Hi Everyone, Try to make this short. My 1999 ZR2 Blazer developed a ticking noise and thru the winters always got louder the last couple of years. Last week I checked the Anti/F reserve and nothing was in there so I pulled the cap and couldn't see anything even with a flashlight. Poured a gallon A/F in the radiator and still nothing. I also put some anti-ticking lubricant in the oil. Next day the tick was very loud and got under my skin. While the car was in park I revved the motor into red for a second and the heat from the vents immediately stopped. Drove the car a little and still no heat. Went home checked the levels again and nothing. Pulled the oil dipstick and got foam (oil/antifreeze mix) on it. It now runs very rough, car vibrates pretty bad but starts up w/out any problems. Any direction you could offer I would be thankful. I was figuring I blew a head gasket or got a crack in the block somewhere. A guy at the auto store told me the 4.3 is known for blowing the upper intake gasket and felt that was my problem. What is your opinion?? Thank you

 

Hmmm.. let's see
Join date april 2010, apparently when you bought it. 1st post, today... apparently when you found out you couldnt just get in it and drive.
I have no idea how often you came here or what you were reading on here cause I'm not an admin.. so...
Sell for what you can get.. it is a ZR2! And buy something with a warranty.

Note that I could waste everyone's time telling you how to do it on a gamble without a new engine, but I have the feeling I would have to explain too much about how things work so it aint worth it.

 

Well, the first step, imo, would be a compression test. This would help you figure out if it is a cracked block/head or head gasket. If your compression is good on all cylinders, i would suspect the intake. If you have low compression on one or more cylinders (hopefully only on one side), Id pull the head and hope to find a failed head gasket or cracked head. If the gasket looks good, take the head in for magnafluxing at the local machine shop. If the shop doesn't find any cracks or warping in the head, it must be a crack in the block. At that point, your looking at a replacement long block or short block (if you want to reuse your heads)- might as well have the heads gone through before you reuse them. I hope that your problem is the intake gasket.
Good luck

 

Yeah revving it to red line probably wasnt the best of ideas... You probably did blow the intake manifold gasket, or maybe more.

What Petty is getting at is you can tare your engine down and replace the blown gasket(s) and hope that it works, but Chances are you have had coolant in the oil for some time and your main bearings are on their way out and you will need to get a new engine sooner or later. By revving it to the red line you probably made the already failed gasket even worse.

Im surprised that petty didnt tell you to fix it tho and use his change of oil technique to get more life out of an engine with failing main bearings

 

Not sure how your questions pertains to absolutely anything but I will certainly entertain you (because I do not post often enough by your standards) but here it is. No I actually bought the car in 2005 (ops). This by all means is my forth Jimmy/Blazer and I certainly didn't just get into today. Its actually been sitting in the garage for 2 months. Didn't think that was relevant to you or the situation at hand. What does how often I come here have to do with anything? Oh I get it, your the type of person who thinks because I haven't posted on here, no one should help me? Wow, a real work of art aren't you. Bet you just love looking in the mirror at yourself don't you. I would go on explaining more to YOU but at this point not only am I wasting everyone's time you have somehow managed to take me off the topic. I am not asking how to break down a motor (done that) or put in another one (done that many times) just simply other Knowledgeable peoples opinion. Maybe something I didn't think about. Perhaps something I have over looked. Everyone this is my 2nd car (love the ZR2 package) so I am in no rush to go buy another car (2+ my wife's makes 3 currently) thank god two are under warranty STILL. I hope I have answered YOUR remarks, any more just PM me directly and I will reply. Thanks to the other responders. Sorry I don't chime in enough, I will start thou

 

heh.. well NOW we know.

I thought about rewriting your OP to include what you just wrote. You DO know something about these cars, and you've been lucky enough to be able to handle anything that came up.*

Until now.

You like the truck and want to keep it but you're like me and dont raise the hood until you suspect somethings not right. Believe me, I was just like that till I got this one. From before I bought it I've been reading everything on here that could happen with it and guess what.. everything that happens on mine has happened to someone else on here with the week!!!!

My advice is replace the engine unless you do a full rebuild. And more I suggest a re-man long block, not a salvage yard engine because the LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD gaskets fail a lot and there's a ton of running engines out there with damaged bearings. Short block might work but you need the heads checked out anyway because of the overheat.

Speaking of which... my little trick wouldnt work because you redlined it and I guarantee if you pull the bearings there's gonna be a lot of carbon there next to the erosion ridges just waiting to break loose and spin the bearings.

__________________________________________________ ______

*Now let's talk about what's relevant and what isnt. Read your own first post and point out anything there that implies you know a timing belt from a fan belt.

just sayin'

 

Thank you Petty. A re-man is out of the question. To many bills not enough play or wish I could money. It would be nice to save this car for one of my sons but the oldest is 12 and I'm sure by the time he drives it would be like driving a 1990 GM mini van. I may put it on CL and see what I can get for it. It is in cherry condition with many new parts on it and not just battery, alternator, starter etc. Last winter I replaced the wheel bearings, upper/lower ball j's, drive shaft and some other stuff. Ball joints were lots of fun.
Anyone's opinion on what this car is worth sitting as is would be great. I'm thinking 2,5k. Its enough to make wife happy and get it out of the garage so she can park. On the other hand, I found an engine acouple of weeks ago with 118k for 700, so I may go that way. Garage is easily transformed into a engine pulling shop with acouple of 4x4's.

 

If you go that route and I probably would after getting him down to 600, then turn the replacement over and check the bearings at least, Also do the LIM gaskets.