I got the Blazer back. If I can get the IAT to stay on I should be golden. Astro....
 

Good morning, everyone. Got the Blazer back last night. Runs WELL!!!
... Then, I hit a pothole, and it stalled.
Had to go to work, so.. Came back in the morning.

Upon closer inspection, the intake where it meets the butterfly valve.. I need to figure how to make it stay on. The 96 Blazer presently seems to have a different intake on it ?? I should post pics. But not sure there is the spot sticking up for the wing nut that was previously on there, holding it in.

If I can get it to SECURELY stay, the engine should run well.
If it is loose, it will stall and surge at idle.

Ways to mount it TIGHT?

Are we talking that engine swap from an ASTRO van into your Blazer?

Then we definitively need pictures to get an idea.

It is possible that the air cleaner adapter (commonly referred to as the 'hat') is not properly seated under the front flange on the throttle body before it is tilted over the fastener at the rear. Simple enough to check for as you should not be able to lift up on the front of the hat with it properly seated. If you can lift it with the fastener in place at the rear, then you need to check to see that the metal bracket is still attached to the underside of the hat. If it is no longer there, you will need to get a replacement (junkyard, eBay, etc) that still has the metal bracket on the front part and a good hole in the rear for the fastener (picture below showing what should be there). If it is still there, but bent out of shape, you can attempt to get it bent back into shape such that it goes under the lip of the flange on the front face of the throttle body as intended.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...73f7c84679.jpg
96+ Air Cleaner to Throttle Body Adapter (a.k.a. the 'Hat')

Or are you saying that you don't even have the stud for the wingnut at the back of the throttle body? If you don't have that, I'd question a whole lot more about the work previously performed... You don't have a unicorn, you are simply missing parts that should have noticed, procured, and installed before sending the truck out the door as "repaired". Rather than attempting to recreate the wheel and rig it back together with bubblegum & duct tape, why not simply try to get it back to stock which only takes a trip to a junkyard and a bit of effort on your part.

Hello, folks.. I have had a VERY busy morning, and I literally just now got to open up the thread to begin the reply at 12:55PM Eastern Standard Time.


The short, TL;DR version: The "long screw for the wingnuts is missing.... so.. what kind of thread and length that is, where do I get it? Does it thread in to the piece at the bottom, then the wing nut goes on it? Kit?


The longer version: Glad I got to look at it. Pics, so you can see what I see: (next post)


Some kid drove into my car last night too, so, look for pics and questions on "how to pop out a large door dent" right after this one. Thankfully, it is contained to one door. Pics of that too... in another thread... Okay, getting to posting.


I'm thinking it will run 100% perfect with the air housing secured TIGHTLY (with the screw.) Based on what you see.. Do I need a new one, and that bolt/wingnut. Where do I get!?



Pics. First time seeing my truck in daylight since I got it back. See what I see:


https://i.imgur.com/pFFIfL9.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/iM6Ns8n.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/hnNzW0t.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/FyelQWT.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/kgbIYlJ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/eZnFXvj.jpg


Okay, those are probably the relevant ones. The Astro engine swap (from a 98) seems to have the dipstick in a slightly cluttered location, and I am not sure that the dipstick goes all the way in. I wonder if that is a big deal. So here is the brand new to me engine in the Blazer bay .


https://i.imgur.com/eJvDozW.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/14ZqR5V.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/KDAfV9n.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/HqoUhnj.jpg


My cruise control also seemed to not work now. It did before. Separate thread on that, too.

**side note: Apparently, the yard in question sold me the engine from a 1998 Blazer, the nearest Grade A part with comparable low miles in the local area, been burned with EBay whole engines, yes..... and then proceeded to deliver to shop engine from an Astro van, which was discovered when it was time to drop it in. That is my understanding of how it went down. I also had to add a lot of coolant.

I will now be looking for hats and that wingnut, if it is a specific size or also on EBay or.. I found out pretty amazingly how that one thing can make the whole engine not run right. Wants to surge and die at lights, etc. And that seems to be why...

Can you go back to the shop and get the missing parts from your old engine?

So I was raking a closer look at you intake "hat". It looks like it's missing the metal clip that sits on that groove, if you look at the pic that swartlkk posted, you can see it riveted.

Good catch. Looks like you're right.

I assume it was all there before they replaced the engine?

The old engine is still there, yes.

You mean pieces like EGR, etc?

What "missing part" do you see.. oh you mean the screw for the nut!? .. Good idea.

Honestly, I do not remember that lip ever being on it. I think I see where it is supposed to be.

