K on the odometer:

https://live.staticflickr.com/5624/30420518244_822810557b_b.jpg

She's been a very reliable daily driver over the past 16 years, accumulating a total of 376K miles until she finally blew a head gasket a few weeks ago. I've got her torn apart and hope to start the reassembly process next week.

Casey

trbankii

09-01-2021, 11:40

Nice!! But, no holes in the bumper?

That's come up before. Both my 6.5's were purchased used and neither had the "correct" front bumper when I got it. I have no way of knowing if they came OEM that way or if the front bumpers were damaged and just replaced with what was available from the junkyard?

More Power

09-02-2021, 12:19

That's come up before. Both my 6.5's were purchased used and neither had the "correct" front bumper when I got it. I have no way of knowing if they came OEM that way or if the front bumpers were damaged and just replaced with what was available from the junkyard?

I had heard that some of the diesel 2-door Tahoe/Yukons didn't have holy bumpers. An oversight or cost saving strategy? Who knows. Ours is a 1994 model, and I believe it has the original front bumper. I replaced the original rear bumper back about 2000 when we owned it the first time (it had taken a small hit in the right corner). Not having holes isn't a big deal cuz these vehicles weren't used to tow heavy, but the holes are an icon of sorts.

richp

09-03-2021, 04:30

My first purchase in the 6.5 world, I thought my used 3/4 ton had had running lights removed from those holes...

More Power

09-03-2021, 09:56

Here is a selection of photos from various Rendezvous we had where a few 2-door Yukons and Tahoes attended. These had holes...

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/2-door-01.jpg

Mark Perina's red 2-door Tahoe. It was so nice! Maybe it was the red...

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/2-door-02.jpg

This white Yukon belonged to member Ron Wong from near Tucson. Here, we were doing a little light trail riding here in Montana during our 2000 Rendez.

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/2-door-04.jpg

The above was taken near Grand Rapids MI at our 2006 Rendezvous. Something is going on here. Guess who the guy is wearing the black shirt.... ;) (hint, it's not me).

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/2-door-03.jpg

Is that Dave? Reminds me of a joke about North Dakotans... "How many North Dakotans does it take to change an injector?" We love North Dakotans here in Montana. They have the same sort of jokes about Montanans... ;) This was taken in the parking lot of Peninsular Diesel in Michigan. Their operation was like a candy store for 6.5 parts. Who could resist upgrading something?

Jim

arveetek

09-03-2021, 13:18

I had heard that some of the diesel 2-door Tahoe/Yukons didn't have holy bumpers. Not having holes isn't a big deal cuz these vehicles weren't used to tow heavy, but the holes are an icon of sorts.

The holes in the bumper is what I first spotted when I purchased my Tahoe back in 2005. We were driving home from church, I spotted the holes in the bumper on the vehicle in a dealer's lot; I first thought it must have been a Suburban, but when I turned around to go back and check it out, discovered it was a 2-door Tahoe. I went back the next day and bought it!

Casey

More Power

09-07-2021, 08:47

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/Damper-sm.jpg

The engine is slowly going back together - waiting on the heads now. They have been at the engine machine shop for about 2 weeks, to get a valve job. It's interesting to note that the exhaust valves get stem seals and the intake valve stems just get o-rings.

The heads are the small port variety, which is what this particular 599 engine had from the factory. Should be better for fuel economy, but I know this 3.73 geared vehicle delivered about 15-17 mpg when we owned it the first time about 20 years ago.

This image shows the Fluidampr installed. I've had this particular damper since I did the article on them years ago - had never been installed on an engine - I used it for a photo prop back then. The paint fade doesn't affect it in any way, but it's odd how the once jet black coating turned sort of olive drab over time.

I knew from reading several comments from those who had installed a Fluidampr on their 6.5 that the interference fit over the crankshaft was pretty tight, so I baked this one in the oven for over an hour at ~225 degrees before attempting to install it. While the service manual didn't indicate that a lubricant was necessary, I coated the crankshaft snout and the inside of the hot damper with motor oil before beginning. It went on pretty easily for the first inch or so (about halfway), then it got tight... The GM service manual instructs those installing a damper to use a "mallet" to drive it on. I had my fab/welder guy make an installer for me, but I soon discovered that the PVC pipe I was using under the all-thread wasn't the best choice. Should have used a steel pipe. So... my fall back was a 6" long block of wood and a BFH (Big French Hammer ;)). Did fine.

The cam bolt was torqued to 125 ft-lbs and the damper bolt was torqued to 200 ft-lbs. I would have liked to have had a timing gear set, but instead installed a new chain from uniquediesel.com. There was about 1/4" or a bit more slack in the chain, which is pretty good for a new chain.

Also shown in this image is the newly installed water pump... an "HO" type. I've been saving this water pump for a long time. It had been a new take-off that Peninsular sent to me years ago. I actually have quite a few new or like new parts that I've been saving for a long-long time that'll now find a home. Jim

Robyn

09-08-2021, 05:35

Getting the dampers on can be easily accomplished using a Threaded rod screwed into the crank shaft (Bottomed out in the thread) and a heavy washer over the end of the damper.

Install a nut on the thread rod and wind that bad boy on there.

Liberal coating of never seaze on the threads and under the nut.

Metric thread rod can take some searching....but is available.......

IIRC I was in a hurry and just grabbed a new metric bolt at the ACE Hardware...Cut the head off...then turned up a little sleeve to slip over the bolt....Then welded the metric bolt to the sleeve and added a length of SAE thread rod to do the work.... FINE THREAD...

Once you have these little helpers....they can find a home in the tool box for another time...
Right along side the puller used to get the damper off....;)

Looking great Jim
Going to be sweet to see this old girl running again....

More Power

09-08-2021, 09:30

Robyn,

I had my fab guy make this for me a while back, along the lines of what you mentioned. I gave him an old damper bolt (I had chased the threads so it wouldn't damage the crank threads), a nut and a length of all-thread. He TIG welded it together for me.

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/Damper-Installer-sm.jpg

I would run the 18m bolt all the way into the end of the crankshaft by hand. The problem was that as you get the damper over halfway on, the big washer in this pic butts up against the nut/allthread, so I needed a sleeve to go over that. I thought a short length of PVC pipe would work. I didn't - not strong enough. I should have had a short length of steel pipe. Jim

Robyn

09-08-2021, 12:42

Looks pretty much like mine

I took the head of the bolt off and then no worries

DieselDavy

09-09-2021, 17:32

Sorry for the late response to your pictures of the 2 doors (at Rendezvous).
Looks like my butt in 2 of the photos! John and I were adjusting the timing.
Good Times!

More Power

09-10-2021, 11:30

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/heads-sm.jpg

Got the heads back from the engine shop this morning. One of the heads needed a new exhaust valve. Valve job, bead blasted, crack checked, vacuum tested and pressure tested. I had supplied the shop with new Fel-Pro valve stem seals and O-rings. Total out the door cost was $368. :o The deck surfaces didn't need to be machined, but I will use my flat steel block to dress them like I did the Duramax heads/blocks.

Another engine shop quoted me a price gouging $1200 in 2017 to do the same work on these heads - this was on top of the $350 I had already paid for the used set of heads. Needless to say, they didn't get the work. So, another big snag has been resolved, and the project moves forward. Jim

Robyn

09-10-2021, 13:31

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeet

More Power

09-14-2021, 07:55

First, the bad and the ugly...

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/Burnt-Piston.jpg

The above is what put/kept the Blazer in the shop for the past decade... The result of towing heavy, pushing hard... and not paying attention... This Blazer has a boost/EGT gauge on the A-Pillar that I installed back about 2000 when I owned it the first time, but it wasn't enough to keep it safe... apparently. The Blazer was running a performance chip and a Turbomaster.

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/Completed-Head-Install-sm.jpg

This is what the engine looks like as of right now... :D Tuesday morning, September 14th. New buttons! Got the heads and valve trains parts all installed yesterday afternoon with daughter's help. Such a trooper, that girl. The Good! :o

Robyn

09-14-2021, 08:24

Indeed.
Having a young lady that loves or even wants to be involved in this type of stuff is a rarity...

I have seen pistons that look like that one in the piccy before.
I opened up a 6.2 from a mid/late 80's 1 ton GMC

The guy was hauling a fairly large rubber tired back hoe around and pulling a lot of heavy grades.

He would mash the skinny pedal and let the little engine that could do it's thing....never back off, no slack, just flog the ponies until it laid down and died.....It had 3 pistons that looked like that one, all the main webs were cracked and the heads were nearly melted (Figurative)
Nothing was salvageable.....DOOR STOP....

More Power

09-15-2021, 09:35

Have a request.... Back this spring during the time I cleaned out the garage in preparation for the summer projects we've been discussing here I disposed of a number of parts that I thought had been removed from Lil Red (the gas engine parts, transfer case, driveshafts, etc). I tossed the front driveshaft... Turns out it was the Blazer's... :( It had a 1330 front u-joint and a flange at the rear, with a slip joint near the front. The whole affair was about 3' long or thereabouts. Anyone have one laying around or know where one might be? Thx

cabletech

09-15-2021, 10:38

arveetek

09-15-2021, 12:33

I believe the front drive shafts for the Tahoe/Yukon/Blazer/Suburban/K1500 PU were all the same part. If you look a Rock Auto the same part fits most every SUV/PU from that era. If true it would be easy to find one in a junk yard.

Jay

FYI - my 1995 2 door Tahoe front driveshaft has a u-joint on both ends; sounds like Jim's has a u-joint on one end and a flange on the other, so they are not the same. Might depend on which transfer case was used as well, since some models were equipped with electric shift options?

On edit - I looked it up, and it appears 1994 and older models use the u-joint/flange shaft that Jim describes, while 1995 and newer models use the double-ended u-joint version.

Casey

DmaxMaverick

09-15-2021, 19:45

I have one from a 1995 1500. If you can use it, it's yours. I don't know what it would cost to ship it, but it's not so big or heavy to require freight.

DmaxMaverick

09-15-2021, 19:48

FYI - my 1995 2 door Tahoe front driveshaft has a u-joint on both ends; sounds like Jim's has a u-joint on one end and a flange on the other, so they are not the same. Might depend on which transfer case was used as well, since some models were equipped with electric shift options?

On edit - I looked it up, and it appears 1994 and older models use the u-joint/flange shaft that Jim describes, while 1995 and newer models use the double-ended u-joint version.

Casey

I'll confirm that in the morning. Too dark and scary out there right now.

Robyn

09-16-2021, 04:55

Should be able to put that shaft in a cardboard tube and it will travel quite well.....

JohnC

09-16-2021, 06:21

Too dark and scary out there right now.
Yeah, what you guys need is a different governor... ;)

DmaxMaverick

09-16-2021, 06:50

Yeah, what you guys need is a different governor... ;)

Tried. Didn't work. What YOU guys need is for CA to have a different governor. This disease of a state is infectious.

DmaxMaverick

09-16-2021, 06:54

The front shaft I have is joints at both ends. No flange.

a5150nut

09-16-2021, 07:15

Tried. Didn't work. What YOU guys need is for CA to have a different governor. This disease of a state is infectious.

I saw Kamela strutting around on the news with Gavin yesterday, she probably had a hand in counting the votes

DmaxMaverick

09-16-2021, 07:17

I saw Kamela strutting around on the news with Gavin yesterday, she probably had a hand in counting the votes

No doubt she had a good laugh over it.

Robyn

09-16-2021, 07:25

DmaxMaverick

09-16-2021, 07:46

I have a flange.....
Easy to assemble

Should be a Saginaw 3R joint (Internal snap ring type)
This came off a 1994 2500 Burb....should be the same shaft...

If this will help....it's yours...Just PM me an address and I will get it on the stage for ya.....

Looking up U-joint part numbers....
For the 95, all the joints are the same. Front, rear, either end, all the same. Not so much for a 94 Suburban. There are a lot of options, to include, steel or aluminum shaft, and different diameter bearing cups. The shaft I have is 1.125" at both ends. It's an original AAM, complete with union sticker.

More Power

09-16-2021, 09:16

I'll take pic or two, measure the length, then post what I discover later this afternoon. I did crawl under it on Monday to see if it had a flange once I felt that sinking feeling about what I tossed...

You guys are the best!

PS ... sorry about the vote count... :(

More Power

09-16-2021, 12:13

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/Front-Driveshaft-ujoint-yoke-sm.jpg

The above image shows the existing U-joint yoke on the front differential. Measurements are pretty close, but not exact.

