Blazer Forum - Chevy Blazer Forums - S10 run from Driver's seat

Took the plunge to start putting it back on the street. Obtained some 1 3/4 shorty headers to replace the long tube fenderwells and keep the exhaust inside the frame. This is so I can turn the front wheels sharply again and exhaust can be run out the back end. 1 3/4" tubes were necessary so the header flanges approximately fit the large square ports on my AFR heads. (1 5/8 tubes usually gets you d-shaped ports, and 1 1/2 tubes gets you round ports). My experience with the ball/socket shorty header collector flanges is that the bolts are always coming loose no matter what you do and they are in a VERY difficult place. Also the collector reducers provided really sucked. Since i don't expect to be uncapping headers, I ground off the flange on the end of the 3" collector and removed the flange ring. Then I had Flowmaster 3" to 2.5" reducers (with a nice gradual reduction in size) welded directly onto the ends of the header collectors. I also beveled the header port flanges with an air file to Felpro gasket width (which happens to be AFR exhaust port width). Now headers are about 8" longer. Bought two 45 degree mandrel bends in 2.5" tubing to slip onto the reducers, and this points the exhaust below the floor of the cab and to the rear of the vehicle. Had to trim a little of aluminum ears off the transmission (where flexplate cover typically mounts) for clearance for the long straight 3 to 2.5 reducers to fit without interference. I will use a band type clamps to connect the 45 degree elbows to the reducers so they will be removable in the future. My friend has the headers now in the paint shop at his work. He is burning the factory protective paint off the headers - then will bead blast them and run them through electroless nickel plating which is used for durability and corrosion resistance (but they happen to look pretty good too).

You may or may no know this, but S10 pickups have their stock fuel tank under the left front side of the box. This prevents running exhaust down that side. So the driver's side exhaust has to go over the crossmember and then turn to the right side immediately behind the transmission and then turn again and run parallel to the right side exhaust back to a common dual inlet/dual outlet muffler in front of the rear axle. Once pipes go over the rear axle the pipes can split again to the two sides of the bumper. I had such as system installed when I had my first shorty headers - all I had to do was order up the pre-bent system from Summit Racing = made for the specific headers on S10s. Unfortunately, they no longer make it. Furthermore, I threw away my original gas tank, sending unit, mounting bracket that attaches to the frame, the filler neck, and the attaching hoses so will need to source those again. I was going to try to put it all together using loose mandrel bends, loose straight pipe, and a modified mandrel bent tailpipe kit for big trucks, and a Magnaflow muffler. But I can see that I will need some small bends here and there to make things line up. So I have enlisted the aid of a local welding/exhaust shop I have used before for this and that. Guy is from Guatemala and has the cleanest nicest shop with first rate welding equipment and this dude really knows how to weld! But no English! His son translates for him. So will put the headers on after my buddy gets done plating them, load up a lot of pipes, and trailer it all over to his shop where they will let me be involved with the process.

Once I have exhaust out the back I can put plates back on and start having a little fun before putting a stock fuel tank back in and modifying the sending unit to use an external pump at a possible high flow rate. Going to plumb the fuel pickup through the big vent tube on the sending unit and put a fitting on it to adapt to my braided hose, Holley blue pump, and existing fuel system pieces. Looks like I'll be buying a new sending unit, a new tank, new straps/insulators, and a used support to frame bracket from somewhere.

Going to need some good sticky street tires that will be reasonably safe and not wear out too fast - guess I'll ask ChuckNTruck what he is using on his Blazer.

After that (this Winter) I will continue upgrading my cooling system since it never seems to cool enough for the street. I have purchased an AFCO dual-pass radiator that is specifically used for asphalt modified racing. I figure if it's good enough to cool a high-horsepower race car that races for some time, it should be sufficient to cool mine. Its a dual core, dual-pass with 3" wide tanks, 15" x 27" so 1/2" thicker than my current single core 1985 Corvette radiator which is mounted in the forward position. Since I don't currently have 1/2" between my Taurus fan and electric water pump, this will end up being a try and see fabrication. Maybe different water pump or fan or ???.

Also this Winter I need to replace my full spool with a new Eaton Posi carrier that I have purchased. Actually it's a Yukon Eaton-type 8.5" Posi carrier, but found a deal for only $300 so I went ahead and bought it.

Also need to put a much milder camshaft back in it, unlock the timing, take off the crank trigger, and go back to using a distributor with variable timing. I originally had a Comp XE274H, but added a windage tray long after it was broken in. So when I changed to my current Crower cam, I went to a solid flat tappet cam and used Howards direct lube lifters with the oiling hole in the face to help (especially during break in). Now I want to stay with a flat tappet solid because of lubrication when windage tray is in use (use of direct lube solid lifters) - so a Comp XS274S is virtually the same cam as original but in a solid flat tappet.

At some point I will need to put the windshield wiper motor back in (hope I can find it).

Lots of stuff to do. Good thing I am retiring at the end of next week!