Bloverlanding in a Blazer

the problem of getting the wrong parts.... explanation - the tie rod end was for the wrong truck, and smaller.... the bigger one is the right one, but now it interferes with the panhard mount...
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at least the new parts work....
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at least it turns..
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time to weld up the other control arms
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and assemble the other side now that it's cool - also note the panhard mount is much shorter.... which may be a problem later - the panhard should rotate on the same plane as the steering cross shaft. Because this kit is for a leaf spring, the angles are not the same. Fortunately it's not a high travel suspension so it should be fine.... but this is a reason why I haven't painted the parts yet.
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today's construction
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time to reassemble the passenger side radius bar
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and install
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rotten picture, but now the panhard bar doesn't hit the differential or the cross bar
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steering and panhard
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key to all of this was buying the dies to bend 1 1/2 tube
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The right tool make the job go so much smoother. Loving the progress. Solid Axle Swaps are pretty popular on 80-96 Broncos, I've looked at a few of those as well and I like your approach on the Blazer. This will make a great go anywhere rig.
 
The right tool make the job go so much smoother. Loving the progress. Solid Axle Swaps are pretty popular on 80-96 Broncos, I've looked at a few of those as well and I like your approach on the Blazer. This will make a great go anywhere rig.

I like the radius arm suspension for things where high flex isn't as important. Now, it's pretty easy to order up the bits to build-your-own.
 
story time. .On ebay, these pedals are $395.00. I've paid less for a running/driving squarebody. Thankfully my new home is 2 miles from a wrecking yard - $40 and problem solved.
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panhard in place
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if you're curious, this really isn't the right way to fix the threads in the cross shaft
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but it works
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I think I bought these springs for the back of the FJ40, and cut them because they were way too tall... now to find them again and get another set because I bet they work just fine for this application
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ugh, springs are 3 weeks out. The problem is this, I'd like the tallest spring possible and to do that would mean cutting a spring perch into the frame..... or maybe not. Probably tonight I'll put it on its own weight with some kind of temporary method of holding the spring in place.... wish me luck
 
Time to make the new pads permanent
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align
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level to the other pads.... I change pinion angle with the blocks
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done, much better... even fixed the brake calipers so they're on correctly
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Alignment time
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suddenly I have 'help'
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hmm... too long
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welded
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Luigi says it's balls-on now... and when the Lab results come back, you pay attention to it
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i am always amazed at how quickly you make stuff happen.
it helps to have a heated shop
and a Lab... they're pretty pushy about getting stuff done

I've had these tires/wheels for at least 30 years.... and one was flat! I want a refund
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ice....
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poor FJ40, I don't treat it well at all
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first time sitting on tires....very, very old tires
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cute, huh? 33s
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it didn't fall apart, weird, that's what the san fran sailors say would happen
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now time to get the tires swapped
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first step, take the bead locks off
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tomorrow I drag my tire machine into the shop and break the inner bead the 'easy' way.
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Ice is a pretty common theme right now - today's ice was it took a sledge to break this out of the ice outside....
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why did I break it out?
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in other news... I think I have a die to bend this, it's actually pretty close and if I got really creative, I could cut it and make it work
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bend it down then step back up to get a bit more clearance for the steering cross shaft.... I really don't need much. The other way would be cut it, flip the bend and sleeve the cut - or use my divider and put splines on it.
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the other side would be perfect with those changes
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ready to go to the tire shop for a dismount, mount and balance for the Blazer
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Okay, back to Blazers... or more specifically Diesels

finally got the motor pulled down. the tl;dr is I'm going to run it...
the not-so-clean under the turbo still worries me
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Overall, it's not terrible, there's still cross hatching on the cylinder but it wasn't running right
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bottom end looks good
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number 8... yeah
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somehow water got inside in August/September in San Diego....despite the seller's assurance that it was stored indoors.... the risk one takes when they buy on ebay. I probably would have been better off just rebuilding what I have - HOWEVER, let's not forget I do not have a qualified machine shop, so the hell this is may pale in comparison to that pandora's box.
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an explanation. Usually the critics are point on right with GM's stuff. GM beta tests on its buyers - which is utter crap, but is what it is. The point is that over the years, the product becomes quite good for what it is. The heads
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are a perfect case-in-point. My dad went to rebuild a 6.2 but gave up when, after 3 sets of heads, there were no heads without cracks. Strangely GM even suggests that there are 'run them' cracks and no-go cracks.... but, in the 20 years since the first 6.2, GM started developing better heads culminating in these aftermarket heads that fix everything wrong with the older heads. And they cost less then it costs to simply rebuild a set of heads... for new castings.
and that's a foretaste of what you'll see here.
Fluidampr makes a SFI certified balancer for these motors... they're the foundation of building a motor that can handle 30 psi of boost. Stock, 10 psi and you start lifting heads and blowing head gaskets.... that is if you don't break the crank because the balance ring spun on the balancer.... not cheap, but a lot cheaper then replacing a motor due to broken crank...
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to this I add ARP studs. The 'right' way would be replace the pistons with lower compression pistons.... however, even with all the updates, these motors start coming apart after 725 lb torque. Then you need billet cranks (they have them).... in this case, I want 350 hp and 525 lb torque. For what I'm building - that should be sufficient.

what you won't see, though, is a cooling system update - because the 99 motor has it already. GM started with (by memory) 30 gpm cooling pump. The motor would hot spot at idle. They then came up with the 67 gpm pump for the turbo motors... with about the same result. Then came the mamma jamma, in 1997, they split the water system (to allow simultaneous cooling on both sides - effective dividing the cooling into 2 banks of 4) and put a 137 gpm pump on the motor. That pump solved the cooling problems - to the point that the uparmoured H1s didn't immediately melt down in the sands of the Middle east.

also, to be seen later will the the turbo upgrade.
 
All the flares are there but not going there yet... onward with the engine
one day turn around on the injectors
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time to do a lot of cleaning
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oil pan cleaned and re-flattened
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good thing I measured the oil pickup... wayyyy off
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fits now
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I'm not sure on which filter adapter will work - but cleaned the other one just in case
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injection pump is on but one bolt down....
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We start here.... last night I set the heads in place after running a thread cleaner through the threads on the block
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and install the Fluiddamper
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then install the injectors and pushrods
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and rocker arms
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then flip it on its side to tack the oil pickup in place
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then toss the oil pan on (not the same as what was on there before)
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still need to bolt the valve covers down, but starting to look like a complete motor
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then went down the rabbit hole to determine how important a damper on the output shaft on the transmission is to all things
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explanation.... the OEM equipment for manual is dual mass flywheel. The manufacturer of the flywheel suggests using a damper from the 1991 through 2000 Cadillac Suburban - but not if the flywheel is in a truck of more then 15,000 GCVW... it's $450... thinking it's pretty easy to pull the transfer case if there are harmonics... but according to the internet, leaving it out affects nothing.... we will see.... I have to pull the NP208 when I find a NP205 so if there are harmonics and they need to be solved, I'll solve it then....
 

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