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/Front-Driveshaft-flange-sm.jpg

The above image shows the existing driveshaft flange on the transfer case.

There is ~33-1/4" from the mounting surface of the flange to the bottom of the U-joint semicircle on the front diff U-joint yoke (= driveshaft length).

Thanks everyone!

Robyn

09-16-2021, 13:42

Check the pilot diameter
Mine is 3.124 with the vernier callipers

So 3-1/8"

DmaxMaverick

09-16-2021, 13:49

Robyn

09-16-2021, 14:01

The flange I have is of the polymer retained type (Uses the inner C" type snap rings for service.

My flange measures 1.125" bearing diameter.

Some of these shafts used the CV (Double Cardan) joints and some did not.
My flange is the single cardan type...

Seems that Gregs Shaft and my flange might make it giddyupgo.......

More Power

09-17-2021, 09:51

Measurements need to be hole centers to centers, and diameters with clamps installed. If it uses U-bolts (smooth-bore holes, not threaded), they should have a parallel "flat" area that will be the approximate diameter. The edges of the yoke saddles may be beveled or relieved, so the true diameter may not be accurate on half of a bearing cup saddle measurement. Your saddle diameter isn't consistent with any listed joint I found. Are the cup saddle bolt holes threaded?

The shaft I have:
U-joint width 3" (loop centers, from polymer groove to groove)
Bearing cup dia. 1.125"
End to end (center of joint loops) about 32". The grease is hardened, so I can't tell how compressed it is. It moves, but very little, and I didn't want to force it.
Screw-on compression slip-yoke seal (press-on seal seems to be different for some joint brands)

Yes, the bolt holes in the u-joint axle yoke are threaded - in the bottom half of each hole. The area I measured for bearing cup diameter on the yoke is a parallel portion of the U shape. But, I was on my back beneath the vehicle with my dial caliper in an awkward position, so the measurement could be a little off.

Your driveshaft seems to be ~ the right measurement, and should be about the length it needs to be with the addition of the flange Robyn has.

If you agree, let me know how to proceed... Thanks, Jim

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/Driveshaft-Ujoint-list.jpg

Robyn

09-18-2021, 05:26

The joints you are dealing with are not shown in the chart.

1.125" Diameter bearing cups....(GM/Saginaw 3R Joints) Spicer number 5-3147

Just happen to have a couple of these Bad Boys on the shelf for the Snow Cat shaft.

The 3R Saginaw has 1.125" cups...Just slightly smaller than the 1350 Spicer.....the overall width is slightly larger than the 1350 at 3.650"

Basically the 3R is about the same strength as a Spicer 1350

More Power

09-20-2021, 16:57

Thanks Robyn,

Pls send me the flange, and I'll check it out for fit. Sounds like it'll work with the front driveshaft Greg has.

Jim

More Power

09-21-2021, 16:06

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/TC-Engine.jpg

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/TC-Engine-2.jpg

A local friend and TDP member passed away last month. I'll be attending his memorial service this Saturday. I learned from a mutual friend that he had a mostly complete 6.5TD engine, and that his widow was wanting to reduce the clutter. I stopped by this afternoon, and bought it... Came with most of a shopping cart.

It remains to be seen what condition the moving parts are in, but I do know that the intake had been off of it for quite a while, and that the intake runners in the cyl heads have some surface rust inside. The engine had been stored inside a building, but little else was done to keep the crud out of it. The crank didn't want to rotate with light effort... A bit greasy and looks well used, but it's a "599" block and had been an HD electronic engine (HD intake manifold). No holes in the pan, and the crank pulley and damper look to be in the right place... Jim

Yukon6.2

09-22-2021, 09:14

Extra parts are always nice to have.

Robyn

09-22-2021, 10:21

Could be a great score......
Yank the glow plugs and squirt the holes well with some sea foam or other good skunk pizz....
Let it set for a week or so.....

More Power

09-22-2021, 13:01

We think a lot alike! I had done most of that. The glow plugs on the turbo side of the engine are harder to get to. I did the other side, as well as squirt some WD and motor oil into the intake runners in the heads. I'm hoping I'm pleasantly surprised when I get it apart. ;)

Robyn

09-22-2021, 17:06

With the engine out the glow plugs should be easy to get to....

Pop the bolts out on the little tubes that protect the wires and get right in there....

More Power

09-27-2021, 15:16

Thanks to Robyn and Greg for the front driveshaft parts! I'll post a pic once it's ready to go in.

Here's what the engine looks like as of about 15 minutes ago. Painted and the reassembly started. Hoping to get it set into the chassis this coming weekend. I had already installed all of the fittings so I could pre-oil the engine. My trusty battery powered drill/driver could muster 35 lbs of oil pressure. Interesting how much power the oil pump takes once pressure has been developed on a cold engine.

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/Blazer-9-27-2021.jpg

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/Blazer-Interior-sm.jpg

It's pretty nice inside. We had power connected this weekend so we could run the windows up/down to replace the lower window seals for the side windows - rubber strips that seal against the glass. The new parts improve the look a lot, as will a new windshield. ;) Of course, we discovered that the driver's side power window regulator was crap... so a new one was installed. Sounds easy...

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/Blazer-under-hood-02-sm.jpg

What do all those things do? The parts I'm holding appear to be the oil cooler lines... ;) All those wires look like a lot of fun...

Does anyone know what the nut on the DS4 fuel injection pump's front flange is torqued to? Someone loosened that big nut when removing the pump from the engine. I found a reference to another Stanadyne rotary pump that indicated about 40 ft-lbs. Thx, Jim

Robyn

10-05-2021, 04:56

Looking great.
I love the interiors of the earlier GMT400

More Power

10-05-2021, 09:57

After working on the engine harnesses and a few other misc items on Sunday, to prepare for the engine install, we got the engine set into the chassis yesterday. I also stripped out the original glow wiring and installed a new harness with ceramic glow plug connectors.

So far, after getting the engine in, we've reconnected the motor mounts, trans bell-housing, oil cooler lines and a few other misc items. Most of the engine brackets and accessories had already been bolted to the engine prior to the installation (starter, ex manifolds, DS4, water crossover/t-stat, vac pump, ps pump, injectors, glow plugs and fuel return hoses/lines). Didn't install the steel fuel injector lines or intake manifold because I wanted to use the space in the engine valley to make it easier to install the top two trans bell-housing bolts and the fuel line/harness brackets that attach to those bolts. Here's how it looked just prior to going in...

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/Blazer-10.jpg

Looks good seeing it in there. More work than I remember though :eek:... due to not having a vehicle lift and the fact that the transmission was already in the Blazer. We needed to tilt and rotate the engine (as it was suspended by our engine hoist) as it went in, and my daughter suggested I use motorcycle ratchet straps to do the tilting and rotating... Great idea!

a5150nut

10-05-2021, 12:03

Looking good. I bet you cant wait to drive it again.

Robyn

10-05-2021, 15:12

One tool for the tool box IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE

15mm Gear wrench ratcheting box open end with flex head

The two top bolts can be put in quite handily with one of those wrenches.....

I tossed the stud top bolts that were in that location as far as I could throw them.....
The fuel line bracket bolts there and the locking nuts that were on the top of the stud ends started turning the bolt....Made a nasty job of that area....
I made a little bracket to bolt elsewhere to hold the fuel lines....

I also tossed the stock fuel manager in the dirt and mounted a Racor up front on a bracket that shared holes with the ABS unit....
Far easier to get to.
With the fuel filter out of the way....the two top bolts are a breeze....

About the only other thing in that area is the big main engine harness plug....

A set of those Gear Wrench's with flex heads are the cats Azz.....in SAE AND METRIC....

Going where other tools can't.....
Get a little movement...or a lot.

Another secret.
Remove the frame portion of the RH front motor mount.
Lower the engine in and it will slide right in and then over against the LH mount. Hold with the hoist...

The put the frame portion back in and you are golden
The Bell housings tend to hit the tunnel (Older the rig the more the body has settles )

Having the front tire on the RH side off and the rubber inner fender flap off.....You can get to the glow plugs easily....accept #8
Also the starter front support and the wires are all right there within easy reach......

On the Dahooooley I cut a mouse hole ...Actually a rat hole in the inner fender back by the area where the heater hose connects.

Gets ya to the heater hose and #8 glow plug.
Added a little cover plate held in with a sheet metal screw.

I do believe pics were posted back in the day....2014 IIRC .....
I hate fighting stuff.....Also reduces the BLUE AIR and the need for BANDAIDS...

Middle picture in the referenced post...this is the view through the Rat hole.....Easy to change the heater hoses and glow plug#8

If you decide to make the RAT hole....Be very careful in the area as the main wiring harness from the ECM is right in there.....Sheet metal shoved in to protect things is a must have.
Second pic from the left shows the red bolt....Starter support....This area is where all the starter wires are too...
Glow plugs are a snap..... Also the number 8 injector is right there AND THE RUBBER PLUG on the rear nipple too.

I can get my hand and tools in THE RAT HOLE

https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/showthread.php?t=43423&highlight=CHANGING+GLOW+PLUGS

(https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/showthread.php?t=43423&highlight=CHANGING+GLOW+PLUGS)

More Power

10-05-2021, 15:53

I hate fighting stuff.....Also reduces the BLUE AIR and the need for BANDAIDS... :)

The passenger side head is right up against the fiberglass pad. Amazingly tight. The packaging musta been designed without padding. My hands were all itchy and beat up (but not too bloody) when I finally called it a day. What remains of the underneath stuff is easier to get to, so it'll not be too bad.

I remember back when I installed the 6.5 in our Power Project truck, that I removed the frame half of the motor mounts (part with the rubber) and just bolted new ones to the engine half of the mounts - on the engine, then set the engine in that way. Getting the engine sitting in the chassis was real easy, but getting the frame half of the mounts bolted to the frame took a couple hours... It's really tight, and you're working with lock nuts that don't turn easily, and you can't get more than about an 1/8th of the turn at a time. A little blue air, maybe...

Robyn

10-05-2021, 16:58

On the Dahoooley the frame mounts went in easy...

Used a wiggler and a helper...Took 5 minutes maybe.....
The lock nuts are not a big help though....

More Power

10-06-2021, 09:01

Looking good. I bet you cant wait to drive it again.

Daughter is pretty excited to be able to drive it. This is the first vehicle she's expressed this level of interest "in the vehicle", aside from just basic transportation. I'm happy for her. I felt/feel that way about a lot of vehicles I've owned through the years, especially those I put significant sweat equity into. She's seen the very inner parts of the engine. She helped install the cam bearings, cam, crankshaft, rods and pistons and everything that followed. She'll have a level of understanding about what makes a motor run that she didn't have before... assuming it all works. ;)

Robyn

10-07-2021, 06:07

a5150nut

10-07-2021, 06:39

Your daughters vested interest in the rig will go far in her taking good care of it too.

arveetek

10-07-2021, 06:39

This is a great thing for the young lady......Not that many girls get to this level of understanding of "The ways of the force"
Far too many never get beyond the turn the key and go....

Getting ones hands dirty brings the entire picture into focus....really well.

My 14 year old daughter has become interested in this type of thing, especially after taking a "Life Skills" class at school where they have learned basic auto maintenance. Funny thing is, I've tried to get her to help me in the shop before, but she wasn't interested until a teacher showed her the same stuff? Anyway, she was able to change the oil on my wife's Acadia on Tuesday night; she did most of it herself; I had to help her get the oil filter loose since it's in a really tight spot, but otherwise she did the whole job with only a little supervision.

Casey

More Power

10-20-2021, 09:33

Have a look at the harness pointed to in this image. Does it go on top of the fuel injector lines (yet to be installed) or beneath them?

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/engine-valley-01.jpg

I pre-installed the fuel filter assy and all of the fuel supply/return lines/hoses. I just couldn't remember if the big IP harness lays on top of the steel fuel injector lines or lays in the engine valley beneath the 8 injector lines. Thanks! Jim

Robyn

10-20-2021, 10:17

Lays in the valley...

"DOWN IN THE VALLEY" ;)
This one has all the connectors that hook up to the various points on the IP and other stuff close.

I recommend that you strip the wrinkle loom off and check for damage to any of the wires.

I replaced the one on the Dahooooley as the wires were in sad shape from chaffing on the loom.

Any damage can be tapped up or otherwise protected....

More Power

10-20-2021, 14:33

"DOWN IN THE VALLEY" ;)
This one has all the connectors that hook up to the various points on the IP and other stuff close.

