Thanks Les, with all of this I will now have a good bit of work ahead to get it ready! Oh well, better to get these things figured out now than way out in the middle of nowhere. Even with my discount at the parts store they still want $240 for the Delco ICM. So I'm just going to order all of the things I will be needing from Rockauto this time (delco ICM is about $100 cheaper). I may even get a Delco IAC valve and just put any worries about that thing in the past (I have had trouble with this aftermarket IAC valve too already), haven't decided on that yet though as I want to drive it a bit more and it's pouring rain today so I don't really want to pull it out of the garage lol, I will eventually I just keep hoping that it stops raining at some point hahaha. Hopefully, all the parts will be in by next weekend and I can have all of the things mentioned above remedied. Then I will go back to focusing on what I was supposed to be fixing this weekend, the shock rubbing on the cv boot. Been rubbing for a while and finally exploded the cv boot so with all the welding I have been doing lately I feel confident to move the shock mount a hair down so it won't rub anymore, then I will put on a new boot on and it should be good as new. That only leaves one weekend to install the rock sliders before leaving, ahh time goes by too fast!

 

Finally got the Blazer back on the road today after a weekend of working on it. Got the new IAC and ICM in, also replaced the thermostat and water pump gaskets. Needed to get another set of gaskets because I dropped one in the engine bay while trying to install the pump the first time, got a clean install the second time around. When I first started it up last night my heart dropped so fast as I had a huge coolant leak, after looking around I found I put the bypass hose clamp on around the nipple of the fitting. So all it needed was just a little nudge down and the clamp was sealing and I was back on the road! Going to need more testing to see if it will still give a long crank or not, for now, I was just happy to have it back on the road today.

 

Have a good trip!!

 

Thanks Les! So I have got myself in a bit of a pickle here... I tore into the passenger suspension to replace the inner cv boot, then messed up the outer boot while taking off the knuckle so decided to replace the whole axle. I'm also replacing that damn inner axle seal now and it's fighting me tooth and nail to come out, do you have any ideas for this? I'm using a pry bar with all my might LOL. The blazer has been fighting me tooth and nail on this whole job, supposed to be 2.5hr inner boot job turned into taking off the knuckle because I popped the whole axle shaft out then the lower bj was seized on and I ripped the boot in removing. Then taking off the 4 lower bj bolts was a joke since they were all rusted onto the control arm, not to mention taking out my old bump stop was the same way. I just keep saying to myself there is light at the end of the tunnel! Everything is cleaned, painted, and removed ready to go back in with the new, just need to get this seal out! I'm thinking of getting an indexing pry bar after work today and trying that (pictured below). Let me know what you think! I'm excited to get putting it back together with the nice clean parts soon.


Link to pry bar shown above

 

That seal is a real buger IMHO. Last year I replaced my axle and seal on the passenger side because of rust decomposition causing it to leak all over my driveway. IIRC I took that shock absorber completely out as well. Then I was able to use a prybar I had to pop the seal out (was not easy). I'll go out and take a photo of the prybar that I used. Don't catch the bearing with the prybar or get any junk on the bearing.

Even more troublesome was installing the axle into the new seal. Only way I could get it back together was to grease everything up and start the axle on the shaft. Then I was able to use the momentum of the heavy axle sliding on the shaft to go into the seal all at once. The seal is 2-piece, turning internally and the axle seems to be kind of a rubbery press fit into the seal.

Good luck

 

Couldn't find the prybar at the moment, but I found a photo of it online. Harbor Freight tools - $5.99. I used the 18" prybar. Surprisingly my prybar has never bent - must have been tempered correctly in China. Your experience may vary. It's that bend near the end that gives you the leverage.

 

Thanks Les! I got that adjustable pry bar above yesterday and it took about 10 seconds to pop the seal out, one-handed I will add. I was pretty happy about that! I was sold the wrong seal so a quick trip back to the parts store and I got the new one in, got the bearing cleaned up from possible debris and everything looked good. I ended up taking the shock out to install the bearing, no room to get in there and hammer it in with the shock on. Ended the day getting the bump stop and lower bj in, today hopefully I can get it all buttoned up. As long as I can get the inner axle shaft and cv axle in without much problem I shouldn't have any more issues. I was going to ask you about the best way to put the shaft back in, but you were saying above to start the cv axle on the shaft and then put it all in together. I think it will be pretty easy to tell when things are all fully seated. I will also put some grease on the bearing and seal before putting everything in.

 

Hey Les, I'm looking for some clarification on this inner axle shaft before I try later today. I'm seeing mixed things online for if you need to pull the housing off or not, something about a gear inside dropping down? Did you pull the housing off when you replaced your seal? I also see some people saying they just stick the shaft back in without taking off the housing and it goes right back in, this is what I was planning to do. I see a good thread from Warthogdriver here and it looks like he didn't pull the housing off either, just the inner shaft. Looking at the diagram below I'm wondering how parts 8,9,10,11, and 12 stay in place when you pull the inner shaft.

 

I just left eveything in place and changed the seal - then put a new axle shaft in. Didn't see why I would need to take the inner shaft out, as long as I could get the seal out.

You're on the right track!

Now if you had to take the bearing out and use the factory tool, that would be a different situation. Dang mechanical engineers!!

 

No need to pull the inner shaft for the seal. It is not in the way. Plus #7 retaining ring helps hold it in place.