When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Depends on how conservative you want to be. You can either replace the spider and regulator or open the intake plenum and look for evidence of leaking and only replace the regulator if appropriate. A wet plug or smell of gas at removal would help confirm a leaking injector. Looks like AC Delco spiders are available again. I know they are more expensive but some of the after market brands have quality problems.
If it is the regulator, how expensive is it to replace the regulator and other required items? I'm trying to get it running so I can sell it. Figured it would sell easier and for more money if it is running. A/C doesn't work, driver's window doesn't operate, driver's leather seat is split in pieces, driver's seat motor doesn't work (seat is all the way back), etc. I've put $400 in it so far. It's my In-law's car and they can't drive anymore. Might be cheaper/easier to sell it as is. 135k miles on a 1999 Blazer... you'd think it would be in better shape. 😒
I think it depends. If you’re a good mechanic and you’ve got the time to keep diagnosing and looking for the cheapest possible way to put the truck back together then fixing it up to sell might bring more net money after the cost of the repairs. If at the other end of the spectrum you have to have a mechanic work on this then that may not be the right route to go. I’ll leave the research to you as to what they can sell for if they’re running good versus the giveaway price. I’ll do whatever I can to help you but it’s very difficult to handle some of these problems over the Internet one post at a time especially with posters that are not seasoned mechanics.
I completely understand how difficult and time consuming it must be helping one post at a time. I apologize for the time gaps in between responses. I have down a lot of mid-level repair work to my vehicles, even as much as transmission swapping, head gasket replacement, head removal for valve replacement, etc. My main issue is having the time to work on it. After reading the stickie on fuel regulator replacement, I think I'll see if there is obvious washing in the upper manifold before I decide how much more to tackle.
No apology necessary, I will help you as much as I can. Exactly, look over the inside of the plenum for clues. Some charge the system with the “lid” off or even go so far as taking out the spider and pressure testing. The plugs can also give you a hint on leaks. Sounds like you have enough experience to tackle this.
Pulled it apart and it looks like the regulator has been leaking. You can see in the attached picture how clean the area is in the back left. Figured that must be the problem. Put a new one on, reassembled and took it for a spin. Somewhat better performance, but still missing under engine load. Maybe at a little higher rpm than before. Going to check the fuel pressure leak down and see what it looks like. Does that sound like the next thing to check?
Pressure gauge reads 56 psi while pump is running (2 seconds) and drops to 54 when the pump quits. After 10 minutes the gauge reads 46 psi. Is that too much drop?
The spec is 55 after 10 min which the old style spider needs to function. 46 may be enough to fire the new style injectors but indicates that something is wrong and should be fixed.
Finally, I got the spider replaced and the fuel pressure holds. AND had no extra nuts or bolts! Now for the bad news... when I cranked the engine it made some loud noises. I was careful that nothing fell into one of the ports when the plenum was off. What is the best way to check to see if something fell inside?
11-14-2022, 09:15 AM