I recommend that you strip the wrinkle loom off and check for damage to any of the wires.

I replaced the one on the Dahooooley as the wires were in sad shape from chaffing on the loom.

Any damage can be tapped up or otherwise protected....

Thanks, that actually makes it easier. I've done quite a bit of wiring repair, re-taping and general fixup, but I'll take the loom off that big harness to have a look-see.
Jim

More Power

10-22-2021, 08:19

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/Blazer-engine-10-22-2021-sm.jpg

Closer... yesterday, I installed the fuel injector lines, fuel filter, oil pressure switch, new glow system harness, and intake manifold.

The intake I'm using here is the HD version from the spare engine I acquired a few weeks ago.

I'll likely leave the top of the intake off so I can prime each cylinder with a wee bit of fuel - to help it get past the inevitable airlock. Of course, I'll not crank it till the engine block heater has been plugged in for a 2-4 hours. I recall that the 1994 models won't cycle the glow plugs after disconnecting the batteries. This "problem" goes away after the first start.

Robyn

10-22-2021, 08:55

JUST A HEADS UP ON RAGS STUFFED INTO THE INTAKE.

A few years ago a friend of mine had just finished up a 6.5 for his truck.....Had a small fuel leak so he took the intake off to find it.....

One fuel line was not quite snug enough.....He went to dinner and was so happy with how well the new engine ran....came home and stepped into the garage and hit the key to have one last listen to the new engine..

He had laid some rags over the open intake ports........Sucked a rag into the engine....Rag held the valve open, broke a piston then blew the cylinder wall out...

THE CARNAGE DID NOT STOP THERE.....
ended up bending a rod and messed up the crank too.

Total destruction...in a few seconds.

I make it a point to never lay rags over an engine...especially after its in the rig.

Duct tape is somewhat safer...
A fine screen cut to size with fasteners to hold it over the opening...

GM actually had a set of port covers in the special tools list that were a screen....The engine could be run but nothing could get in past the screens.

Robyn

10-22-2021, 09:02

PULL THE GLOW PLUGS OUT.

Make sure there is fuel to the IP

Less than 30 seconds on the starter with zero load and she will be blowing fuel mist out the holes.

Install the plugs and fire it off.

Much much easier on the starter, batteries and the patience.

With zero compression the fuel comes right through easily....

More Power

10-22-2021, 09:16

He had laid some rags over the open intake ports........Sucked a rag into the engine....

I've heard of that happening... Once on a 6.2 where the owner placed a towel near the air filter intake hose. It sucked in the small towel which collapsed the air filter element, but luckily it got balled up enough that it couldn't force its way past the top of the intake manifold. I'll be careful...

But, the glow plugs were so easy to install while the engine was on the engine stand... I may take out some of the easy ones. I actually did that back when I first started our 6.5TD Power Project engine, after it had been rebuilt and was at this stage in reassembly.

Robyn

10-22-2021, 13:01

The plugs are easy to get out.

On the RH side,...
Remove front tire and the rubber inner fender flap.

Sit on a bucket and reach through the hole in the inner fender.

I do the prime up before the exhaust and turbo go on with a fresh install.

You can easily get all but number 8 plug

trbankii

10-22-2021, 16:48

Looking good!

More Power

10-25-2021, 12:20

Getting close to the last of the puzzles... one more...

The heavy battery positive cable that runs from the passenger side battery to the starter is paralleled by a +batt power lead that connects to the power lug strip located behind the "T" shaped plastic cover on the firewall (where the lift pump fuse is located). My question is... does that +batt lead run outside the downpipe or inside against the engine block? I don't have a good handle on how to route that wire.

I've gone though my photo archive, but can't find a shot of that area. Thx, Jim

Dr. Lee

10-29-2021, 10:17

Robyn said "You can easily get all but number 8 plug"

The number 8 injector is no picnic, either:

6300

Robyn

10-29-2021, 10:27

I believe the original routing on that cable was along the block.

I have replaced a few over the years and have run the new one right down the inner fender under and around stuff and then into the junction box

That cable has a habit of becoming crappy where the small cable is spliced into the larger one.

I have used the multi post optima batteries and then soldered the eyes on the cables and then used the marine post type terminal that have the threaded rod sticking up on the end opposite the clamp on bolt.....
Very easy to see if you have corrosion and also easy to clean it.

The factory cables are crimped and they do get nasty inside the jacket....

Robyn

10-29-2021, 10:30

The only easy fix for easy access to the #8 glow plug, injector and the heater hoses is the addition of the Mouse hole I spoke of earlier.

The mouse hole makes life a lot better....Far less blue air....

More Power

11-01-2021, 08:51

https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6301&d=1635780718

Big day yesterday! There were hoots and hollers. :cool:

Was a bit cool the evening before (21 degrees F overnight), so I planned on using the engine's block heater... unfortunately, the plug end had a broken wire which prevented it from working. Got that fixed with a new plug from ACE, then let it warm up as daughter filled the cooling system, I installed the new batteries and we poured in 10 gallons of fresh diesel fuel. This was followed by purging the air from the fuel supply side using the Blazer's electric fuel lift pump. We used the lift pump to purge the air from the fuel filter and the fuel supply line to the fuel injection pump. Cracked open the fittings on a couple of injectors, then squirted about a teaspoon of diesel fuel into each intake runner. The engine was warm to the touch, so we let the glow plugs cycle, then cranked it. It immediately fired on the raw fuel, stumbled and then stopped firing. Did that 3 more times before it ran on its own! Less than a minute total cranking time. Daughter was pretty excited. She was a part of it all from start to finish... from the installation of the cam bearings to mixing and pouring in the coolant.

No SES lamp... amazing, just amazing! After 11 years of sitting in a thousand pieces, and all of the wiring disconnected...

However, not being 100% confident a few weeks ago, I didn't install new injectors - wanted to hedge a bit just in case any one of those thousand pieces prevented success. The old injectors unfortunately weren't kept clean when they were removed all those years ago and were just thrown into a box with other engine parts. But, I did clean them as best I could before installing them a couple of weeks ago while the engine was on the stand. In any case, I know it needs a fresh set of injectors, and it'll get them soon. At least one of the injector nozzles is leaking fuel (miss, fuel smoke), which again, doesn't surprise me (had to scrape aluminum off one of them from the melted piston). Besides, I suspect the injectors are original to the engine/vehicle with 187k miles on them.

The Blazer needs to be licensed and insured before we can take it out on the highway, but we did drive it closer to home, on a private road. The brakes need help, before it'll be safe for highway speeds. The 4L80 needed nearly a gallon of ATF to bring it up where the stick says it needs to be. All of the dash gauges appear to work correctly. The fuel gauge was a little reticent at first, but I suppose that sitting for all those years with a nearly empty tank made the sender a little cranky. But, it ran and drove pretty well otherwise. :) Yay!

arveetek

11-01-2021, 11:53

Congrats! You're making much quicker progress on your project than I am! But I'm not terribly far behind....

Casey

More Power

11-01-2021, 15:01

Congrats! You're making much quicker progress on your project than I am! But I'm not terribly far behind....

Casey

Just glad I'm not a mechanic. I couldn't make any money as slow as I work.

https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6302&d=1635803011

Here's a shot of how it looked when we finished for the day (Sunday 10/31/2021) - hood back on and everything buttoned up. This is the vehicle I used to produce the very first "FSD Cooler" article/product review (very first on the internet) in the spring of 2000, which launched an entire cottage industry of FSD/PMD coolers and remote mounting kits. Oh, the stories I could tell... I still have that first FSD Cooler (it came with the Blazer when I re-acquired it), but chose to install a new one that Beta Machine sent to me quite a while ago now, with the instructions to install it on the wife's (now daughter's) Blazer on the intake manifold location. So, here it is... New parts!

The prior owner of the Blazer had purchased a new Stanadyne module (a black one), and kept it in a box in the center console. I chose to install that one on the new FSD Cooler along with a #4 resistor that I had on hand. The original FSD mounted to the DS4 had a #4 in it, but what's interesting is that the FSD module that was on the original Cooler (when I reacquired the Blazer) didn't have a resistor in it... The original FSD module musta been replaced sometime by the new owner, who didn't know about the resistor.

The vacuum wastegate actuator had been replaced with a TurboMaster. Not sure how the PCM works with it..., but we'll find out.

We're using a 50/50 solution of Dex-Cool and distilled water (exactly 6 gallons total) instead of the green stuff. I'm a firm believer in Dex, for the 6.2/6.5 as well as the Duramax!

While the engine was warmed up and idling I removed the oil fill cap to check for blow-by. Didn't see any, thankfully. And, after getting the air bleed valve on the thermostat outlet housing tightened down, I didn't see any drips beneath the vehicle.

Looks like injectors from reputable vendors are running about $60 bucks a pop. A little pricey nowadays... Makes me want to experiment with new Bosch nozzles for about $74 a set of 8. :eek:

Jim

arveetek

11-02-2021, 06:24

Also, the vacuum wastegate actuator had been replaced with a TurboMaster. Not sure how the PCM works with it..., but we'll find out.

I absolutely love my Turbomaster with Kennedy's TD-Max chip. Works together flawlessly and boost is consistent and smooth. With the stock programming, not so much. It would go into limp mode every time I towed.

Casey

More Power

11-02-2021, 08:19

I absolutely love my Turbomaster with Kennedy's TD-Max chip. Works together flawlessly and boost is consistent and smooth. With the stock programming, not so much. It would go into limp mode every time I towed.

Casey

As I recall, this Blazer had/has an aftermarket chip. I know when I sold it that both a Kennedy and a Heath chip went with it. I don't know which is installed now. Whichever it was, that chip was in it when it was pushed to a point of melted pistons. The melted piston was the driver's fault, not necessarily the chip's.

Robyn

11-02-2021, 09:16

Glad to see all the great progress.....

More Power

11-03-2021, 10:12

Glad to see all the great progress.....

Thanks Robyn...

https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6309&d=1635958600

I also did something during assembly that we've weighed the pros/cons about here in the forum before, regarding the 1997+ cooling system mods.

I couldn't locate a new double thermostat crossover housing - though I really didn't look too hard. But, I spent some time pondering the high-flow 130-gpm water pump, which this engine got during re-assembly, and how it would work with the single t-stat crossover. To make it work without the pressure buildup the GM cooling engineers said was possible, I installed the larger coolant bypass hose and fittings that run between the crossover and the top of the water pump, removed the bypass-blocking thermostat and then installed a non-bypass-blocking single hi-flow thermostat. That much, is the same operationally, when compared to the twin stat crossover/cooling system when the thermostat(s) are closed or only partially open.

The only negative to this arrangement is that the full benefit of high-capacity flow through the radiator will be reduced by a small amount when compared to the 1997+ systems when those twin-stats are fully open, but there shouldn't be any pressure buildup in the cooling system when compared to a double t-stat crossover. If this were a tow rig I'd have spent more time looking for a twin stat crossover, but this Blazer will likely not see much heavy towing... ;) In any case, the cooling system should be an improvement over the original by simply moving more coolant through the block/heads more or less continuously (less likely to crack heads) just like the complete 1997+ cooling system. Jim

You can read more about the 1997+ hi-capacity cooling system here:
TheDieselPage.com - 6.5L Diesel Tech - Dual Thermostats. What’s the real story? - Updated November 2018 (https://www.thedieselpage.com/features/dualstats.htm)

Robyn

11-04-2021, 05:32

Another little tid bit is to drill a 1/8" hole in the T STAT (In the plate portion)
This likely has zero effect on the water pump.

But it will allow the air to burp from the cooling system
during initial coolant fill.

Some stock Stats have a little burp valve (Little hole with a tiny valve) some don't....
Leaving the hole in the stat just assures there will not be an air lock.....

The bleeder on the housing is nice too.....The initial start will see a full cooling system without having to leave the Rad cap open during the first warm up cycle.

More Power

11-04-2021, 10:38

I think the new t-stat I installed had a formed notch that would function as an air-bleed for the system. The cooling system was pretty easy to get full, but we'll see how it looks after we start driving it.

One another subject: Injectors...

https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6310&d=1636046618

Seems diesel fuel injection vendors are transitioning away from the 6.2/6.5 injectors, which includes Kennedy. He may not be offering 6.5 injectors for much longer, if at all. I bought the above set from USDieselParts.com, a local to me vendor. About $60 each, but these are brand new injectors straight from Germany (update: made in India, see next post), so there is no core charge associated with their purchase. They don't come with copper washers or any other installation items, but all that is available from USDP as well. I bought one of their injector install kits a while back that includes an intake top piece gasket, injection pump flange gasket, 8 copper washers and a full set of hoses/plugs for the return lines - about $30 some bucks iirc.

