New Blazer Owner in Virginia
#1
12-17-2010, 10:41 PM
New Blazer Owner in Virginia
I just bought a 1998 Blazer about a mont ago for the intent of hauling around camping gear and a kayak in the future! It needed to have the intake manifold gasket replaced when I bought it, and was able to get a couple hundred knocked off for that. At the time I didn't know it was a common problem either.
I did the job over a couple of days and last night finally got the engine put back together and ready for starting! I was disappointed, however, in that it cranked and cranked, but no starting at all. I had a suspicion that it was the timing since I removed the distributor and didn't make any marks on it before I did like an idiot! I reattacked the Blazer after work today, starting the whole initial timing process all over again. Removed #1 spark plug, stuck my finger in the hole and turned the crank shaft with a ratchet in the other hand until I felt the air coming out.
What I realized this time around was that I needed to rotate the oil pump to get my distributor to drop in with the rotor on the #1 contact point. When I had done it before, I couldn't get the distributor to seat all the way down, so I rotated it through the gears until one would let me seat it all the way. Well this set me way past TDC and wouldn't let the engine crank at all.
So I got a long screw driver and stuck it down the hole to the oil pump and "felt" around until I assumed I found the oil pump gear. This was not easy since I couldn't stick my head far enough back to look down the hole and the mirror and light technique wasn't working at all. It took a few times until I found the gear I was feeling for and turned, installed distibutor for proper fit, which didn't happen a couple times, then remove, turn gear, install, etc... until I got it right. Engine fired up like a champ!
Sorry everyone for the what should have been just an intro, but this was a decent project that I am happy I solved and got the Blazer going again! I'm happy to share any knowledge I gained from this if anybody needs some help. Oh, and my water jackets from my heads were pretty much covered over in sludge when I removed my lower intake.
I did the job over a couple of days and last night finally got the engine put back together and ready for starting! I was disappointed, however, in that it cranked and cranked, but no starting at all. I had a suspicion that it was the timing since I removed the distributor and didn't make any marks on it before I did like an idiot! I reattacked the Blazer after work today, starting the whole initial timing process all over again. Removed #1 spark plug, stuck my finger in the hole and turned the crank shaft with a ratchet in the other hand until I felt the air coming out.
What I realized this time around was that I needed to rotate the oil pump to get my distributor to drop in with the rotor on the #1 contact point. When I had done it before, I couldn't get the distributor to seat all the way down, so I rotated it through the gears until one would let me seat it all the way. Well this set me way past TDC and wouldn't let the engine crank at all.
So I got a long screw driver and stuck it down the hole to the oil pump and "felt" around until I assumed I found the oil pump gear. This was not easy since I couldn't stick my head far enough back to look down the hole and the mirror and light technique wasn't working at all. It took a few times until I found the gear I was feeling for and turned, installed distibutor for proper fit, which didn't happen a couple times, then remove, turn gear, install, etc... until I got it right. Engine fired up like a champ!
Sorry everyone for the what should have been just an intro, but this was a decent project that I am happy I solved and got the Blazer going again! I'm happy to share any knowledge I gained from this if anybody needs some help. Oh, and my water jackets from my heads were pretty much covered over in sludge when I removed my lower intake.
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kenny42
2nd Generation S-series (1995-2005) Tech
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03-31-2011 11:49 AM
