My dad has a 94 blazer with 4.3 vortec CPI and the motor is done for. I am decent at a wrench but not enough to rebuild it. We have checked around but building engines is a thing of the past it seems. Everyone wants to make you buy a crate motor and the quote at the local garage was $5600. That was for the crate motor which I believe was $2600, $1600 for labor, and the rest was things like replacing the radiator and hoses, distributor, and etc. It looks like the route we will be taking is going to the junk yard and picking a used engine with a 1 month warranty for $600. Anyone have any advise on taking on of these out or any tricks? Funds are limited so we are trying to do this for as less as possible.

Thanks in advance
Dustin

 

The transmission to engine bolts are fun. The upper two are best removed by dropping the back of the transmission down. Remove the distributor first, then remove the transmission crossmember and drop the back of the transmission down. You will need a swivel socket (not just a swivel extension) and 2-3 foot of extensions.

That is basically the worst part.

If it is a 4wd, then the motor mounts can be a little fun, but not as bad as the upper two transmission to engine bolts.

 

Alright I have the papers printed out from alldata and tomarrow after I get off work is going to be the start. Yeah the top bellhousing bolts are looking to be FUN, and yes it is a 4WD so I can't catch a break on this haha. I will be taking a good deal of pictures for this so it might be useful to anyone else here if they need to do this.

 

Pictures will be great i maybe doing my tranny myself

 

Ok so far I have started unbolting alot and have got stuck. I unhooked the front (biscuits?) and loosened the two beside the front doors that are holding the frame to the body the bolts that hold the bumper in place, and unhooked alot of the basic stuff radiator, shroud, wires, etc. Problem 1#.... I lost my 13mm socked in the frame when I was undoing the top bumper bolt and I spent an hour and a half trying to fix it out with magnets and some wires. Also after you get the biscuits and the brackets holding the body where do you jack the body up off the frame to get to the 2 upper bellhousing bolts? I was going to take the distributor off to help get to them but there must be a trick to it cause all I can get on it is a stubby wrench and then you don't have enough leverage to get the two bolts holding it down and socket and ratchet was to tall to get on it.

Anyways I will be back working on it tomorrow evening after work and when I get home I will upload the pictures so far.

 

My, my... I do not even see where you got the suggestion to jack the body... That is sure a difficult way to do it.

 

I know right! I have been trying to figure another way of getting to the top bolts but I really don't know. I am going to try and do it like swartlkk said and drop the tranny down.

 

what i would do is take the tranny out with it i did a engine on a jeep and i couldnt get to the top bolt so i took every thing out it mite be a lil easyer for you

 

I got the distributor off and I can see the two bolts so now is just the process of finding a way to get to them. It was late last night when I stopped working on it so I didn't try but I may be able to put a wrench on it with a cheater bar and get both of them. I spend a while just getting the wires out of the way and getting the distributor bolt off. I have pretty much everything out of the way I just have to undo torque converter bolts, transmission to engine bolts. fuel line, and motor mounts. I am going to wait and post all the pictures up at one time to make them more easy for reference for everyone.


Talked to the guy at the junk yard and the motor is suppose to be priced at 450-600 and does not come with any accessories.

 

Sounds good! Keep us posted and if you have any other questions let us know.