USDP told me that they were no longer rebuilding these injectors. Combined with what JK said, I suspect the availability may not continue as we've always expected. So... if your 6.5 needs injectors, I'd not wait much longer. The cheap stuff off eBay will likely be available for some time yet, but who really knows about that stuff?

arveetek

11-04-2021, 12:38

Do your injectors state they are made in India? My "genuine" Bosch injectors have the same label as yours, shows they came from Germany, but also shows they are made in India:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51655041043_dd38d1af92_b.jpg

Casey

More Power

11-05-2021, 08:38

Do your injectors state they are made in India? My "genuine" Bosch injectors have the same label as yours, shows they came from Germany, but also shows they are made in India:

Casey

You are right, the packaging does say "made in India" :eek:. I guess I stopped looking once I saw "Germany" on the packaging... Thanks for the catch.

What's interesting is that I removed the injectors from the "spare" engine I recently acquired so I could use them for the cores (didn't need them), and saw that the sooty side of the injectors looked like they were practically new - almost no carbon buildup on any of them. Made me wonder about the sequence of events that led to that engine being pulled. I need to spend some time looking at them...

arveetek

11-05-2021, 10:04

You are right, the packaging does say "made in India" :eek:. I guess I stopped looking once I saw "Germany" on the packaging... Thanks for the catch.

I ended up purchasing my injectors from John Faddis at Quadstar Tuning for $370 plus shipping for a set of 8. I am very happy with his service and prompt shipping. I also ordered quite a few other parts from him.

I tried going through Kennedy first (always my first place to shop), but like you, was unable to source them from John. I completely forgot about US Diesel Parts (I should have looked at TDP Vendor list). I was a bit hesitant to try a new source that had such a good price, but I have been very pleased with his service so far, and it appears I did, in fact, receive genuine Bosch injectors. They were completely sealed in plastic bags inside the Bosch boxes with the same plastic caps you pictured.

Casey

More Power

11-05-2021, 13:54

https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6315&d=1636145318

Thanks again to Greg and Robyn for the front driveshaft parts. Here's what the parts look like now. Had the pros shorten it a little bit to 31-1/4" between u-joints center-to-center, install new joints, clean/lube the slip joint, precision balance and then paint it. It looks like a new piece. Happy camper! :cool:

By the way, I sent this image to my daughter a bit ago. She immediately called back! She likes nice new looking parts too!

Robyn

11-05-2021, 14:31

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.

Happy to have been able to help.

DmaxMaverick

11-05-2021, 16:56

Purdy!
My pleasure.

trbankii

11-07-2021, 16:59

Good to see it coming together!

More Power

11-15-2021, 18:20

Wish I knew how to get a 45 second video of the engine running (Apple MOV file) into a post... It's a little over 100M for some reason.

I finished the injector replacement this afternoon. In the end, it runs really well. No missing, no injector knock and no smoke - just the typical 6.5 rattle. Touching the alternator while it's idling shows it to be very smooth. I'll eventually get a TDC-Offset performed to make sure the timing is close. Sounds a little advanced now... just a little.

I had started it after replacing the 4 injectors on the driver's side. I didn't want all 8 airlocked... It started right up, and I ran it till it was as smooth as it was going to get. Apparently the leaking injector was on the passenger side, which produced a fuel knock and smoke.

https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6316&d=1637024952

The turbocharger needed to come off to make is easier for me to change the passenger side injectors. I couldn't get the injector heat shield off with the turbo in place. As usual for Murphy's law, the #8 injector was the one leaking fuel into the cylinder. The nozzle on #8 was wet when I removed it, whereas all the others were just sooty black.

After finishing the injector install I just cranked it without a prime, because I had run it after changing the other 4 injectors...

But now, it wouldn't start. So I primed it, then it would hit on the prime, then nothing. I removed the intake top, then primed each of the 8 cylinders. It would run on the prime, then stop. Did that a few times, till I replaced the NOS black PMD with a used spare PMD. It started right up and smoked a fair bit till the prime fuel was used up. Who would have guessed that NOS POS PMD would do that?

Next problem is the brakes... Pedal nearly goes to the floor. I'm guessing a master cylinder. The brake light on the dash came on a couple of weeks ago after I pressed the E-brake pedal. I haven't eliminated an e-brake switch yet...

arveetek

11-15-2021, 19:57

Who would have guessed that NOS POS PMD would do that?

NOS POS PMD... that made me chuckle! :D

Casey

More Power

11-18-2021, 13:53

One tool for the tool box IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE

15mm Gear wrench ratcheting box open end with flex head...

(https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/showthread.php?t=43423&highlight=CHANGING+GLOW+PLUGS)

You know, I bought my very first ratcheting wrenches a few weeks ago. That set had a 3/4" in the set, which would allow me to use it on my 6.5 injector socket in tight spaces. Turns out I didn't need it, but they are pretty sweet. I'll look for a set like you mentioned (includes a 15mm swivel head). I was gifted another rolling tool box a few weeks ago... Gotta have stuff to put into it now... ;)

2INSANE

11-18-2021, 20:35

Robyn

11-19-2021, 05:36

I had scoffed at the ratcheting box end wrenches as being an answer to a question that was never asked.
I was Waaaaaaay WRONG ON THAT ONE...

I bought an SAE set as well as the METRIC set (Harbor Freight ) and have put them to the test many times.....Most jobs they sit in the drawer....but when you need one for a tight spot.....Yeah buddy.....they gitterdone.

I also make it a habit of buying the odd handfuls of wrenches at garage sales for a few $$ and tossing them in a drawer.

I have a bunch of odd looking stuff the we have crafted to get at nuts and bolts that were simply not doable with conventional wrenches.

Some of the creations look like they were hatchlings from your worst nightmare.

Saves having to hack up the good tools.

The Son inlaw has an 08 Dodge 6.7 and we needed an odd wrench.....it must be a special Cummins tool......Nothing would fit in the location and work.

Heated, bent, twisted and tweaked....Welded on a handle.....Nut came off... Patience was badly distorted in the process though ....

More Power

11-19-2021, 09:15

Thanks for sharing your daughters build! It looks nice and clean like it was factory. What is the part number for the non-bypass-blocking single hi-flow thermostat that you added to the single stat? I was actually surprised to read that you went with the single instead of the dual and didn’t add more upgrades to the motor. But as a normal daily driver, I understand the lack of need for them.

Sorry, I tossed the box. That t-stat was one I have had for a long time. I used it for demo-photo work back 20 years or so.
It looks like this one: https://static.summitracing.com/global/images/prod/large/bra-330-195_w.jpg

I used Robert Shaw t-stats in our performance 6.5 builds in the past. They are a high-flow design.

If this Blazer was being put together to tow, I would have installed the twin stat crossover, but it's not, so a compromise was made that shouldn't affect the engine. Daughter plans to use it to commute occasionally when the weather is snowy, camp occasionally in the summer, and carry a kayak on its roof rack occasionally. She has a car that gets 2x the fuel economy, so... This way it stays in the family.

More Power

11-19-2021, 09:28

I had scoffed at the ratcheting box end wrenches as being an answer to a question that was never asked.
I was Waaaaaaay WRONG ON THAT ONE...

I bought an SAE set as well as the METRIC set (Harbor Freight ) and have put them to the test many times.....Most jobs they sit in the drawer....but when you need one for a tight spot.....Yeah buddy.....they gitterdone... clip

I like having tools! A lot of my stuff is the Craftsman brand - going back 10-30+ years. I've found the quality of many of the Harbor Freight tools is quite good - easily comparable. I now have a bunch of their wrenches. However, I recently bought a HF metric tap/die set... Got it to refresh the fasteners for the 6.5 project. But the quality was so awful that it was unusable, so I made do with my smaller Craftsman set. I need to take my reading glasses with me when buying stuff. :eek:

Robyn

11-19-2021, 10:09

Taps and dies need to be made of "High speed steel" (Not meaning fast)
The high carbon steel stuff that most hardware stores and HF sell are junk.

High speed steel, cobalt and carbide are the real deal.
I have a few cobalt....a couple carbide taps....all the rest are high speed steel.

These cost a lot more than the hardware store high carbon stuff.

High speed is the standard for more industrial machining.....Get into aircraft or exotic metals....then comes cobalt and carbide tooling...$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

A high carbon tap can possibly CLEAN UP a dirty thread....MAYBE....

I have had to dig broken ones out....SO I DO NOT USE THEM....

AVOID THE TiN (Titanium Nitride.....Gold colored)

These are simply TiN coated high carbon steel.....MORE JUNK
Same goes for TiN coated drill bits.......

High speed steel.....GOOD STUFF...OR COBALT if the going gets tough.....then beyond that comes carbide.....

HF screw drivers are junk....Same for the drills....band saw blades are junk too...

Their power tools are pretty decent.
Wrenches are good.

I bought an air compressor from HF after my 30 plus year old unit came apart one day...

It started sounding odd....By the time I got into the shop it was shedding pieces...BIG ONES...

More Power

11-22-2021, 10:11

Anyone know what that wire is for at the top of the rear hatch lift strut? It had apparently been broken off for quite some time. The driver's side strut has an identical broken wire, and there is a matching wire (not broken) on the opposite end (bottom end) of each strut. The rear wiper works just fine, and the electric rear gate unlatch works fine too.

There is a dash control for a rear defog, but the glass doesn't have the typical embedded heat element...

By the way, we installed the new front driveshaft on Sunday, then took it for a drive around our property in 4WD. Seems to work great! Just gotta get the brakes fixed (pedal goes almost to the floor and doesn't pump up)... will be getting a new master cylinder this week (an ACDelco unit from Amazon). Hope that's it. :p

DmaxMaverick

11-22-2021, 11:25

More Power

11-22-2021, 11:31

Their power tools are pretty decent.
Wrenches are good.

I bought an air compressor from HF after my 30 plus year old unit came apart one day...

It started sounding odd....By the time I got into the shop it was shedding pieces...BIG ONES...

https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6322&d=1637605337

I bought one of their decent power compound sliding miter saws earlier this year - I have a cabinet type project to complete. The saw is easy to set up and the quality seems to be pretty good - certainly adequate for anything I'll need. It makes nice true cuts - I like it. Wish it was made in North America, but not much of anything is anymore...

More Power

11-22-2021, 11:56

The rear glass may have been replaced on the cheap, omitting the heater grid, or it may not have been available at the time of replacement. Other connectors may be for closure switch, power lock, or lighting (CHMSL, courtesy, license plate). My 2001 has a wire/connector at each end of the rear glass for the heater, which seems silly (should be a single harness and connector, but they didn't ask me). I also replaced the HVAC control head to add the "Rear" option for heated mirrors. Mine wasn't originally equipped with rear defog or heated mirrors. When I replaced the rear glass years later, I added the defog option (the harness connectors were there). The GMT-400 models may be similar, in that the HVAC control can be swapped with or without the "Rear" option. It's possible your control was replaced with the option, never having the rear defog glass option.

The Center High Mounted Stop Light is there and works as advertised.

It seems odd to me that the struts themselves would be used as part of an electrical circuit - since both ends of each strut has an electrical connector like the one shown in the photo. Everything appears to work except for the rear defog, but there is no grid in the glass and no lose connections anywhere that would connect to a glass grid heater. Unless there's a duct that takes defroster air to the rear... I agree with you... till I learn otherwise, that the switch on the dash may have been swapped in when the option wasn't in the vehicle. Maybe I could check the RPO codes in the glove box...

DmaxMaverick

11-22-2021, 13:52

It's for rear defog, whether the glass is right or not. Many replacement parts specify it. I think it's likely the rear glass has been replaced without the heater grid option. When I replaced the rear glass on my 2001 the price was the same for either, but it may have been significantly different for the Blazer glass, or it could have been an availability vs. necessity issue.

Robyn

11-22-2021, 15:03

I have the same type of saw....Earlier one ....Mine is not the Bauer brand....
I think mine is the Chicago Electric

Been a great saw...

They are all copies of the various name brand saws.

Buddy of mine who is a carpentry contractor stocks his work Vans with HF tools.

Only his long time workers get the good stuff.

If the person takes good care of the cheap crap....then they will move up to a newer van and better tools.

I used mine when I installed the Pergo floor in the dining room/living room.
Great for cutting the moldings at the floor.

