I am currently restoring a 2000 Blazer 4x4 4dr (Vin W)

I purchased it off a friend who cared nothing about his vehicles and I am beginning to regret it; Radiator was full of rust, sounds like the balancer is going, oil lines leaking, coolant collects in oil pan, the drivers side hub WAS damaged, shocks are probably toast, 4x4 is intermittent and it is banged up pretty good but I can't seem to throw her to the scrap yard.

aside from the balancer ( or a slight knocking from the motor, coupled with a wobble from the crank pulley= i think balancer) motor runs great, transmittion is 60,000km newer than the rest of the drive line, and everything else is working.

I'm still in denial about a head gasket leak (i'm saying it's only the intake manifold), but I did a full head gasket on a V6 tempo (push-rod) and I am not totally adverse to doing one on a blazer.

FIRST QUESTION: should I have burned it when I had the chance?

well I didn't

so
THE RAD

Started out flushing the entire system with RISLONE rad flush. I let it sit for ~30 hours running it up to temp +10min every ~6 hours. My conclusion: waste of money. probably would have worked had I not over looked the fact that 2L of radiator were clogged with rust, which I discovered ironTite TheroFlush (after 3 drain and fill garden hose flushes).

so pulled the rad, and began back flushing. The secret ingredient: dollar store CLR @$1.25/bottle. mixed the 953mL container with water in a 1 gallon coolant jug and (with the rad cap on) filled the rad with the solution while lying flat an let it sit. Did this about 6 times, a couple times with 2 hours of sitting, a couple times sitting over night, and a couple 8 hour soaks (while i was at work).

The CLR solution worked wonders, BUT the key was, while back flushing you have to bang the rad; not tap the fins, or slap the sides. I used a rubber floor mat on a dirt/gravel driveway and while back flushing, with the rad cap side UP, lifting the whole rad up, and gently banger the corner of the rad (opposite the inlet port) on the floor mat. watch the shmag flow!

$20 in store bought flush juice got me no where compared to the rust that came out after a 2 hour CLR solution soak and some "agitation" while back flushing.

I get between 3.25L-3.5L of water into the rad while laying flat as opposed to the original almost 2L. I was not having overheating issues before the flush, but I am working at eliminating the coolant system rust.

THE OIL LINES

I had been putting off installing the oil cooler lines for some time, and today I realized why.

The lines from the remote oil filter to the rad; easy peazy. All my quick connects are still in good shape and the lines appear to be stock (though i haven't looked to confirm that, most of everything on this truck is stock from GM)

Right now I am at the point in the operation where I have to remove the trough bolt on the drivers side motor mount and jack the motor up to gain access to the bolt that holds the block to remote filter lines onto the remote adapter.

I am planning on removing the inner wheel well and gaining access to the motor mount that way, but there is a possibility that I could just go right on to remove the front drive line all together, since the 4x4 is giving me **** any how.

As much as I hate unforeseen hurdles and complications; I am finding myself enjoying slowly but surely making progress

SECOND QUESTION: am I wasting my time

with a suspected balance shaft problem (or mis-fire/ dead cylinder from bad gasket) and wobble on the crank pulley should I just find someone who has a motor waiting for a body, should I get what use I can out of it, or should I start now and get a engine rebuild done in the next 3 months while I wait to get my license back.

i don't want to do a rebuild because my level of experience is: I helped my buddy do a head gasket job, including home machining. and put a new tie rod end on a mazda protege, and a hub on this blazer(with help). a rebuild is for a vehicle worth saving or should i just send this truck to the squish and find a RWD 4dr that is less rat bagged

I am always going to buy 10+ year old cars and maintain them and if i can get past how stupid everything is to do on this truck (*cough* tranni pan *cough*) I knoe it will do what I need it to do.

 

How many Miles are on the engine? Your symptoms sound very similar to mine and it did turn out that I had to replace the engine.

 

266,000KM

so 165,285 miles

New motor is definitely something I am aware of, I want to get a V8 with a 5-speed in it.

I'm wondering if I can get another 50,000 miles out of it, just until I can find something else, or is this a time bomb that I should sell quick to someone who is doing they're own rebuild?

 

The good news is these are always plentiful in junkyards and easy to get used parts for. Sounds like it just needs some serious work. I guess that also depends on your budget. Also, this website has tons of helpful info.