Would a new "hat" come with a new stud and wingnut? (Sorry for the elementary questions, but i never did put two and two together that my engine ran perfectly before I ever touched that screw and removed "the hat," thank you for making me aware of that term... and has stalled and surged intermittently ever since I put it back on.)

This hat really is the key to seamless smooth engine operation, isnt it.

The hat does come with the riveted clip, but not the stud and wingnut. I'm guessing those are still on your old engine, along with your original intake manifold, which probably should have been switched over to the "new" engine. If it had EGR, but doesn't now, it's probably going to give you a code and a CEL. I don't know where you live but, if you have smog inspections, it won't pass.

Basically, any air that gets into the intake without first passing through the MAF will be unmetered and cause the engine to not run properly. The reason it stalls when the hat comes off is that the engine gets a big gulp of air that the ECM doesn't "know" about, so it doesn't add any gas to compensate. That might be a little oversimplified, but those are the basics.

You're missing the rear fastener for the throttle body that has a stud on top of it for a riser adapter which is where the wingnut for the air cleaner adapter attaches (so 3 pieces total missing at the back). It also looks like your 'hat' is missing the metal piece that is supposed to be riveted to the front and also has a busted out hole at the rear so I'd get a replacement for that as well.

The missing throttle body bolt is nice considering you paid someone to install an engine with missing, kind of critical components. Good attention to detail right there. I'd wonder what else they failed to notice. If it were my money, I would be making them fix it. While they were at it, they should have swapped out the van dip stick (made for access under the stubby hoods on vans) with that of the trucks/suvs from your old engine or a new component that costs a mere $20 GM MSRP or $10 for an aftermarket equivalent

As Tom A said, a loose intake duct at the throttle body would definitely cause the symptoms you're experiencing as the PCM isn't seeing all of the air the engine is ingesting passing through the MAF sensor as it expects it to for proper engine management. Perfectly normal. Besides, who wants unfiltered air entering the engine they just paid to have installed...

Everything you're missing can be found either on your old engine or at your local junkyard provided they have anything s-series with a 4.3v6 from '96 to '04 and you take the initiative to go get it. Or you could go with original parts for the AIR INTAKE. I couldn't find the proper diagram showing the throttle body fasteners. Hopefully your mechanic didn't just cover up some other problem (e.g. stripped or otherwise screwed up insert in the upper intake plenum) with the used engine without informing you about it...

i would 'liberate' your old motor from the "mechanic" that did the swap. and then pull the stud and air cleaner 'hat' off the old one, from the looks of it they did not know how to get the cleaner adapter off and just cut the damn thing.

What sensor is this?
 

Hi there. Presently.. When I unplug this sensor.. it sets a code, yes, but it idles fine and does not stall at lights.

When I plug it back in, it runs somewhat irregularly, surges sometimes, sometimes stalled at lights, and makes an intermittent misfire that seems to be localized to Cylinder #2. But it does not misfire all the time. (Thankful to the Lord for that.)

What is that sensor called? And what is up with the intermittent misfiring, that started as P0300 ?

https://i.imgur.com/CW24dkC.jpg

That is your MAF sensor, as in Mass Airflow Sensor. I would do a search on here as more than a few folks have had the same problem you are now experiencing. First thing I would do is to clean the wire, again, do a search as this has been covered many times on here.

As AJ said, MAF, or Mass Air Flow. And you can try pulling it off and cleaning it, there are spray cleaners specifically for it. If you end up replacing it, I would suggest trying to buy an OEM used one from a junk yard before putting a brand new aftermarket one made in China on it. The original ones really don't have too many issues, it's not super common for them to actually go bad. But the knock-offs are known to give people issues...

The engine computer relies on readings from the MAF to adjust fuel delivery and spark. A misreading one because it's dirty or if it's just bad, can definitely cause worse running conditions if it's plugged in because it's sending bad readings to the engine computer. When it's unplugged, the computer resorts to a default set of parameters, that although are not optimized and that's what will cause the running issues and terrible gas mileage with it unplugged, it will at least run.

This is why creating numerous threads for related questions is an issue... No link to the back-story. *Combining with the air filter adapter thread*

While cleaning the MAF might be a good idea if diagnosis shows that it is an issue, if not done carefully, you could damage it rendering it inoperable. So until you fix the other glaringly obvious issues with the intake ductwork and missing throttle body retaining bolt, I wouldn't poke that bear...

As far as running with the MAF disconnected... You certainly can, but as I stated previously, I would not recommend driving the truck around with a massive unfiltered air leak in the intake ductwork that could suck in all kinds of unknown crap floating around under the hood. That is unless you want to be looking for another engine if something nasty gets pulled in. Currently, the closest thing holding your 'hat' on is your hood...