I have used it for a few other jobs...Son in law borrowed it a few times until missy bought him one for Christmas.

I tried one of the 18 volt drills.....Garbage.....I also have a Ryobi ONE PLUS batch of tools...and some Rigid 18 volt stuff

Bought a huge bag of Ryobi one plus tools at a garage sale CHEAP...... Did not even look like they had been used.

I think I have accumulated 3 of the little small circular saws....

Got at least 5 or six chargers for the LI batteries.

The 18 volt 1/2" impact wrenches are so so.....Good for driving lag bolts and some stuff.

I used mine a lot on the cat....Easy to run down bolts and such....

Can't beat air tools.
I have a 1/2" HF air impact that just won't die....Secret....Keep oil in them...

I used my 3/8 right angle air wrench on the rear diffy job on the van this weekend.....

Harbor Freight....A toy store for grown ups.

More Power

11-29-2021, 11:07

The Blazer was made legal so it can be driven on the street. The woman at the DMV couldn't understand, at first, why it hadn't been licensed since 2009... ;)

I also got the brakes sorted out, so it's safe - for now. Then I took it out on the highway for a real test... I found that the Turbomaster is set to produce a max of 12-psi of boost pressure, and it'll stay there for as long as you're into the acc pedal. No codes popped up, so the programming must be OK with it. That may have been part of the problem with melted pistons... the GM-4 turbocharger really needs an intercooler when pushed to 12-psi (the GM-series of turbos are not that efficient past about 7-psi - the boosted air gets hotter), and combined with more fueling than stock. Runs great though. All of the gauges work correctly and there are no warning lights on the dash.

Robyn

11-29-2021, 12:19

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.

Good to hear.....

I think I would back the TM off a bit and get it down to about 8 psi.

That should keep the kid from having any issues.....

More Power

12-03-2021, 20:29

Well, with most of the mechanical issues dealt with, it was time to drive it! Here, daughter is behind the wheel on one of our secondary roads, though she had it up to 75 on a 4-lane highway near here. The 6.5 does a great job!

https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6333&d=1638588347

We even took the Blazer out for a drive later that night, to do a little night driving. All of the lights work. ;)

Robyn

12-04-2021, 05:40

Absolutely Marvelous

So happy to see the rig back doing what it was meant to do.
I am certain that your daughter is tickled pink too....Especially after having her hands in the job.....

Dr. Lee

12-05-2021, 18:57

Good work by you and your daughter. Almost typed her name, but perhaps she likes a low profile.

Gauge pods on the A-pillar is a nice touch.

More Power

12-24-2021, 10:34

Sarah, my daughter is here for a few days... Christmas and all. She got a few gifts for her Blazer... I'll be showing you all some of them soon, because I like them and had planned on getting them for myself... ;) Husky Liner floor mats are one such item. I'd looked for these quite some time ago, but couldn't find them, even their web site didn't list them. But, I finally found a retailer that had their mats for the GMT-400 trucks, which are designed just like those I've had for my 2001 GMC for nearly 20 years. I love them. They trap water (and slushy snow soaked with road de-icer) before it can run onto the carpet. I also got her a set of mud flaps from Husky Liner as well. These are molded to fit the contour of the GMT-400 front fender flairs. They look great, better than the flat slabs I've used before... I'll show these items in an upcoming piece. And I got her some repair/replace items and a couple other parts. Who'd a guessed a girl would be fun to shop for? (Actually, she's always gotten guy type gifts from me in past years.) She's happy!

Merry Christmas All...

Robyn

12-24-2021, 12:26

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet....Just does not get much better than this....

More Power

01-25-2022, 16:30

Was a beautiful day today... for the last week in January, so I thought I'd take daughter's Blazer out for a little run.

https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6413&d=1643152180

It hadn't been started for well over a month, but it fired right up. Daughter hasn't taken it home yet because there are some upgrades we need to complete... Steps... Mudflaps... and the planned bed-liner application on the rockers, grille, fender flares, mirrors, etc. plus drive it enough around here to make sure its reliable. I'd also like to replace some of the steering/suspension parts to tighten up the handling. All this is more of a spring project... hopefully.

Over Christmas, we installed new Husky Liner floor mats (front and rear) and new rear hatch struts.

arveetek

01-25-2022, 20:51

Looking good, Jim!!

Can't wait to get mine back on the road. I currently have the transmission out, getting ready to swap in a new torque converter (again). Third time's a charm, right?

Casey

Robyn

01-26-2022, 05:30

arveetek

01-26-2022, 06:51

Casey......Check the new converter and make real sure it runs true before you stuff it in....

Any suggestions on how to do that?

Casey

Robyn

01-26-2022, 07:17

If you can get access to a lathe that can swing the converter (A 3 jaw chuck)

Insert the hub (Part that goes into the trans) into the chuck and gently snug the jaws.
Rotate the converter and check the pilot for runout (.001-.004 max) (Pilot goes into the crank shaft)
Also check for runout at the pads where the converter bolts to the flex plate.

Generally the pilot does not wear or get replaced....so a look see at the pilot for runout should do fine.

The hub can get worn badly, hence the reason they get replaced.....

Having been through this same debacle a few times.....I will never replace a converter without checking them for runout....

arveetek

01-26-2022, 12:45

More Power

01-26-2022, 13:55

Looks Good Jim

I always wanted a 2 door Blazer/Tahoe...but could never find a diesel.....at least not in acceptable condition....They were either total roaches or waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too $$$$$$$$$$$$...clip.

I haven't seen a 2-door diesel Blazer/Tahoe on the highway in years. They have always been rare - now even more so because of the time involved. Twist of fate, maybe... but, the engine failure may have actually extended this one's life. If the engine hadn't failed, I doubt I would have gotten it back. Plus, sitting for about 12 years - mostly in a garage, extended its life too. There's no body rust, and it had been taken care of pretty well by its previous owner, as evidenced by the sometimes excessive accumulation of grease around every grease fitting. The sticker on the windshield showed just a few miles had passed since it had been serviced. It's a peach.

At 187K miles, there's a little play in the steering wheel, so it'll likely get new tie rods, idler and Pittman arm this spring. I'll be doing this for Lil Red too, so it'll be a party... :p

Still fussing over good looking steps... Can't find any we like that are made for the GMT-400 trucks, including ones like those I put on our 6.5TD Project truck back in 1999 - which I really liked. I did find a new design that looks tough, but they don't make them for the older rigs...
https://www.carid.com/raptor-series/magnum-rt-series-black-side-steps-mpn-rts46jp.html#specifications

I'll have to modify them to get them mounted... but... I did get a welder for Christmas... :)

More Power

01-26-2022, 14:08

Thanks for the info! Unfortunately, I don't know anybody with that kind of equipment. I've already started filling the new converter with fluid. I guess I'll cross my fingers and toss her in and hope for the best!

Casey

I've been watching the board for the return of your Tahoe. You know, other than paying attention to the stall speed of the TC, I've not worried about them. Keep us posted on progress.

Robyn

01-26-2022, 18:12

That raptor is a nice looking board

Casey.
Is the new converter from the same rebuilder ???

arveetek

01-28-2022, 12:23

Casey.
Is the new converter from the same rebuilder ???

Yes it is. He has been good to work with; hoping this is a good one.

Casey

arveetek

01-28-2022, 12:26

6.5L diesel GMT400 2 doors have gotten crazy expensive recently (like everything else). Here is one that just sold at auction for $17,000!!

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51848653729_f0a2e5e3b2_c.jpg

I spoke to another gentleman recently who drove many hours to purchase one for $13,000. I saw another one listed for sale, and the asking price was $18,000. I guess my $4,900 investment 17 years ago wasn't too bad! Even with the $5,000 I've dropped on her lately, I'm still sitting in good shape, compared to these prices.

Casey

arveetek

01-28-2022, 12:33

Still fussing over good looking steps... Can't find any we like that are made for the GMT-400 trucks, including ones like those I put on our 6.5TD Project truck back in 1999 - which I really liked. I did find a new design that looks tough, but they don't make them for the older rigs...
https://www.carid.com/raptor-series/magnum-rt-series-black-side-steps-mpn-rts46jp.html#specifications

I'll have to modify them to get them mounted... but... I did get a welder for Christmas... :)

I purchased these from Amazon a couple of years ago:

APS iBoard 4" running boards (https://www.amazon.com/APS-Running-Compatible-1988-1998-Regular/dp/B00SLKSMH4/ref=sr_1_54?crid=39T96QXCTSJ3H&keywords=1995+chevy+tahoe+steps&qid=1643398158&sprefix=1995+chevy+tahoe+steps%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-54)

Mounted on my Tahoe:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51413557221_8a8a4bf48e_b.jpg

They are low-key, blend in well, and are very easy to remove (two bolts on each side) whenever I need clearance when off-road. I only wish I went with the 6" version, as the 4" looks a bit small.

Casey

Robyn

01-28-2022, 12:51

Everything is outtasight.

I used to be able to buy used pellet stoves for $100 to $250 clean them up and make some repairs and a fresh paint job....And sell them for $1000 easily

Now absolute junk is being advertised for $800 to $1000 ......"Does not work" $750 was one I looked at on Craig's list recently......
A new Harman pellet stove will cost ya $5K

Everything is off in the ozones......

56pan

01-29-2022, 01:55

Yukon6.2

01-29-2022, 10:01

There is a gas version selling local for $7500
from the pic's it looks clean
Anyone want it?
i would help in any way i could other than supplying the $$$

More Power

01-31-2022, 13:35

Well... thanks for everyone's input, but we've made a decision. The above image shows the steps on a 2-door Jeep. I'll need to modify the mounting brackets for the Blazer, but the steps themselves won't require any mods.

The steps will appear more "tucked-in" than this image shows because the pinch-weld seam, where one part of the mounting brackets are bolted to, is farther beneath the Blazer's rocker. Not much of the long horizontal surface will show when mounted on the Blazer.

I saw online where the company that makes these also offers them in stainless steel. Might be a good choice for the newer trucks that spend time on the northern winter roads. Unfortunately, they only make steps for the trucks produced since 2008. Like the Blazer, brackets for those too could be made/modified for the older trucks, but we wanted black to help with the theme we're going for.

More Power

01-31-2022, 14:55

... my Blazer (Tahoe):

Mine originally came with a set of factory running boards/fender flare combos, but I swapped them out for the black fender flares.
Casey

Casey,

Just curious, did you drill holes in the front fenders to mount the factory fender flares? I'd like to install these flares to Lil Red. Thx

arveetek

01-31-2022, 15:05

Casey,

Just curious, did you drill holes in the front fenders to mount the factory fender flares? I'd like to install these flares to Lil Red. Thx

I used self-tapping screws. I installed the flares, then removed the screws, put silicone in each hole, and then reinstalled them. If you're not careful, mounting the flares can cause rust issues.

Casey

More Power

01-31-2022, 15:32

It's entirely subjective, but the GMT400 trucks are the nicest looking ones GM ever produced. My '93 is the last year of mech. injection on the 6.5 and bone simple. Just got a paint job. I'll keep it until they plant me.

I had an industry guy tell me once that the GMT-400 was the most well put together design GM had ever produced. I tend to agree.

There's a late 1990's HD 1500 6.5 Suburban (8-lug wheels and fender flares) that I've seen a few times in town since about mid summer last year. It's absolutely gorgeous - and red... I saw it just this morning in the grocery store parking lot.

A neighbor just up the road from me owns a late 1990's two-tone red/silver 6.5TD K1500 extended cab that I only ever see occasionally. It too is gorgeous. I spoke to him last month, and he said he's having some trouble with the turbocharger... I suspect the engine is throwing a wastegate code (likely needs a new wastegate solenoid or it has a vacuum problem). I'll help him with it before long.

More Power

02-01-2022, 16:27

6.5L diesel GMT400 2 doors have gotten crazy expensive recently (like everything else). Here is one that just sold at auction for $17,000!!
...clip...
I spoke to another gentleman recently who drove many hours to purchase one for $13,000. I saw another one listed for sale, and the asking price was $18,000. I guess my $4,900 investment 17 years ago wasn't too bad! Even with the $5,000 I've dropped on her lately, I'm still sitting in good shape, compared to these prices.

Casey

Those are crazy prices! But it is cool how the prices have held up.

trbankii

02-06-2022, 13:53

I haven't seen a 2-door diesel Blazer/Tahoe on the highway in years.

I haven't seen any other diesel ones around here, but there are at least two 2-door gas models around town.

