Crapper!!


Yeah I do have the old engine. But it's not the factory engine. Actually I think it's from an even older engine. The valve covers have ribs on them and I think they're steel where the new one has Vortec V6 stamped in them and they're plastic.


The old one was running though. Very poorly, but running. So it doesn't have a CKP or anything that I think will help me.

 

Another thing. I don't have a plug for a CKP in the harness. I would be very surprised if it was swapped out, wouldn't I be?

 

And yet another. Been doing some reading and it's not helping my poor brain. Anyway, on top of the coolant reservoir is an empty space with about four empty "bolt holes". I'm assuming a computer used to live there. Somebody has screwed with this thing, me thinks.


So what is it I need to do to make it work? Cut a hole in the floor and Flintstone it?

 

Flintstone would be the cheapest, wylie coyote / road runner acme dynamite company would be a close second One of 3 choices: #1 put the correct engine in it. #2 Mod the engine to the vehicle. #3 Mod the vehicle to the engine. None of them are "quick-a-minute" fixes.


EDIT: The holes in the coolant reservoir is where the OBD1.5 PCM used to live. Should be some connectors there too. Wouldn't surprise me if they put the wrong engine in and snipped off all the connectors that weren't being used, and added what they needed for the replacement engine. Who knows WHAT you have to work with now.

 

Ugh.

What's blowing my mind though is that it's basically the same engine that came out of it. All the same sensors and everything. I don't see what would cause it to not run...


Thanks for your help by the way. You're signature is directed at me today.


I also borrowed an expensive looking scanner from one of the mechanics here at work. Matco brand. About five different plugs that come with it. Don't even know if it's going to help me at this point.

 

If you decide to mod the engine, the timing cover needs to be replaced with the correct one, and a pulse ring added to the crankshaft. To do that, the oil pan needs to be dropped. Then you need to find the CKP connector, or buy one, and buy a crank sensor. There are several other differences with other sensors too, and if they destroyed the original engine harness, I can see several trips to the boneyard in your future. You might decide the Flintstones and or road runner options don't sound too bad after all.


EDIT: With the differences in the injection and computer control systems, GM decided not to produce the Bravada in 1995 You're finding out some of the reasons why.

 

Well. Good news and bad news.


Good news- Got it running.


Bad news- I was just beginning to get to know you guys! Haha! No really, I'll probably be hanging around anyway. I've got a '99(?) of my buddies that he want's me to work on and then I have my own '02 that needs some work.


Conclusion-


First mistake was not hooking up the ground on the passenger side cylinder head at the back of the engine. I knew it was there but talked myself into believing it disappeared and I didn't need it. I know, idiot. Even when I knew for sure it was there, I had a heck of a time getting back on.


CRITICAL!-- BEFORE I hooked up that ground I had already decided by process of elimination that my injector wasn't firing so I tried this- http://troubleshootmyvehicle.com/gm/...g-case-study-2 . Usually this guy is spot on and super, super helpful. I think step #3 though is incorrect. Maybe I'm just confused and this is for a different type of injection system. Who knows? Nevertheless, I wasn't getting any fuel at this point.


Then I hooked up my ground. But not the coil or it's connectors. And I still wasn't getting any fuel.


So last night I decided I was finished and not going to work on it anymore. I put the plenum back on, HOOKED UP THE COIL, and decided to give it one last try. Low and behold, it started hitting and eventually started.


It still runs like crap, which it did before, but honestly I'm just amazed it runs at all with all the mismatched parts and nonsense. I don't know how and don't really care why at this point. Time to get this junk out of my garage!


What it really boiled down to was mistakes on my part. Really no way around that sad fact!


Thanks for your guys' input. I really do appreciate it.

 

A rule of thumb when working on a vehicle, is always assume the guy that worked on it before you, didn't know what he was doing. Holds true in this case Let us know if you need help in the future, glad to help.

 

Absolutely correct. Just a side note on what I think happened to the engine that was in it. I always like to try to figure out why something happened.


While I was in the process of removing the engine I got to the point I needed to remove the motor mount bolts. Well, one wasn't there. That surprised me. So I went to remove the other one, found the right sized wrenches and started cranking, except I didn't have to crank at all. The nut spun right off. He had the wrong nuts on the bolts and they were super sloppy. So the owner takes the Blazer off road, (nothing wrong with that) but with the engine bouncing all over the place...


When I removed the oil pan to swap it to the new engine, I found the oil pickup tube had popped out, thus starving the engine of oil.


Funny how things happen.


You guys are awesome!