Okay, cool. I actually did also obtain the screw. I ca. try cleaning it carefully...

My only next question would be.. would a wonky MAF sensor also give random misfires?

The best way to clean it is with one of the aerosol products available specifically for that purpose.

And a bad MAF can cause random misfires if it causes the engine to run too lean. But a loose intake "hat" can cause the exact same symptoms.

It seems to drive just fine with that sensor unplugged.

It makes perfect sense that it would drive fine with it unplugged. With the MAF sensor unplugged, the PCM defaults to a speed-density table for fuel & spark control rather than a mass flow table. When in the speed-density table, the MAP sensor is used for determining engine intake air conditions rather than the MAF sensor. The MAF sensor is more precise for more efficient control which is why it is used, but needs to have all of the air entering the engine passing through the sensor for it to work properly. Given that you have a known problem with the seal at the top of the throttle body and likely a vacuum leak at the bottom of the throttle body due missing one of the three retaining bolts, that right there is more than enough to cause misfires.

Yes. I'm not ignoring what you say. I need to take some time and take a good look at the top and see why those things are missing.. I was able to locate a screw that is holding it on, however, there are still things missing. And aside from replacing the whole thing (the whole hat and tube) with some kind of other system ? (Aftermarket, CAI.. Still comes back to that hat, unless the kit includes it and a screw...) then that may be pointless since, as swartlkk said, anything 96-04 and in a yard will work.

I really need to locate that screw. For whatever reason, it was not on the old engine.

After I get that licked, if for whatever reason the issue remains, I would then look at other things. I could also spray the MAF with the dedicated CRC MAF cleaner, as I did again, today.

I will try to source the appropriate stud/screw as the first thing, yes, but let me just ask.. Has anyone had success with these other full intakes?

I am clear that that is the likely cause and maybe yes maybe I will locate a yard . I may even know of one.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/K-N-57-SERI...YAAOSwXSZeRc~d

Cylinder #2 seems to be setting the Misfire code..it is intermittent, and sometimes runs fine.

Spraying butterfly valve (under the hat) with carb cleaner makes it MUCH smoother. No longer surges or stalled at light with standard MAF plugged in...

May have to either custom make OR find a new screw, on new "hat." I have to find a yard near me. If there are any studs for that wing nut left..

As of tonight, I get to take it to work. Sometimes, the light is flashing, but the truck feels like it is running fine..I am not sure why that is. It does not flash all the time.

^ Update: ~2PM 4/3 (see what I did there) 2020..

FIXED. (The misfire)

... Spark plug wire #2 was LOOSE and far enough out to basically be OFF.

Clicked it back on.. GREAT SUCCESS!!

Now to drive it to work tonight.

Surge is almost nonexistent now, everything plugged in...

Sounds like you're getting it worked out.

Here is my old air filter. I was not sure if it was dirty or possibly causing all my problems or not (dirty air filter..) so, as a precautionary measure, I replaced it.

I am soon to have my choice about either sticking with this one.. or using a K&N "FIPK 57" or something like that oil-able one. That is all secondary.. and found during my quest to either 1. Get a screw and new hat, go OEM or.. 2. If #1 is not possible, go another way to make sure hat fits secure and cure the vacuum leak, which everyone seems to see except for myself.

As stated previously.. I get it. And I do not want to frustrate anyone.. Only part out of the Parts Cannin fired so far has been the air filter and possibly intake setup, here is the old filter and of course the new one is brand new.

(and no, if anyone was wondering, I am not trying to "I just wanna go fast! Yeah! K&N! Burn rubber! WOOO!" NO... This is simply in furtherance of No more vacuum leak at the hat, and I am happy.)

When I got the engine back, after $1440 Labor for an engine change, the intake was laying in two pieces on top of the engine and stalled out a mile down the road, had to leave it overnight as I had to go to work, opened up the hood and said.. "Oh." So. That's where i am coming from, so. The fact I got it to run perfectly at all has me super happy, now every erratic idle and sound has me anxious.. heh. But it does run perfect.

Almost there..

https://i.imgur.com/40p0O2H.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/W4FhtKl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/JZjbGlB.jpg

Here is the latest on how she sounds.


The new "hat" is coming any day soon now. (By Saturday)

Note on the hat, once the new one comes in you need to redo how you have the entire assembly bolted in, to me it looks like you bolted the air cleaner stud over the hat and then the hat retainer stud ontop of that. this is how it should be - and please make sure you check torque specs on all the upper intake studs and the throttle body, should be 44 INCH lbs and then 80 INCH lbs in a cross pattern. at minimum check that rear throttle body stud.