More Power

04-27-2022, 09:42

Daughter and I changed out the driver side window regulator last Sunday. It had been extremely gritchy, stopping partway up/down... Now, the window goes up/down just like a new one! Not fun to change... Next one would be a lot easier... ;)

The Blazer sat in our garage this past winter, so there weren't a lot of miles put on it.... maybe 200-300. She wanted to get the steps installed and have the Herculiner coating added to below the belt-line (and on the fender flairs, first 6" of the hood and blackout the grille) before using it too much. Still starts and runs great, though it may have a bad glow plug. It starts instantly, even after sitting for a month, but there's a brief period of white smoke/roughness that quickly goes away. I ohmed each of the glow plugs before installing them, but I didn't do a hot test of each one (actually see each one light up). Note to self...

Robyn

04-27-2022, 11:45

Good deal.

Glad all is well....

arveetek

04-27-2022, 11:54

You better catch up! You got yours running before mine, and I'm already at 3K miles on mine! :D

Casey

More Power

06-24-2022, 10:47

Went camping/kayaking with daughter and Blazer this week. Montana is beautiful this time of year.

https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6580&d=1656092194

This is a small FWP (Fish, Wildlife & Parks) state run (public) developed campground with just 5 camping sites (and a clean restroom facility), at a small lake called "Upsata" here in western Montana - which is near a small town called Ovando. There are Grizzly bears in those distant mountains. :eek:

https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6579&d=1656092164

Was calm and serene, and we had the lake to ourselves. The lake has catch/release Largemouth Bass up to at least 4-1/2 lbs, Northern Pike (heard that there's a really big one in the lake) and small Perch (that's why there's catch/release Bass - thin the population). We didn't catch much, but that wasn't really our mission here. Time spent with family is the most important thing... :)

Robyn

06-24-2022, 11:56

Sweeeeeeeeet..

Thank you for sharing....Looks like a lot of "Just having a great time" :D

Yukon6.2

06-25-2022, 07:26

What an awesome time
Glad that you can enjoy the time with your daughter.
Big Truck wheel fire pit,I'll bet that rim could tell some stories.

arveetek

07-09-2022, 10:07

Nice!!!

Casey

More Power

07-15-2022, 13:01

One tool for the tool box IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE

15mm Gear wrench ratcheting box open end with flex head... clip

(https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/showthread.php?t=43423&highlight=CHANGING+GLOW+PLUGS)

Thx... Took your advice! Who doesn't like more tools! These are so slick... I bought a set in SAE too - both from Harbor Freight. Says "Pro" right on them, so they have to be the good stuff!

https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6609&d=1657915086

56pan

07-15-2022, 16:44

"I bought a set in SAE too - both from Harbor Freight. Says "Pro" right on them, so they have to be the good stuff!" This was supposed to be a joke, right?

More Power

07-18-2022, 09:56

"I bought a set in SAE too - both from Harbor Freight. Says "Pro" right on them, so they have to be the good stuff!" This was supposed to be a joke, right?

Of course... They are actually pretty good tools though. ;)

Robyn

07-18-2022, 11:48

More Power

07-19-2022, 09:12

I have both the SAE and Metric sets......Been trying to find a reason NOT TO LIKE THEM...TRIED TO BREAK ONE.....They are good wrenches....The flex head units are the Catsazz....Getting the top two bell housing bolts off of a 6.5 yesssssssssssssssss...the 15mm will gitterdone right nicely

I have several tools from the Harbor....ALL GOOD...I will NOT buy their screw drivers....

I have two sets of impact sockets that I bought from them back when they were mail order only and it was HARBOR FREIGHT SALVAGE....

I have beat these sockets without mercy....they are still holding up after 40 years...

I only buy my impact tools from the Harbor.....Beat them until they puke and then go get another one.....

I have had the big name brand stuff....Not worth the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$....

I watched a Youtube video a couple of months ago about these HF flex head ratchet wrenches, only they tested the larger versions - a couple of them to destruction. They could take way more torque than anyone would ever attempt to put on them... For example, the 15mm went to 225 ft-lbs before it bent the shank of the wrench. Normally, a 15mm hex fastener is torqued to 37 ft-lbs.

Robyn

07-20-2022, 06:46

A LITTLE SIDE STORY ABOUT TORQUE ON WRENCHES......

YEARS AGO.....
I was working on a D9 Cat dozer for a fella and we had a large nut in the track frame assembly (Too many years ago to be specific) It was in the large 3" plus size

The nut was being stubborn .....WE HAD A 1" DRIVE BAR ON IT AND A CHUNK OF PIPE ABOUT 4 FEET LONG WITH A LOOP ON THE END......

Two of us reefing on that bad boy could not budge it....

Then someone we all know well ;) got the grand idea of hooking the Truck to the loop on the bar and giving it a go.....

The truck went Ommmmmph....The bar flexed a lot and the socket went BANG....Pieces flew....
We scrounged up most of the carnage .....Hmmmm NAPA lifetime guarantee.....
Took it back to the NAPA store.....Fella stared at the broken pieces...."I do not want to know what the !@#$ you were doing when this let go"

The socket was replaced....The nut succumb to the persuasion of the HOT WRENCH....

Anything can be destroyed with a little bit too much help....

Yup..The HF wrenches are pretty good stuff....

DieselDavy

07-21-2022, 19:00

I've been using more and more HF stuff over the years. They've really improved the quality and most of the stuff I've purchased has more than met my expectations.

Robyn

07-22-2022, 05:57

Yesssss.

HF has stepped into the front row as far as most of their tools go.
Here a year or so ago my air compressor started making a strange noise.....by the time I got over to it ....it was shedding pieces...

I grabbed an upright unit from HF....I wanted a 240 Volt.....But the stores close by did not have any in stock.....Soooo...needing a compressor NOW I grabbed the 120 volt 29 gallon unit they had...

Been great....Much quieter than my old unit........

The pump is not as big (CFM) but the large tank sort of makes up for it....

The things I have stayed away from are screw drivers and band saw blades....

I recently bought a hand held band saw for the project.....Works great....

A few years back I was doing a bit of Home improvement and needed a Double miter saw and grabbed the 12" from HF.....One Bad Azz unit.....

The only thing I say about many of their power tools.....TREAT THEM WITH RESPECT AND CARE and they will gitterdone and last.

Many of the adjustment handles are plastic...and if ya get rough with them.....They could break.....

At the time I got the saw ...the portable tables for the saws were absolute garbage.....

I picked up a tubular type folding unit for the Miter saw from Lowes......It was their store brand.....Been sweet...

HF has definitely improved over the years.....Their prices have stepped up too......$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

One thing about HF...THEY ARE A ONE SHOP STOP FOR TOOLS.....
I recently replaced my ancient Airco Oxy Acet. Torch rig.....The gauges were very old and the diaphragm broke on the Oxy side.....

Grabbed a complete set from HF.... My old set was Airco....The HF stuff uses the VICTOR style tips......
I have a lot of each style that have accumulated over the years....No worries....

Are these industrial grade NO....But they work fine for the small shop.....

My old stuff was from the 1950's and just used up.....I was going to get them rebuilt.....Waaaaaay too $$$$$$$$$$$$

I did keep my old Airco cutting torch.....A beast....

I really would like to have a track turtle.....But these are just too spendy and the times I need one are seldom.....

Ahhhh yesss....Tools.....can't have too many.

Garage sales yield some great finds from time to time.
Buckets of used tools can be had dirt cheap....Always good to have extra stuff to hack up and make that special tool to get at a bolt or nut that is nearly impossible to reach.....

trbankii

07-23-2022, 07:07

HF has definitely been stepping up their game lately. They still have some absolute junk, but that seems to be the trend everywhere depending on what you're looking at.

Their tool storage in particular is very nice. I recently upgraded to one of their 56" roller bases. For the money, it's really nice. Is it as nice as a similar Snap-On cabinet? No. Certainly not. But considering that it is a quarter (at least) of the price of the Snap-On cabinet, I'd say that it is much better than a quarter of the quality of the Snap-On - and more than enough to suit my needs.

More Power

07-26-2022, 08:58

...I recently upgraded to one of their 56" roller bases. For the money, it's really nice. Is it as nice as a similar Snap-On cabinet? No. Certainly not. But considering that it is a quarter (at least) of the price of the Snap-On cabinet, I'd say that it is much better than a quarter of the quality of the Snap-On - and more than enough to suit my needs.

I got one of their roller bases/tool chest for Christmas last year. It's as good as what I bought 25 years ago from Sears. Rolls nice...

Robyn

07-27-2022, 05:26

IMHO.....For what ever it's worth....Snap-On are good tools.....Highly over rated and waaaaay over priced.

I have a selection of Snap-On tools that I have picked up at garage sales over the years.....
All good stuff....And far less expensive after someone else used them for a few years.

The various RollAway boxes that HF offers are pretty good stuff.....Again.....ITS A TOOL BOX NOT a Concourse d' Elegance ready show car...

Granted....The big name boxes are nice....BUT the tariff on those bad boys is steep.

A few years ago i grabbed a big double wide double stack NAPA rollaway at the local store..

Kids unloading the box with a fork lift managed to put a dent in one end....The Boss was Livid..
I was just getting there when that happened....I looked at the dent....SMALL DENT
Told the boss....Make me a deal and I will take it....He sold it to me at cost and everybody was happy.....DENT is still there too....Box is jammed chuck full of tools and is doing fine....

Bought a Husky double stack at the Depot ..Has a scratch on one end.....The crew carved the cardboard box off with a hooked box knife....SCRAAAAAAPE.....Manager made me a super deal on it....Again...full of stuff....Still works perfect.

I often wonder if the mechanic with a "Show Piece" tool box, filled with the fancy big name tools is trying to make a fashion statement ????? Or ???? The big $$$$ spent on the tool box and it's contents likely not going to gitterdone any better than the Box and tools that cost half the $$$$$

Yesssssssssss...Some tools are a bit better....Top name screw drivers are usually better.....

After they get used for a pry bar and clubbed with a hammer a few time....all bets are off on any brand.....

Last summer I was tearing apart one of the tracks on the Snow cat...I needed an 11/16" 6 point box end wrench that would fit in the grouser so I could get the bolts out....

GEARWRENCH (Brand) had what was needed.....Great stuff....Good tool....I bought several of the 11/16" 6 point wrenches figuring they would get destroyed.....After one entire track was apart.....Wrench in great shape.......

The bolts are 7/16" grade 8 fine thread with the crimped head style locking nuts.....And RUSTED.....Stick the wrench down in the grouser, clamp with a vice tong and then hit the bolt with the 3/4" drive impact and beat on these bad boys.

Gearwrench....good stuff.

JohnC

07-28-2022, 08:28

There's Snap-on and Harbor Freight. Pretty much everything else is Danaher.

30-40 years ago I bought a lot of Kobalt tools from Lowes. Rumor was they were made by Snap-on. Who knows. Today, Lowes sells Kobalt and Craftsman.

More Power

07-28-2022, 08:56

Years ago I bought a great engine hoist from Costco. Still works perfectly, and have R&R'ed quite a few engines with it in the 23 years since I bought it (quite a few for me anyway.. ;) ), and I've loaned it out a couple of times. I also bought an HD floor jack from Costco around the same time... It's awful. Way too heavy, hard to work the open/close valve and it leaks down over 10-15 minutes, so I have to re-jack unless I'm fast - like when changing/rotating tires. Thinking about one of HF's HD floor jacks with better, easier to use features...

More Power

08-01-2022, 11:29

Daughter and I went camping/kayaking this past weekend. This time to a high mountain lake about 30 miles from a small town called Wisdom, MT. This photo was snapped just after arriving at the campground. Nice campground! There were 17 developed spaces which shared 3 separate nicely kept restroom facilities. Cost was $7/day. The 12 mile gravel road going in is very rough though. Not a good place to go with a large RV or RV trailer. I hadn't been there in over a decade, and was surprised at the how the campground had grown. The CG was filled by Friday evening.

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/BH-Blazer-01.jpg

We got there about mid afternoon, so decided to just set up camp and not fish. Without a fish to fry we harvested what's called a Ball Park tube steak. Went well with the fried potatoes!

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/BH-Blazer-06.jpg

Sarah snapped the following sunset photo that first evening.

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/BH-Blazer-02.jpg

The mountains in the background comprise a portion of the Continental Divide, with Idaho just over those mountains.

