New member checking in from southern Maine. Just purchased a 97 Blazer, and I'm going to be working on it after I have a mechanic troubleshoot the Engine Hesitation.

Hopefully in the next few weeks I will have a repair/Build thread up, and I would love suggestions.

Because of the state I live in, shackles are a no-no. Lifts in general are rare.

Future plans include:

-Cragar soft 8's rims 4 inch BS with 235/70/15 Yokohoma Geolander's

-V6 4.3 Cold air intake (Ebay) Building my own Heat shield

-Thrush 1 in two out (dual) welded exhaust with 3 inch tips.

-New hood =)

-All new shocks, I need some advice there. <

-Performance spark plugs/wires.

-New speakers, because the stock ones suck. Possibly new radio, and Amp.

Just a few thoughts, it's a start.

 

Welcome from New York. If shakels are a no/no what about different rear springs and a torsion bar crank? Good luck with your truck.

 

welcome to the show, from Canada.


care to expand on why they're not permitted?

like mentioned above already, play with your springs.

any competent spring shop will be able to re-arch some leafs for you, even be able to find a bit longer main to help with the re-arch.

and it looks like you need a new fender more than that hood.

 

My knowledge of the state law was taken from here,

http://www.liftlaws.com/maine_lift_laws.htm

You can have a lift but not a very tall one by the dimensions they give on frame/bumper height.

At least that's without me actually measuring how tall my blazer sits.

If I were to have a shop modify some leafs for me, I would need longer shocks in the rear correct? How many inches on the rear would that put me up?

I have to be kind of picky about the suspension, and how it rides because this could turn out to be a daily driver if it's as sweet as it's planned on paper. That and unlike the wheels and tire combo I can't just unbolt some fender flares after an inspection station visit.

Yes, I do need a fender. I was more concerned with the function/aerodynamics of the hood at this point considering it barely shuts.
I'm thinking of putting a hood from the same year Jimmy on it, as I was told they will match up.
I'll eventually get a fender for it, when or if I decide to paint it.

Trucks been at the shop for 3 days now. Hopefully monday I will have some news.
I will start working on it this weekend. Im excited.

 

Welcome from Ohio

 

Hmmm, I grew up in the Bangor area and remember lifted trucks all over the place. Have things changed that much that people actually care about the lift laws now or have the shops actually started checking the vehicles coing in for a sticker. I can remember stopping in to get a new inspection sticker and being given the sticker to put in the window myself. He just looked out the window and said oh that looks alright. (88? mazda B2600)

 

Well things are a bit different bangor and above, I'm originally from Aroostook county Seldom do you get stopped for some mud tires and a lift, only if the cop is having a bad day and he doesn't preferably like the Bad cop no donut sticker on the rear window.

Here in Southern Maine, it's a different story. They pull you over for anything illegal period.

I was once stopped for tinted windows because my back window was fogged. When he realized it wasn't tinted he tried to get me for anything he could. I was cool, and my vehicle was straight but he sure did try awful hard to find something.

I'm 29 years old, it happened last year I bet if I had been 19 he would of given me a ticket for something....

Anyway, it's getting to the point where when you build a mud truck you can't drive them down Main street anymore.

Not that I'm building a mud truck, just trying to modify the Stance for a safer ride, hadn't really intented on putting bigger tires on or raising the suspension. Just knobby tires, wider stance, better lighting... in my attempt to stay road legal here in the pine tree state.

 

Update:

After the mechanic looked over my truck to diagnose the motor hesitation, he concluded it was a bad o2 sensor...

However upon inspection a noticable oil leak was discovered.

Garage wants 1100 bucks to replace the Timer Cover Seal, and a leaky Oil Pan Gasket.

I told them I would do it myself because I was feeling Ambitious (plus no way in hell am I going to let them charge me 15 man Hours when I can do it in a weekend)

So it was a crappy buy, the guy swore up and down it was mechanically sound with NO LEAKS.

I drove it for over an hour and never had any problems with it leaking, UNTIL it sat for 3 days. Big surprise there...

Well tonight I thought I would go retrieve my newly purchased Lemon from the Shop, and found that it wouldn't start and that all the fluid caps under the hood were loose.

I have a receipt and the key, but these guys forgot to button my truck back up.

I was going to see how badly the leak really was, and if the all the bolts just needed tightening.

So I guess they will be getting another call in the morning.

So to replace the Timer cover seal, I gotta strip the entire front of the truck, the water pump the pulleys yada yada ouchie. Then I might as well replace the timing chain while im there.

In short.

For the oil pan, I don't need to remove the motor so I'm told. As long as I don't break off the Oil dipstick hose inside the housing I will be cool.

So If I jack up the trucks frame, disconnect all needed wires, disconnect the exhaust from the manifold, drop and sway bar/supports in the way I can slide it out.
Anyone know if that can be done? I've never needed to do any of that before, Just unbolted and manuevered it out.
Of course it wasn't A chevy blazer.

I just looked at my receipt, they had another shop do my triple A inspection? Well somebody messed up, especially if they drove it all the way back to my current shop with all those caps loose and god only knows what else.

 

So I did some repairs this past weekend, and I'm currently awaiting some time to finish the job.

Trying to fix an oil leak, and take care of a bad o2 sensor.

Just about done with the mechanical effort of this blazer, then I'll be fine tuning.






I broke my Harmonic Balancer puller (twice) trying to pull it. But I finally got it.

 

You're definitely the first person I have seen turn their Intro thread into a Build thread.

If you'd like, I can move this to the "Builds" section and you can just keep updating, and more people will find it

Let me know, either here or with a PM