Alright, well my girlfriends uncle has a 1985 4x4 Blazer with a 2.8l sitting in the woods slowly dieing, and its been there for about a decade. I asked him what was wrong with it and he said the engine was bad with a case of what he called rocker rot. I'm not sure what he meant by this, and can't get a hold of him currently. I assume it has something to do with the rocker assembly. I would just swap the motor to something a bit larger like 4.3 or a 350, but that would require replacing the rest of the drive train. I found that a 3.4 from a camaro or the like is also a popular choice.

The body/interior is in incredible shape for been sitting in the woods in Michigan.

Basically what does he mean by rocker rot, and is it fixable? and is it worth my time to get it running with the 2.8/3.4 or should I swap it all out for a larger motor? It would most likely be a trail/sand dune toy.

I don't really want to pull it out of his woods and put it in my yard unless it would actually be worth it.

Thanks in advance

 

That's a new terminology to me. I have no idea what he might be referring to. You can drop in a 3.4 and still keep the transmission that it has in it since the bolt patterns match up.

 

I expect he meant it just had troubles that he thought were not worth fixing so he parked it.

Had a friend a few years ago that bought a 1953 Chevy 4 door sedan from its original owner, he had set it up in a old peach shed, it had a sticker on it showing the oil had been changed just 300 miles before being parked 25 + years.

He took a can of gas, a air compressor, and jumper cables. Aired up the tires, poured gas into the empty gas tank, took the breather off, hooked up the jumper cables, poured a bit of gas in the carburetor, hit the ignition switch, it started right up and ran pretty good, and he drove it home.

The thing is when one sets that long it more than likely will have many problems, yet once in a while you might get fortunate like my friend. If the price is cheap enough and or even free its probably worth a good try.

 

That 2.8 is most likely carbed. I will tell you one thing. My TBi 2.8 is very weak.
I have read the carbbed ones are worse.


Check S10Forum.com and in the 2.8L section there are some huge long detailed posts about a 2.8 to 3.4 swap.

Also, if your going to do 2.8 to 4.3 you may as well go all the way to the V8 since your going to change everything anyways.

 

Yeah, I am 99% sure the 2.8 is carburated. You say your tbi is lacking, if the carburated is worse I wont devote too much time. I think my grandpa has a 350 I could have. I know I would need to find a tranny. Which hopefully is in the 1ton pickup stashed behind the blazer (Thats all thats there besides a rusted through cab and the frame)

The uncle wanted to take the pickup, cut the frame then put the blazer body on it. That is too much of an undertaking for me in my current position. But if I can get the tranny and blazer for cheap (I'll ask the aunt and get it for free) and the 350 from my grandpa, it would put me well on my way.

What about the rest of the drive train, like tc, driveshaft and axles?

 

85 is carbed, 86 was the first year of TBI.

 

Axels would hold, but not strong enough for a dd with lots of power. I would suggest upgrading unless your going to grannydrive the 350 around.

 

I think he meant that the rocker panels on the body are rusted throigh or almost there. Hey man, if it's cheap enough check it out farther.