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/BH-Blazer-03.jpg

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/BH-Blazer-04.jpg

We did manage to catch a few fish. Here, I netted a Lake Trout that Sarah coaxed into biting her Mepps spinner. We caught a couple more Cutthroat Trout in the 14-16" range not long after this fish was netted. Needed a boat to catch fish... They were near the center of the lake in deeper water. Note to self... When getting a bite, don't set the hook too aggressively - while sitting in a kayak... :eek: It was close..

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/BH-Blazer-05.jpg

The 6.5 now has about 1100 miles on it since the rebuild. It runs great, starts great, and powers up the hills without a problem. This is what the oil looks like after 1100 miles. None has been added since the initial fill.

We had a great time. Met some nice people and swatted a few mosquitoes.
Jim

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/BH-Dipstick-01.jpg

Robyn

08-01-2022, 14:02

Looks great.....And a fun trip too

DieselDavy

08-01-2022, 19:15

That sounds like one of those well kept secret places we all look for!
Glad you had such a good time Jim!
d

Yukon6.2

08-03-2022, 09:52

I do have patience...
Thank You for the link.

arveetek

08-03-2022, 11:38

The 6.5 now has about 1100 miles on it since the rebuild. It runs great, starts great, and powers up the hills without a problem. This is what the oil looks like after 1100 miles. None has been added since the initial fill.

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/BH-Dipstick-01.jpg

You got your engine back on the road before I did, but I've got you beat in miles and oil changes! I just changed the oil this past Saturday for the 3rd time, and have around 7000 miles on my new engine. I changed the oil at 700 miles, and then around 3500 and again at near 7000.

Of course, my rig is a daily driver, with a 45 mile round trip to work each day....

Casey

More Power

08-04-2022, 07:29

You got your engine back on the road before I did, but I've got you beat in miles and oil changes! I just changed the oil this past Saturday for the 3rd time, and have around 7000 miles on my new engine. I changed the oil at 700 miles, and then around 3500 and again at near 7000.

Of course, my rig is a daily driver, with a 45 mile round trip to work each day....

Casey

Yes, you got us beat in miles :( but what about camping trips? ;)

Not sure at this point though, what Sarah's plan is for the Blazer this winter. I suspect we'll change the oil soon. It would be nice to get some new tires with a better winter grip. The ones on it now have more miles left on them, but they aren't the best for icy/slick roads - a little too highway oriented...

More Power

09-01-2022, 13:43

https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6302&d=1635803011

The A/C compressor had been flopped over onto the inner fender for most of the 11+ years it sat in our garage. This kinked the large A/C hose and even caused some cracking in the rubber outer layer at the kink. I never imagined it would hold refrigerant once we tried to get the A/C working again.

Lo and behold... The system just needed a low side port cleaning (someone had squirted silicone caulking into the fitting :mad:) and then add a can of R-134a refrigerant. It's worked just fine all summer, without an apparent loss in refrigerant. You need to be either "good" or "lucky" to get by in life. Some say it's better to be lucky... ;)

Robyn

09-01-2022, 13:53

More Power

09-02-2022, 08:30

Yes indeed.....Very lucky.

Normally the system should be sucked into a low vacuum for about 30-40 minutes with an HVAC vacuum pump...Then the prescribed amount of 134A added......

The compressors used in these rigs was not a stellar unit......But if maintained they would do OK.......

They have a nasty habit of leaking at the O RING where the case goes together......

Glad to hear you got a good summers use from it......

You're right about pulling a vacuum as part of an A/C repair. We may yet need to do that. Pulling a vacuum can be important to remove any moisture in the system (air has moisture in it), which can result in icing of the orifice. This may have happened once this summer. We let it sit for 10 minutes when the system began blowing warm, then it worked fine again. The orifice is not far from the turbocharger... I have a vacuum pump... just need to get a low-side port adapter.

For anyone who doesn't know, the orifice is what separates the low pressure side of the system from the high pressure side. Refrigerant squeezing through a small hole (orifice) is cooled by the "venturi effect" to below freezing. Any moisture in the system can freeze and block the orifice.

The A/C system in Lil Red was not evacuated when I put the truck's A/C system together back in 2005. It still works great... always has. Hasn't leaked down in all this time. And... my 2001 GMC has the coldest A/C system I've seen in any vehicle. It's still running with its original refrigerant charge. I've been "lucky" with the automotive A/C systems, I guess. ;)

DmaxMaverick

09-02-2022, 14:41

Refrigeration is more simple than that. If it begins with no moisture, it will remain without moisture until contaminated. That can only happen in 2 ways. Either moisture is forced into it (contaminated refrigerant), or the system is allowed to reach negative pressure (leak down), and opened to moisture. A system that is otherwise healthy and still cycles when it shouldn't, is either low or high refrigerant, or the evaporator is icing (usually caused by low refrigerant). High refrigerant prevents the necessary pressure differential to cause sufficient refrigeration, while low refrigerant causes a too great pressure differential (more cold), making the evaporator condense air-moisture more quickly than it can shed it, causing it to ice. An old system that is simply beginning to cycle cold/warm is almost always either tired pressure switch(es), or low refrigerant. If you take it to a shop and it needs some added, their (EPA mandated) remedy is to vacuum the system, confirm no leaks, then charge it. If, over 10-20 years, it leaks down to the point it begins cycling, pulling a vacuum on the system will not likely show a leak. It's simply too small. Usually, adding only a couple/few oz. of refrigerant will have it working fine for another 10-20 years. Vacuuming a system that has never been contaminated is a waste of time and materials. This is also less environmentally friendly, despite the EPA mandate. Vacuuming a system that hasn't been open to atmosphere is just bad practice. You're more likely to cause a system to work poorly than actually fix something.

Another issue I see often is oil. If it hasn't leaked out, and you haven't removed it, don't add any. The refrigeration system volume is finite, and relatively small. Extra oil takes volume away from the refrigerant. If at any time a system is professionally serviced, the requisite amount of refrigerant is added, and it acts overfilled, they've added oil. A complete system vacuum does not remove all the oil (little, actually), and is almost always serviced by the book, adding the specified amount of oil. The result is an overfill of refrigerant, and a reduced capacity system once the refrigerant volume is corrected. If you're just "topping off" a system, such as in the above example, never get the can with oil. If your system is leaking a little oil, it's leaking a lot of refrigerant, and needs additional attention.

Robyn

09-02-2022, 15:14

Yeah....What Maverick said..

Another thing....NEVER use the leak sealer .....This stuff is nasty.....It "Cures" with air......

Most older automotive systems will eventually start to leak a bit....Either the hoses or the pump seals.....
Our little Red van AC was dead when we got it....Compressor segment seals were bad..

Added a fresh pump ....Sucked the system down to 30 inches for 30 minutes...added some 134A and it is again nice and cold......

The service ports do leak as they get older too.....especially after you open them to add some juice.....Then they refuse to seal back up....Sit there and bubble with soap applied to them.....

The Avalanche needed a little juice....Added about 2 ounces and the service port would not seal up....Had to recover the charge and then replace the Schrader valve and refill the system.....All good....Just time to do it is all....

The recovery unit is nice....Saves a lot on Refrigerant.....

More Power

09-09-2022, 09:55

More Power

10-20-2022, 14:32

Well, the Blazer has been sort of put away for the winter. We filled the fuel tank with fresh diesel fuel and pulled it into the garage. The Blazer really needs better gripping tires for winter, and the cost is a bit high. Plus, we're not sure about whether to get a set of rims just for the new winter tires if/when they come. I suggested she consider the black wheels and tires like what Casey has on his Tahoe. She likes that idea... We'll see.

So Casey... What are the details on the wheels and tires you have on your Tahoe? Thx.

arveetek

10-25-2022, 12:30

So Casey... What are the details on the wheels and tires you have on your Tahoe? Thx.

I am running BFG K02 All Terrain tires in size 285/75R16. IMHO, one of the best tires ever made. Long lasting (I got nearly 70K miles out of my last set), great grip in all weather scenarios, and they look great. The only issue is the price has gotten a bit high as of late, so if I were replacing tires today, I would take a hard look at any of the many hybrid tires available (basically a cross between the All Terrain and Mud Terrain styles).

The 33" tires fit my stock rig, but I did crank the front torsion bars just a little and had to trim the lower plastic air dam a bit to keep from rubbing.

As for the wheels, those are OEM "Steely" Toyota rims! A buddy of mine is a Toyota aficionado and sold me the rims many years ago. I understand they are actually kind of hard to get, but I have a complete set of 5 so even the spare matches. Same bolt pattern as Chevy 6 lug, but they are not hub centric. They were originally painted gunmetal gray, but since they were scuffed up pretty bad, I painted them flat black. Recently I painted a metallic silver lip around the edge to dress them up.

Casey

More Power

10-27-2022, 11:35

Thanks Casey. Do you know the rim width and any details on backspacing? Thx

arveetek

10-27-2022, 11:53

Thanks Casey. Do you know the rim width and any details on backspacing? Thx

I believe they are 7" wide, but I don't know what the backspacing is, sorry.

Casey

More Power

10-28-2022, 10:55

Just an update concerning my opinion/observations about the Fluidampr that I installed as part of this engine build.

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/Damper-sm.jpg

This damper sat in my shop for about 20 years. It had originally been used for a photo prop - for an article I wrote about 6.5 harmonic dampers. This one had never been installed on an engine. Originally a sharp looking black in color, it had faded to an olive green. Odd, but it didn't affect it otherwise. There are no rubber components that could deteriorate over time.

My observations... The engine is very smooth running. Watching the outer edges of the damper while the engine idles shows it to spin perfectly. There is no visible wobble, even in the slightest. The rubber isolated front crank pulley (that bolts to the front of the damper) also spins with very little in the way of wobbles. As a result, the serpentine belt runs smoothly as well. Usually, the belt on a typical engine will do some amount of flapping and the belt tensioner can be seen to hunt back and forth in step with the idling engine. The Fluidampr appears to help the engine/serpentine system to be pretty smooth. That's all I got... ;) I'm happy with it.

arveetek

10-28-2022, 14:18

My observations... The engine is very smooth running. Watching the outer edges of the damper while the engine idles shows it to spin perfectly. There is no visible wobble, even in the slightest. The rubber isolated front crank pulley spins with very little in the way of wobbles. As a result, the serpentine belt runs very smoothly as well. Usually, the belt on a typical engine will do some amount of flapping and the belt tensioner can be seen to hunt back and forth in step with the idling engine. The Fluidampr appears help the engine/serpentine system to be pretty smooth. That's all I got... ;) I'm happy with it.

I have heard nothing but good results with the Fluidamper. I really wanted to use one on my engine build, but my budget was already way overstretched, and I had recently replaced the balancer with a new OEM GM balancer not long before the engine gave out, so I simply reused it.

Casey

arveetek

10-29-2022, 17:02

Thanks Casey. Do you know the rim width and any details on backspacing? Thx

I was doing some maintenance today and had a wheel off; they are actually 8" wide with 4.75" backspacing.

Casey

More Power

11-01-2022, 09:46

I was doing some maintenance today and had a wheel off; they are actually 8" wide with 4.75" backspacing.

Casey

Thanks Casey!

More Power

02-14-2023, 11:06

https://thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/Blazer-2-13-2023-sm.jpg

Last Sunday was the Blazer's first drive in 2023! It had been 5 months since the last start. I had plugged in the block heater for a couple of hours prior to starting... It started as quickly as if it had been driven that morning... I was amazed... Daughter's coming over this weekend, so I'm hoping we can do a couple of things while she's here.

The batteries had been on an auto trickle charger for some weeks prior. In fact, I rotate the charger around all of the batteries in the garage... motorcycle, Lil Red, and lawn mower. Each one gets the charger a couple times during the winter. Seems to help. Jim

a5150nut

02-14-2023, 15:35

Those trickle chargers are nice. Had a boat in our shop and someone left the key on but not running. Battery was dead dead. Tried a small charger and it wouldn't even see the battery. Put a trickle charger on it for a few days then the regular battery charger would work.

More Power

03-02-2023, 14:29

My daughter is already anticipating some camping excursions this year, once the snow melts... She wanted a more upscale awning system that what we used last year... using a tarp and some PVC lift poles. The solution she chose was the OzTent Foxwing 270 degree Awning.

She and I got it installed a couple of days ago, and then set it up to see if it would work well for the Blazer. Aside from needing a set of Harbor Freight's roof rack crossbars, it went on pretty easily. It sets up super fast, and stows conveniently in its own roof rack enclosure, and takes up very little space on the roof rack. Then, a zippered case on the side of the roof rack system makes it safe. To deploy, unzip the case, then walk the 270 degree awning around the vehicle. Set up the poles to the height you want, then add rope tie-downs if necessary. Easy, just a few minutes... We also bought 2 sets of kayak roof rack mounts to make them safe and secure while traveling. We'll have pics of the full load later this spring.

