This is gonna be a bit of a long one, so buckle up.

I've got a 1995 Blazer, 4 door, 4wd pretty standard stuff, the kicker is that it's sitting at ~139,000 miles, which is pretty low for a '95. Engine runs like a top, always starts, even when it's super cold (Live in Duluth, MN) so the alternator and that whole system works great, no outwards signs out trouble.

About a month ago, my brakes got really spongy, first thing I did was check to see if I was low on brake fluid, but it didn't seem like any was missing, a friend mentioned maybe an air bubble in the lines, watched the fluid level in the mean time (I don't drive it often) and it never went down, which was odd, but the brakes weren't getting worse.

Finally have a few days where I can just sit around without any transportation so I drop it off at my local mechanic to take a look at the brakes and do a once over for me. He calls back and says it'd cost $1500 just to get the brakes going again, and with other "necessary" repairs, the total would be around $2700. He recommended not putting the money into a vehicle this old and immediately offered to scrap it for me.

He had a laundry list of things that needed work before it'd be road worth again, I'll get that list and post it here.


I guess the question is, with the mileage that low is it worth putting the money into the car? I can do some of the repairs myself to save a bit, but I don't know all that much about it. If it's not worth it, can I expect to get anything if I sell it as a parts car? Or a project car? I know there are some pretty enthusiastic Blazer fans, but I always figured they were more into the K-5s than the newer styles. It feels like an awful waste to dump that engine and transmission at a salvage yard.

This is my first real post, so if I've left anything critical out, or done something wrong, light me up.

 

Here's the list:
Front Brake Pistons/calipers seized
Brake houses "crusty"
Rear brake shoes are cracked, and drums need to be replaced

Oil cooler lines are leaking
rear differential cover rusted to the point it's leaking
Left front wheel bearing, and ABS sensor

Transmission, 4wd, engine, body (some rust spots), wheels all in good shape. I'm thinking my best option is to either sell it to someone who knows how to fix it, or part it out. What do you guys think?

 

I'm kind of new with Blazers, but none of those parts seem particularly expensive or difficult to change yourself if you're at least somewhat mechanically inclined.

I've priced out the parts that I'm assuming are "expensive" on Napa:
Front calipers: $20 each (add $2 to get bleeder screws)
Brake hoses front: $10 each
Brake shoes: $20 each (add $5 for a hardware kit, recommended)
Brake drums: $35 each
Oil cooler lines: $20
Diff cover: $20
Wheel hub, front: $78 (entire hub, so you don't need to press bearings)

ABS sensor? First, try and remove it, clean out the rust, and reassemble. Common issue. Otherwise, they're like $40-$50.

So, you're looking at just over $300 in parts, and about two weekends worth of wrenching if you have no power-tools at all.

Add some $ for new fluid and lube for the rear diff, motoroil, brakefluid, brakecleen, etc.

If it's worth it? Only you can decide that..

 

Have you priced 4WD Sport utilities lately? If you like what you have, then fix it. If you want help - that is what we attempt to do here.

Fix the brakes and brake hoses. If the rear diff cover is really leaking - fix that too.

If you can put up with the oil cooler lines seeping and occasionally dripping onto your driveway - then leave them alone as they are a real pain. A little oil is very cheap in comparison to fixing them.

As far as ABS sensor and wheel bearing - what are the symptoms? ABS light? Not quite buying that just yet.

 

2 front rotors
2 front calipers
front brake pads
wheel bearing
ABS sensor
2 front brake hoses
2 rear drums
2 rear wheel cylinders
rear brake shoes
rear diff cover
Totals $280 on Rock Auto including shipping and $14 core on the front calipers.


Oil cooler lines are $50+$60=$110 for both in AC Delco brand on Rock Auto

 

ABS light was on when I bought it, previous owner had just covered the light up with electrical tape. I never missed the ABS personally.

I'm not very mechanically inclined, but I imagine the biggest challenge would be access to a garage and tools.

 

$2700 vs $300 will buy a lot of tools and you get to keep them. Question is if you can follow instructions and don't give up easily. No friends with a garage? Is this a vehicle that you have to depend on for daily transportation right now? If so you may need a rental for a few days and do some careful planning ahead of time before it gets torn down. Otherwise you will have to pay someone else to fix it, or buy a different vehicle.

You could definitely separate working on front brakes from working on rear brakes. If you choose to replace them, the wheel bearing and ABS sensor would be best replaced at same time as the front brakes. Rear axle cover can be done anytime. I would not recommend a novice attempt the oil cooler lines.

Your biggest problem to overcome in Duluth might be rusty brake lines that get screwed up/damaged during replacement of front brake hoses and rear wheel cylinders. You may want to make sure that these items absolutely need replacement before tackling them and only use "line wrenches" to break the lines loose. If you damage the lines or the nuts, it may be beyond your ability to replace the entire brake lines or patch them together. Plenty of WD40, soaking them ahead of time, and using a line wrench should get them loose just fine as long as they are not ready to break already from rust.

 

I have a friend who'd probably help, he might have some of the tools we'd need too. It is my primary vehicle, but if I walk an extra 10 minutes I can ride the bus.

I just drove it home from the shop, besides the squishy brakes, there are no symptoms. (I guess the ABS light).

I was off on the milage too, 130106. This is looking more possible the more I look at it. I'll talk to my friend and see what he says, and I'll likely be back.

Thanks guys

 

please read the extra about brake lines that I was adding to my previous post when you answered last. 130K is just getting broken in! In Duluth the body will be first go.

 

If you get started right now, there's quite a few YouTube videos out there that shows you how to change front and rear brakes on the Blazers (really not different from other cars, but..)

I'd be surprised if there isn't videos about changing the diff-cover (just keep in mind that you might have to use other oils and lubes on the blazer than they do).

When you have the calipers off the fronts, changing the wheel hub is just a few more bolts, and should be straight forward.

If you're unsure, ask here, and I'm sure someone more Blazer-experienced than me will pipe in, like Lesmyer just did.