1984 2.8 removal and replacement
 

Ok so I have found a donor 2.8 to replace the one I have now in my 84 s10 blazer 4x4. Only running me 300 bucks. My plan is to pull the messed up motor (oil starved and really bad knock) and throw this one in there after replacing some gaskets and cheap parts just to get her back on the road. After doing that I plan on doing a complete rebuild on the original 2.8. This means i get my truck right back on the road, and have plenty of time to rebuild the originaI one. I HAVE NO EXPERIENCE IN REBUILDING MOTORS! That being said the original motor will be my "lesson".
I am mechanically inclined.
I do most of my own mechanic work.
I used to repair Jets while I was active duty in The Marine Corps.
Dumb it down for me please on pulling and swapping the 2.8's but don't treat me like a toddler lol.
Tips? Tricks? Dos and Don'ts?
Once I finish the swap phase of this project, I'll make another topic on tips for the rebuild. Or I'll build a 3.4 instead and drop that in there.
I know I am doing the work twice this way as far as pulling the motor and putting one in it. But this is so I get my blazer back on the road asap, and have more time to pull more overtime to fund the 2.8 rebuild or a 3.4 build. Thanks folks.

First thank you for your service

Depending on what the donor motor came out of, If it was a 2wd or a car the oil pan and oil pump pick up will have to be changed out from the old motor, different configuration with the 4wd for the front diff. Also check the oil filter mount they can vary also

Thanks brother. It came out of an 86 s10. Not sure if it was 2wd or 4wd. OK so I can just use my original oil pan and oil pump pick up? If it was a 2wd. If not it's good

.....

Parts should swap over from one too the next.

If I remember right GM did some changes to the rear main over the years, but what it intails I really don't remember.

I have the same project coming up in my Grandsons 84 s10 4x4, donor motor is out of a 83 Gmc Jimmy 2wd, I have to do the pan swap, oil filter mount swap, Ect.

Just for ch--s and giggles while I have the pan off I'll drop in a new oil pump, It's about fifty bucks and will help the flow rate of oil thu a old used engine.

Best thing I can tell you is set them side by side and compare the two and swap the parts that are different.

And a point of reference, If using Felpro gasket set and instructions say install pan gasket dry, DO and I repeat DO the old school way and a light coat of RTV or it may leak { don't ask me how I know }:icon_wub:

Awesome thanks for the information brother. Once this one is up and running I will probably end up building a 3.4 to put in her next. But I'll still rebuild the original 2.8 just for the learning curve.

This thread is a year old so I'm wondering what you ended up doing. My son's original 85 4x4 S10 Blazer (Old Blue) had a 2.8 with a thrown rod when we bought it. After I bought it the three 2.8s that had been in salvage yards disappeared. While I was researching what hooked up where, (the engine was 99% pulled already) I found a Lot of people saying the 2.8 has a weak bottom end and is prone to... throwing rods. I was told it was much better to swap in a 3.1 which is what we ended up doing. It wasn't 'easy' but it wasn't brain surgery either. We swapped the intake over as well as oil pan, water pump, distributor, and exhaust manifolds. The only real issue we ran into was the oil filter location on the 3.1 wasn't accessible for changing it because of the 4x4 components. I got an oil filter relocation kit from Summit Racing and mounted the filter up front. Other than that all we had to do was add an after market electric fuel pump.

Of course when we finally got it going and my son got to drive it he raced someone and spun a bearing in the 3.1. We started over with another 3.1 and got it going again. Just when we got it running right someone rear ended him and totaled Old Blue. It is now referred to as The Blue Beast. Not long back we bought another blue 85 2wd S10 Blazer - New Blue- cheap without a title and I'm trying to get the original owner to file for a duplicate. Even more recently we bought another 85 4x4 S10 Blazer - The Green Machine - semi-cheap and we're in the process of seeing what all it needs to get it running.

Both of the new ones have 2.8s in them which we'll eventually need to do something with unless I miss my guess. My son has dreams of sticking a 350 into the 4x4 but I've yet to see if anyone solved the issue of getting around the 4x4 and different transmission bell housing. At some point one of them will likely get the 3.1 that's in The Blue Beast. We'll see though.