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/blazerf...5344abd165.jpg

^ Yup, an pretty clear on how it should look and be mounted now. Only took about a month, but I see it now. After becoming intricately aware of that screw, and how it should mount.

So, seems like my "hat" is indeed broken three ways:
1. The circle is now open on one side, where the hat attaches to the screw. (I did that. Before I knew how key this was. The whole engine.. one screw. Crazy.)
2. The mounting bracket on the front is not there.
3. The orange seal seems to be gone, and though I can no longer move the hat by hand, it still is probably not sealed .

Tom A and swartlkk called it a long time ago. Is swartlkk still silent in protest?

Sooo... today, we switched the screw and mounted it with a 13mm nut instead of that black plastic contraption. The result is, that, while the new intake hats are on their way, one from K&N one from Spectre and I'll likely return the Spectre (hat) and keep the K&N (my choice of all components.. maybe air filter and hat.. maybe just hat.. not sure) since I did not want to chance it on factory used units with possible bad seals... at least to start.. and they should be here on or by Saturday.. the truck is almost completely smoothed out and seems to be back to running fine, once ththe vacuum leak is completely licked.

Somehow, I bought it with the brakes leaking air badly, and only with a very high idle can I get it to not surge at light so.. That is the next thing to be looked at, too.

Pic coming up. Yes, the hat will be changed I am more mad about the kid that ran into the side of my truck than the actual engine now lol. Those doors. Must. Be. Fixed. Or replaced. Whatever makes it look like nothing happened...

If anything is extra shiny, it is from us (mechanic and I) spraying around with Brake Parts Cleaner trying to find a vacuum leak. We did not find...

https://i.imgur.com/HefDTIY.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/aNeLqGy.jpg

So. Soon.. it is either going to be a factory hat with bracket (almost found one today but decided to put off buying it, since I have two on the way and should return the Spectre one....) - or the K&N hat, with its actual CLAMP securement. We will soon see..

While we're on the topic, does someone produce new seals for the hat or no? im pretty sure all blazers from all makes and models are running around with piss poor sealing at this point.

I must say, out of all the used ones I saw on EBay, I only saw ONE with some visible orange..

This is why I not only decided not to drive to East Brunswick NJ today, but also decided to give the aftermarket hat a shot.

I was in a sporty 2003 Blazer in Florida, I was impressed with how fast it was. Not sure if it was simply a "loved" truck, as I am trying to have mine (really would rather fix than sell but if that is not possible...) or if the hotter climate helped it out.. I was also in a 2004 or 2005 I remember being impressed by its condition. Would it be completely random if the seals deteriorate or not? Or is there a way to keep up on them as maintenance items.. ?

i've been looking for a couple of months at this point, i believe its possible to get an entirely new hat assembly from delco still. Note that hotter air/climate would cause general poor engine performance, its why cold air intakes exist.

As for the seals engine bay heat and fuel fumes will deteriorate them for as long as they are driven. Im extremely surprised that they are not in the aftermarket anywhere with any prevalence .

Quick update. For those interested, . One of the new hats just came. (Yes, I got two.) It is not an ACDelco OEM one but, I may take it over to mechanic for proper fitment of the vacuum hose etc. Here is that. The K&N one comes tomorrow.


Almost afraid to touch it, and obviously I dont need the whole thing (and we could not find vacuum leaks with spray but) Here is that.


I bought it because it is NEW and because of the sealing...


https://youtu.be/GQO_M4QtKKE

https://i.imgur.com/D3Jev1G.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Z3Ykqur.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/zFtY6mV.jpg


Going over there for the install. Small things have never been my area of expertise.

..thats the wrong part entirely. you need Delco P/N 25147235 i believe. And seriously ditch that mechanic you've got because man they ****ed some things up.

Is that for a 2.2l 4 flat?

Yeah, whatever that part was... it is going back. I was in a desperation to get a "new hat" at that time.

Truck is running pretty good now, popped a leak in the heater hose, the one directly above the distributor cap. Dripping right where the coil plugs in, verified that today..

And yes, it is time for a new guy.

I do not recall if the first gens were better or worse than the 2nd Gens on accessing things in the engine compartment but, today was promising in how we got the truck to run. I almost dont want it anymore, due to the hit on the side. But I will deal with that too... Yes, separate thread.

^ lol.. Dart? All 2 years of it?

FWIW, For those curious, they actually advertise *that* as.. for these trucks.

It is getting returned tomorrow or Monday, some kind of note about "Opened up, did not fit at all"

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-5-New-Col...9-0bc67b9720ca

There was some s10s that came with a 2.2l 4 inline engine...