Long story short my 1984 S10 Blazer 4x4 with the 2.8 motor had a small oil leak. It was manageable but today it leaked really bad. I noticed the oil pressure got super low. But by the time I was able to get off the highway (snowing and shifty visibility), it had a really bad knock. I pulled the oil stick, it was low and black. I threw the only quart I had in the truck then drove to nearest wal mart. It was 330 am and the only thing open at the time. I put 3 more quarts and a bottle of Lucas oil in her. Still knocking I drove it to work which was only another 10 minutes up the road. By the time I got there it was empty again.
So at this point I can...
A: buy a crate motor from O'Reillys or other place for 1300 bucks,
B: Rebuild it
OR
C: what is the general consensus of my fellow blazer owners the best route.

also what exactly do you suspect is damaged inside my little 2.8 beast.
thanks in advance for any and all assistance.

 

D: V-8 swap.

 

I would but, I plan on it being a daily driver. Hour drive one way to work.

 

If you're worried about gas mileage, you'd be surprised what kind of mileage a V-8 can get in a small, lightweight vehicle.

Otherwise, I'd say your best bet is a crate engine. That way, you get a warranty, and you shouldn't have to worry about it again for a long time.

 

That's what I'm thinking. Gives me a reason to buy new tools as well

 

I think I am actually going to pull the motor and find out exactly what parts are bad and replace them along with any and all gaskets I can get to. Especially the rear main seal.

 

I am now trying to locate a rebuild kit just to make things simpler so I have all parts I could possibly need and extra for down the road just in case.

 

Pull the engine apart before you order the rebuild kit. You may need over sized bearings for the crank mains or connecting rods and it may need boring also.

 

Good idea brother. Thanks

 

If you pull it apart and see that it's REALLY ugly, you'd probably be better off with a crate engine. Oil starvation can destroy cams, crankshafts, and lots of other stuff.

It sounds like yours may not be that bad, but the last thing you want is to spend a bunch of time and money on it, only to have it fail later from metal particles in the oil passages or something. If you're going to completely disassemble it, boil out the block, etc., you should be fine. But you may end up spending as much as you would have on a crate engine, and still not have a warranty.

The nice thing about rebuilding it yourself, though, is that you can upgrade it at the same time.