Well part of your mpg problem is the bad O2. That kills mpg when they go depending on which one it is. But if its on a bank then its an important one to mpg i believe

 

For the O2 senser, be sure to use AC Delco parts only. Yes, even if they cost a little more. In the long run they will cost you less. Likewise on spark plugs, s/p wires, PCV, and so on.

 

even though this is a old thread ill post my opinion on this. having been a mechanic for the past few years, automobile repairs are expensive. im so glad i know how to work on my own junk i see some of the bills we write people (and we are pretty cheap compared to alot of places) and cant believe it. 8-900 bills and i think thats 100 in parts and 5-6 hours in my driveway.

but if you dont want to fix youre stuff youre stuck sending it in. also alot of times we write stuff up it dosent mean that its really bad, if the axle seals are seeping just barely ill write them up but they dont have to be fixed that second, kinda like if your door pins have a bit of play doesnt mean your door is going to fall off tomorrow but ya never know

 

Geez, tell me about it. I'm a pack rat and have a stack of repair invoices from over the years before I started doing most repairs myself. Looking back at the amount of money I spent over the years on repairs I now know that I am capable of doing myself makes me want to vomit. And seeing some instances where I know I was ripped off by a mechanic whom I thought was "good" makes it that much worse. Now, at least I know stuff gets done right (might take me a little longer than a pro) and I know pretty much what is going on with all the parts of the truck. Thanks Blazer Forum.

 

Well after speaking things over with my girlfriend, and sorta looking at funds , I've come to the conclusion that I'll keep the blazer at least until I find something I want more , or I get attached to it ha.

I went ahead and purchased some of the parts already, and as a few members urged me to do, I purchased MOOG parts . I purchased the lower ball joints (K5335) and the Idler arm (K6251T) . I figured if I go ahead and purchase parts pay check to pay check it won't seem as harsh on my bank account .

All my ball joints are unfortunately original, so I guess I shouldn't be too upset considering they lasted 109k and probably could last me another few thousand miles before I would be able to replace them.

So with that being said I believe that my next paycheck I'll pick up the uppers, 02 and the axle seals and then schedule my appointment , I may shop around on that though since pomps quoted me parts prices that according to them were exactly what I would pay, for what I ended up paying for the moog parts I presently have, thanks to Rockauto.com .

I wish I had the tools to just fix things myself, other than an air hammer, I really don't know how else I could remove rivets , and I don't have an air hammer, nor a compressor that is actually large enough to operate an air.

As for the 02 sensor , what size wrench do I need, I want to do that myself since it seems to be the easiest thing on the list , along with a tune up which I'll end up doing sooner than later .

I really think that I can get at least 20mpg on the highway , maybe better on longer trips out of the blazer . I spoke with a member here about that and he gave me a few ideas, many of which are what needs to be repaired .

Chi_Town

 

If I remember correctly it's bank 2

 

I use a die grinder to grind off the upper heads of the rivets. Then drill a 3/16" hole in the center, about 1/4" deep. Then punch 'em out with a drift. Couple of smacks with a BFH and they fall right out.

When you replace the idler arm, make sure you level the center link before you tighten the idler arm bolts.

O2 sensor is 7/8" or 22mm, either one will work. Most of the auto parts stores rent a tool kit that has 3 O2 sensor sockets.

 

At the time I did my ball joints I didn't have a grinder, but I still managed to get the rivets out with just a drill and chisel. Takes longer than if you had a die grinder, but still worked. Only problem I had was separating the driver's side ball joint stud from the knuckle. Tried using a BFH on the knuckle like described here on the forums, wouldn't budge. Tried a picklefork (obviously didn't care about the condition of the boot), no luck. Ended up buying one of these NAPA AUTO PARTS Did the job, but broke it in the process. Napa gave me a refund under warranty. Passenger side came apart no problem using the BFH method on the side of the knuckle.

 

you can change the O2 sensor yourself. just buy the part and get the 7/8" wrench out. they are super easy. no need to pay someone for that kind of stuff.

 

If you have 109k on your ball joints and can wait longer, your doing good! Replaced all four of mine at 100k, they were shot and I couldn't trust them any longer.