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer-Foxwing-02-sm.jpg

You can also see more info at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/OzTent-Foxwing-Awning-II/dp/B07S5RDCMF/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Foxwing+Awning&qid=1677791394&sr=8-2

arveetek

03-03-2023, 09:14

Those 270* awnings are pretty sweet. We sell some off-road campers at my work that come equipped with those. It's impressive how much shade they provide.

Casey

More Power

03-08-2023, 12:51

Those 270* awnings are pretty sweet. We sell some off-road campers at my work that come equipped with those. It's impressive how much shade they provide.

Casey

Sarah has been talking about a smallish towable for her Blazer. Do you guys have brochures? ;)

arveetek

03-12-2023, 19:59

Sorry for the late response! My wife and I have been in Colorado all week. She had a work conference in Colorado Springs, and then we extended the trip a bit to celebrate our 20th anniversary a few months early. We went snowmobiling for the first time up Cottonwood Pass... what an awesome experience!

Anyway, yes we have brochures, but here's a link to the smallish trailers we carry:

https://intech.com/rv/

The Flyer models are the most suited for off-road and have the 270* awnings; the Luna is a more traditional tear-drop; the Sol, Terra, and OVR models are more conventional travel-trailers.

Casey

More Power

06-02-2023, 11:58

https://www.thedieselpage.com/images/Blazer/2023-65-Camping-01-sm.jpg

First camping trip for 2023! Was a bit rainy, as it normally is for Memorial Day here in Montana. As long as you're prepared for the rain, you can still have fun, and see how well you remember your camp cooking skills... ;) One of the reasons why we go to this campground on Memorial Day is because of the Ruff grouse. They are drumming this time of year, and with the exception of this year, we've always heard them from camp.

Since last trip out, we learned that the windshield washer sprayers weren't... Seems the windshield replacement guys forgot to reconnect the rubber tubing beneath the cowl at the bottom edge of the windshield (it has to be removed to R&R the glass). Once back from camping, we removed the cowl grate and reconnected the hoses, recharged the A/C system (apparently there's a small refrigerant leak that caused it to lose charge over a period of about 12 months). We also noticed that one of the new Wal-Mart Everstart batteries had begun to make a mess in one of the battery trays. At home, I neutralized the acid in the tray and on the battery. If the mess returns we'll likely replace the battery. I've measured the battery voltage a few times since the fall of 2021, so I'm pretty sure the alternator is not overcharging (measures just over 14.0 vdc at idle).

The side steps are now ready to go on. I needed to make a few brackets to adapt them to the Blazer. That's now behind us, but can't do the final install till the bed-liner coating has been applied to the rockers and other places. The steps look great, are solid, and will do the job. We also moved the spare tire to the outside... using a receiver hitch mount. We like it, and it frees up extra space in the interior for cargo and sleeping bags. I'll have pics of this soon.

Blazer did great on this 140 mile camping trip. :)

a5150nut

06-02-2023, 17:54

Hitch mount spare. Are you going to make it swing down to meet the tire to save lifting spare into place?

More Power

06-05-2023, 08:33

Hitch mount spare. Are you going to make it swing down to meet the tire to save lifting spare into place?

The receiver hitch mount rotates down and to the rear using a locking pin, allowing the hatch and rear gate to open without interference. It's amazing how much room was freed when moving the spare to the outside. The tolerances found in 2" receiver hitch components needed to be addressed - it was a little wobbly. We addressed that with a couple of ratchet straps on the backside of the tire mount that pull it down toward the hitch. The straps can't be seen from the rear, and they make it rock solid.

DmaxMaverick

06-05-2023, 10:34

The receiver hitch mount rotates down and to the rear using a locking pin, allowing the hatch and rear gate to open without interference. It's amazing how much room was freed when moving the spare to the outside. The tolerances found in 2" receiver hitch components needed to be addressed - it was a little wobbly. We addressed that with a couple of ratchet straps on the backside of the tire mount that pull it down toward the hitch. The straps can't be seen from the rear, and they make it rock solid.

I think I recall you had previously used a hitch mount cargo rack or some such, and touted the "stabilizer" that came with it. You can use the same hardware for your spare mount. That part (U-bolt and bracket) is also an item available separately at HFT or truck accessory store, or on Amazon for $10-20.

arveetek

06-05-2023, 12:16

We also moved the spare tire to the outside... using a receiver hitch mount. We like it, and it frees up extra space in the interior for cargo and sleeping bags.

Yes, moving the spare outside is a huge improvement! I built my own swing-away spare tire carrier for my Tahoe back in 2016, using plans I copied from a gent over at Expedition Portal. It's worked flawlessly over the years:

https://live.staticflickr.com/8327/29553341365_61feb4166f_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/8536/29263260010_8165bef2b2_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/8410/29263259970_64e098e827_b.jpg

I've added a Hi-Lift Jack mount since these pics were taken.

I built it so it sits high enough that I can still use the receiver hitch, but low enough that the back hatch will still open up without having to swing the carrier out of the way.

If I had to do it over again, I would split it up into two sections so it splits in the middle - it's rather long and takes up a lot of room when swinging out.

Casey

a5150nut

06-05-2023, 14:35

If I had to do it over again, I would split it up into two sections so it splits in the middle - it's rather long and takes up a lot of room when swinging out.

Casey

Or open it into the isle of the parking lot and use it as a toll gate. (;}

More Power

06-05-2023, 15:08

I think I recall you had previously used a hitch mount cargo rack or some such, and touted the "stabilizer" that came with it. You can use the same hardware for your spare mount. That part (U-bolt and bracket) is also an item available separately at HFT or truck accessory store, or on Amazon for $10-20.

Yes, I thought about the Harbor Freight hitch tightener like the one I use on Lil Red.

It would take some of the wobble out in this application, but it's primarily a one-axis (up/down) tightener. The straps take out the up/down slop and side/side (spare tire side to side movement due to slop in the other axis). The spare is quite heavy and has a lot of leverage on the receiver, and we plan on some rough off-highway travel this summer.

Yes, moving the spare outside is a huge improvement! I built my own swing-away spare tire carrier for my Tahoe back in 2016, using plans I copied from a gent over at Expedition Portal. It's worked flawlessly over the years:...

I like your swing-away spare mount a lot, and a swing-away was our first consideration. Then, Sarah looked at some of the commercially available ones. The nice ones are out of reach in price (between $1k-$2k), and to be honest I have enough projects this summer to think about fabbing one... In fact, I didn't think far enough ahead on the steps I'm installing now... It's taken about 3 days to complete the fab/prep work. The hitch mount for the spare was just $100 delivered.

By the way Casey, what do you do about the rear license plate? I'm thinking about either fabbing or buying a relocation plate holder for Sarah.

arveetek

06-06-2023, 08:41

I like your swing-away spare mount a lot, and a swing-away was our first consideration. Then, Sarah looked at some of the commercially available ones. The nice ones are out of reach in price (between $1k-$2k), and to be honest I have enough projects this summer to think about fabbing one... In fact, I didn't think far enough ahead on the steps I'm installing now... It's taken about 3 days to complete the fab/prep work. The hitch mount for the spare was just $100 delivered.

By the way Casey, what do you do about the rear license plate? I'm thinking about either fabbing or buying a relocation plate holder for Sarah.

Yes, commercially available bumpers/tire carriers are stupid expensive. I don't have a lot of money tied up in my carrier, but probably 4 or 5 days of fabrication time.

My license plate is in the stock location. The tire is up and to the right, and doesn't block the plate when viewed from straight behind.

Casey

More Power

06-30-2023, 09:45

Sarah and I have mostly completed the work to the exterior and have completed the installation of the steps. The bed-liner has been applied (mirrors, grille, wheel flairs, below the belt line, leading edge of the hood and roof). We used the Herculiner brand material. The stuff is pretty slow drying, taking about 2 days to almost fully cure. So, you've got lots of time to clean up the edges and pull the masking tape.

https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/attachment.php?attachmentid=7130&d=1688142956

Sarah is considering her options now for tires/wheels. Are projects ever really finished?

Time for camping!

Robyn

07-02-2023, 05:57

Those factory wheels look pretty decent......

Just a bit more aggressive tread would do the trick really well....

I have been giving serious thought to using BED LINER on the cat project as a full coverage product.....Then maybe add some colored stripes.

Looks great Jim.....Sweeeeeeet ride for sure

trbankii

07-02-2023, 09:10

Looks sharp! I've considered doing the bedliner on the flares, but have seen people who have done the full body treatment and over time it's really hard to keep it clean and "fresh" looking. It's nice enough for a bed or floor, but I just don't feel like it is nice enough for "finished" parts.

Robyn

07-02-2023, 12:44

The finish on the cat is "MUTTLEY" and putting fancy paint on this beast....Not so much

Getting it brush whipped is a real possibility ....Since the paint is crap anyway....Just going to buff it with scotch bright to rough up the surface...Roll on the bed liner....Good to go...

I may mask off things and do some neon green stripes....BECAUSE....

I love the job Jim and Sarah did on the Blazer...Looks great.

arveetek

07-02-2023, 13:59

Looks great, Jim!

Casey

More Power

07-06-2023, 08:22

Thanks everyone. The rough finish will require a brush with soap/water to clean. Over time, it may need something like a rubber/plastic treatment (ArmorAll, Tire Shine or something). The cured Herculiner feels rubbery, stretchy. Should be good for what is intended. For what we did here, a gallon was way more than enough. The gallon kits included a roller, brush and a Scotchbrite pad.

The wheels will eventually be black as well. Sarah hadn't heard the term "Murdered Out" till about a year ago. She's a little goth, so she liked that moniker. I'm suggesting BFG A/T tires, but we'll see. Tires/wheels are a big chunk of change to spend on a secondary vehicle...

By the way... wife, daughter and I spent a few days in Glacier National Park (we drove our 2001 GMC). Was way too crowded, being over the 4th, but the weather was perfect. I'm mentioning it because among the throng of vehicles I saw there was a 6.5TD camper on an HD 2500 chassis. An RV company produced these for a time. Sorry I didn't get a photo of that camper... That one was blue. However, a member attended our 2000 Rendezvous here in Montana with one of these campers. This is a photo from that 2000 Rendezvous.

https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/attachment.php?attachmentid=7148&d=1688659172

DieselDavy

07-08-2023, 15:51

Your daughter's 2 door looks great! Looking forward to seeing it with it's new shoes!
d

More Power

04-12-2024, 11:04

I've had this on my phone for a while now. Just realized that I could put it on Youtube! :rolleyes:

The engine ran a little rough for the first 30 seconds or so as the air worked its way out of the fuel injection system and because the hydraulic roller valve lifters had apparently bled down more than I thought over the 11+ years they sat in a box. You can hear the lifter tick go away and the engine begin running smoother as it continued to run... Installing new injectors a couple of weeks later allowed the engine to run even smoother than it eventually does here in this short video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFk9unQeIBE

Sarah was quite excited about this first start, after all the work and the thousand odd bits all coming together. It was fun time - an exciting conclusion to a big project, and daughter Sarah was involved in all of it. :o

This link (https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/showthread.php?46770-6-5L-Turbo-Diesel-Blazer-Project&p=332619#post332619) will take you back a few pages in this topic thread to a post that describes what sort of prep was done to ensure an easy first start.

https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6302&d=1635803011

Robyn

04-15-2024, 06:37

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet
And that is how these are supposed to happen :D:D:D

More Power

04-22-2024, 13:28

https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/attachment.php?attachmentid=7590&d=1713816945

Sarah and I took the Blazer out for its first 2024 outing yesterday. We traveled up into the mountains not far from here. We eventually got into a little mud and even snow.

https://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/attachment.php?attachmentid=7591&d=1713816945

The BFG's did a great job! These are sized 265/75R16. Sarah asked me what "BFG" stood for.... I answered "Big Farm Girls". I don't think she bought it...:rolleyes: She's really happy with the look of the tires. Surprisingly, they run pretty quiet on the highway and the Blazer handles nicely with them.

The Blazer started quickly yesterday morning, even after not being started for a couple of months. I did keep the batts topped off, using a battery tender, over the winter.

Sarah wants to paint/coat the wheels black before summer arrives. Our options are a paint of some sort or more bedliner coating. We're leaning toward bedliner - for the durability aspect.