Okay, I'ma be quick with this. Long story short... I have a 99 blazer 2dr\2wd 167k
miles... I have rebuilt (with a mechanic friend of mine) the entire top end of my 4.3. still have not replaced the spider inj. It's coming soon. Motor got put back in, drove for a week and rear main goes out.(that's where we stopped changing parts)
flowing pretty good . At this time my mechanic is outta town for a month so I go off a friend's referral to this mechanic 1\4 mile from my home. ( I'm tired of dealing with it) He pulls motor, replaces rear main and oil pan gasket which he says was leaking too. While in oil pan he notices screen filter down in bottom of pan and pick up tube is loose. He didn't calls me and tells me I need a new oil pump due to the tube being loose so I go and buy a whole new get up. Pump , pickup and filter. He says the new tube is loose also . So anyways he said he put something round tube to fit and had to drive tube into oil pump . Yeah ok whatever... I get my blazer back, pay the 600 $ parts and labor fee and drive for about 4 days... Break down on i-10 east bound with a racket from underneath me. Pulled over immediately!! Tow blazer to the crib. Mechanic comes next morning to see what's up, I crank the blazer noises heard and he says that I have a rod knocking now!! WTF!!! SO WTF DO I DO NOW?! I've had no issues with rods knocki!g before this.
My question is can a rod just go out like that? All of a sudden? Could the installation of oil pump caused this ?? If we drop this oil pan again and pick up tube has fallen into the pan then this rod knocking is on him correct?? He's talking all you might as well buy a reman motor well I've already synced $2,000 into this Blazer rebuilding the top end and now it's just money wasted!! I'm not accepting that.. need some guidance here please..
I wanna keep my blazer, I love the damn thing.. I need to know if the rod thing is actually a rod and wtf happened... Or should I just bite the bullet and buy the reman?? Can't get a short block anywhere?? I've just thrown so much in her, I can't give up now. Am I just pissing
in the wind here?

My baby!!

1st time out! Just bout ready to go back in.

 

Bearings could have been damaged even before you started the top end rebuild. Were your intake manifold gaskets leaking coolant?

Or you could have left something in during the top end rebuild that damaged the bearings. Did you use abrasive discs or wire brushes to clean off old gasket surfaces?

Or the oil pump pickup issue could have damaged the bearings before the oil pump repair.

Or the oil pump repair could have been done wrong and damaged the bearings.

Yes rod bearings can go out very quickly once they start getting bad.

If the bottom end was knocking, it will need serious machine work to be right again.

Get a GM Goodwrench rebuilt long block if your Blazer is in good shape and you plan to keep it. 3 year/100K warranty. Jegs doesn't charge for a core so you could recoup some of your top end stuff by selling it (Jegs is only place that I know that doesn't charge the core). Also free shipping and you get to keep a VERY nice engine shipping/storage box. I have one of these engines with over 50K miles on it now in my Blazer.

Any way you go, be sure to replace the radiator and flush the cooler lines/adapter as metal likes to hide there after bad bearings. In fact the GM warranty on the new long block depends on this.

https://www.jegs.com/i/chevrolet-per...91867/10002/-1

 

I called jegs today. All their 4.3 long blocks are 3 months out. I cannot wait that long.. I've got a buddy who owns a performance shop. Since I'm gonna go ahead with the reman he's got my info and is gonna check with "his guy" on a long block for me. 3 yr unlimited mileage , no fault warranty. 1 time forgiveness, parts and labor. And no core or shipping costs. I can't beat that with a stick if price is good.. will post when I find out.. I have new radiator but will surely flush lines out b4... Thanks for the info

 

Are you saying I need to replace my new radiator too? Due to the bearing particles??

 

The Jegs link I posted above still shows one in stock. But you can buy whatever you like.

Yes, bearing metal will be in the oil cooler in your radiator. If you ever want to use the GM warranty (and maybe others as well) you have to show a receipt for the radiator replacement at the time of engine replacement. Myself, I wouldn't risk a $2600 engine for a $100 radiator. What if you don't get it all flushed out. But that's me.