I have a 1991 full size (K5/1500) Chevy Blazer that I first bought in 1991. In the 20+ years that I have owned it, I have driven over 225,000 miles and had the transmission rebuilt (twice actually, because the first rebuild failed right away). Lots of other parts have been replaced, but many more are still failing. I am trying to justify keeping my old truck, but I am less willing to work on it myself now and I have found the repair bills to be a bit much in the past few years.

Ok, so here is the situation: The engine started to develop a knocking when starting after a long trip to Death Valley last month (mechanic says it is the main bearing and is not a major problem) but it calms down once oil pressure comes up (2-3 seconds) and more recently, the transmission shift controller seems to have gone bad after another road trip last weekend with heavy weight (motorcycle carrier) in off-road conditions (including rough and twisty roads with extended driving in low gears). After a couple of days, the transmission has now settled back down and is shifting normally. All fluids are at regular levels and show no signs of burning or otherwise being contaminated. The engine has smoked at startup for well over 5 years, and the transmission is probably due for a rebuild.

When the engine fails, I can get an engine (Jasper seems like the best deal with the install kit) and a new/rebuilt transmission for the truck, but I have no plans to install it myself. All together, I could possibly get the parts and have them installed for ~$6,500. But, I am not fooling myself and am sure we would want to replace the radiator and other items just to have some new parts in there. All told, I am assuming it will be well over $7,000.

I love the truck and the utility it provides, but I'm not sure I can justify spending $7-8000+ to get it running again. All of the electrical parts, the transfer case (which has leaked for years), TBI, onboard computer, brake master cylinder, etc. etc. are still original. So, those parts would eventually start to go. Not to mention that the interior and switches are getting old (already replaced window motors, patched the seat, etc.).

I've read here, on the CK forum, and elsewhere about many folks rebuilding these trucks themselves. I am not interested in doing that, so I see a big pricetag in my future. Even if I did, I would be $4-5000 in parts alone. If I don't rebuild it, I will lose a truck that provides me with great utility for construction projects, camping, and traveling on rough backroads. I am looking at maybe replacing it with a newer used truck (looking at a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a loan for about $10,000 that still has ~100,000 useful life in it). Sentimental value aside (and there is a lot of that in the blazer) it seems like the smart deal to move to another vehicle.

The question is, am I missing something here? Are there other options? What have you folks done when confronted with the big engine/transmission failure/repair situation?

Any thoughts, suggestions, encouragement would be appreciated.

 

yeah thats alot of money. figure you can probably take that 6-7k and buy one that has new everything in it already and maybe keep yours around for parts. and you can always buy used engines, i bought a suburban out of a impound yard for $200 about 7 years ago. im still using the engine that was in that thing to this day.

i do all my own work though. im a mechanic and see how crazy expensive it is to bring it to the shop to have stuff worked on. these trucks are really easy to work on if you wanted to take the time and do it yourself.

last time i swapped engines and trans in one of these trucks, took me 2 12 hour days taking my time

 

If the body is in good shape and the interior (seats, carpet, etc.) are still in savable shape, I would throw an engine and tranny in it and drive it for another 200,000 miles. Every time I sell a vehicle of mine, I always have second thoughts right before I try or decide to sell it because of the sentimental value. (and I usually regret selling the vehicle) Why don't you post some pics of your Blazer? I'd love to see it.

 

Thank you both for the input. Yes, the interior is in fairly good shape (cracked dash top has a carpeted dash cover, the driver side seat has worn through on the left edge, but I put a grey iron-on patch that seems to do the job. I also replaced the rear cargo carpet with heavy duty boat carpet over 15 years ago, and recently replaced the headliner with a foam backed fabric that looks nice). Most other interior elements are in good shape, some of the clips/screws/covers are missing or replaced, but those don't really bother me much.

I could contribute my labor to the repairs if I had a friend with a shop, but I also work full time and am currently completing an addition on the house in my "off" hours. I am also at a point where I'd prefer not to get involved with extensive mechanical repairs, so it is easier for me to pay someone else to do the work. I have a shop that would do all of the labor for under $2000, which seems like a fair deal to me - given the number of hours that go into a replacement like this.

I don't have a lot of photos online to post, but I do have a few (edit: removed)

It's always been a great truck, but my concern is that I could put in the $$$ to repair it and still be left with multiple addtional repairs in the near future. For that reason, I would want to install as many new or rebuilt parts as possible. I'm torn, since it would be nice to have it around but I'm not quite sure if I want to dump that much cash into it. I'll know more after I test drive some of the other options out there. The one thing that I would be looking forward to would be a more modern and comfortable interior, but I'm looking at replacement trucks that are about 10 years old and these could also be due for some repairs.

I also agree that I typically regret getting rid of something that I like and have grown so accustomed to and don't like the new vehicle/item as much as the old one (seller/buyer's remorse...). A new, smaller truck would not have the same utility as the Blazer, that is one thing that I know for sure. The tailgate and cargo area alone are not available in any of the replacement trucks I am looking at. Those would be missed every time I go to buy building materials/camping/etc.

 

yeah thats a beautiful truck, up north here they are all rotted turds. i got sick of having to trade up trucks every year due to the floors falling out and body folding in half. a few years ago i went down to mississippi and found someone with a frame and a body for cheap.

after you replace the engine and trans heck there isnt much else to go wrong

 

Thanks. I think it still looks good as well (that is a re-paint from 2003 that is now starting to show it's years...)

After looking at Jeep Grand Cherokees and other vehicles, I can't seem to find anything even remotely close to the Blazer in terms of utility. Even the newer Tahoes (which are big enough to be comfortable) don't have the tailgate or ease of rear seat removal that the Blazers have. I will look at a few more full-size trucks, but am starting to think that the replacement of the engine and trans might be worth the cash. Not to mention I get to keep my well-loved truck, which is quickly becoming a classic in its own right.

 

I ended up finding a newer Tahoe in excellent condition for a good price. Although I'd like to keep the Blazer, I can't have both.

I will be putting the Blazer up for sale. Anyone who is insterested is welcome to contact me. The body is in good shape and many other parts have been upgraded and replaced over time. It would make a nice 4x4 for someone who is mechanically-capable.