. . . and the saga continues...


When the Blazer gets upto operating temperature, around 190 deg F. on the dash gauge, it goes from running good (great?) to running like it's been towing a 10-ton trailer for a 1000 miles....


Let me explain as best as I can -


Start up (cold/ambient temp) - goes to hi-idle, then drops down to around 850-ish rpm in a few seconds (10-20 or so) {ambient temps in the upper 30's to lower 40's, and damp}


First stop sign (4-houses down) - no problem; idles down in (D) gear.


First traffic light (about 1/2 mile) down - still no problems, temp is rising still (I guess about 150-ish) Wait 30, or so seconds to change, accelerates no problems.


Second stop sign, (about 3/4 mile) again, no problems.


Second traffic light - usual long wait (about 1-1/2 min), temp came up to "normal" - a tick under 210 on the gauge; then all hell breaks loose...


Spit, sputter, cough, surge, no power..


Turn around, and limp home, AGAIN!


Keeping the pedal at around 3/4 throttle, Tranny in "2", and riding the brakes.. F. the stop signs at 3-a.m., "Glide" through the green in the first light.. and pull into the driveway.


Now, this is after a COMPLETE fuel system change-out. But it still seems to be drowning in fuel.


What I've done since owning :


Tune Up ( A.C. Plugs [Platinum], wires, cap, and rotor)
Air Filter (Hastings)
Oil Change X-2 *(1) ("q"" oil, Hastings filter [ironically, the same as on the 3500 )
Fuel Filter (A.C.)
Fuel Pump (A.C. AND the Captains electrical mod)
New/Clean fuel (Valero 91)
Updated/Upgraded "Spider" (A.C. MFI)
Upper Manifold gasket (Fel-Pro)
Heater Hoses - X2 (Car-Quest/Adv. Auto)
P.C.V. + boot (Car-quest/Advance + HELP [dorman])
"O"-ring from "ODD" valve cover adapter to brake booster


What I HAVE NOT done (and parts are in the back)


Upper radiator hose (2)
Lower radiator hose (2)
T-stat (2)
T-stat housing (2)
Oil lines to/from filter


What do I do now?!?!?!?!?



P.J.


Dazed and VERY confused!!!





(1) = Initial change for a new-to-me car; second - when it was about 2 quarts over from the leaking spider (probably regulator)


(2) - Have a better anti-freeze recovery system at work, if, or when, I can get there.... (and the better half WILL [I have no doubt] kill me if I drop it in the driveway. . .)


P.S. - It has about 110 miles on the odometer since I bout it; but has about 400 miles of "idle" time/miles (20 gallons of fuel) troubleshooting it - I just as well shoot it, than trouble....



P.P.S. Beer! the reason for edit!

 

It sounds like your operating temperatures are right on the money. I doubt that you have a cooling system issue. But I could be wrong.

 

I see some cooling system stuff in your "to do" list. Is this one blowing coolant out the overflow?

I've seen blown head gaskets that didn't start leaking until the cooling system came up to operating temp and operating pressure. It won't show hot on the gauge at first (not until it runs low on coolant), but it will blow coolant out the overflow.

If you have other symptoms of a head gasket issue, I'd check that for sure. You mentioned "2 quarts over" as well. Was it "making oil"? That's also a symptom of a blown head gasket.

The one I saw do this most recently was a Dodge engine, and it passed a compression test cold, but finally failed on two cylinders when I ran the test cold with pressure applied to the cooling system with my cooling system pressure tester pump.

 

Thanks for the tips, but, unfortunatlly, no-go.

Coolant resivoir is where it should be when "hot", maybe a little lower . .

The "2 quarts" over was when the regulator on the spider was dumping fuel down cylinder 5&6, troubleshooting my other fuel issues.

I will test the compression again, doing like you said, pressurizing the cooling system, like you did on that Dodge. (That's, when this "duck weather" descides to give me a break!)


Thank,
P.J.

 

One other check for the head gasket would be to start it cold with the pressure cap off the radiator. let it warm up to operating temp, and when the thermostat opens, look for bubbles or foaming in the coolant in the radiator.

BTW, check the "similar threads" below, and some of the "similar threads" from those threads. There are several other things people have reported that apparently cause problems at operating temprature. Cracked components that stay sealed until they get hot, like crank position sensor and some others, can cause this.