The blazer, keeping it, beginning to restore, need some help. - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

Dclassen · 04-12-2013, 04:07 PM

I was attempting to sell my dads 1972 K5 4x4 Blazer but have now decided to keep it and work on it myself. Here are some pics, and a few questions.

Now the first thing I want to do to this truck is seal up the doors! Every time it gets wet water gets on the inside and sits on the carpet, and it is starting to rust out the floor in the corner on the left side! I think I am going to need some new rubber for this. I am not sure what all I need to order however, or how difficult this would be to install. Any suggestions?

Once I get it all sealed up nicely, I'm going to replace some parts like the back bumper which has a nice dent in it, fix the rust on the rocker panels and what is forming on the floor, and repaint it. My dad wanted it orange so that's what I'm gonna go with.

**jaros44sr** · 04-12-2013, 06:05 PM

Very nice blazer....get the rugs out, now! They only retain moisture at this point. Put a rust convertor on the metal that is starting to rust, hopefully, this will stop any more rust until we can give it futher attention...

Sealing it up is wishful thinking. They leak, some worse than others. Seals are available, and are easy to install, if, you follow the directions of the sealant

Dclassen · 04-12-2013, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaros44sr

Very nice blazer....get the rugs out, now! They only retain moisture at this point. Put a rust convertor on the metal that is starting to rust, hopefully, this will stop any more rust until we can give it futher attention...

Sealing it up is wishful thinking. They leak, some worse than others. Seals are available, and are easy to install, if, you follow the directions of the sealant

Thanks, removing the carpet never even crossed my mind. I think putting some new weatherstrips on the doors would help though, it leaks BAD. I'm talking if I wash it the seats are soaked. I at least want to make it better.

**jaros44sr** · 04-12-2013, 07:29 PM

Try putting some one inside, and spray the truck, might help locate the leak. But, i suspect the seal at the top of the winshield, and roof, which has always been an area that is hard to get right.

Good luck, and keep posting, its a great place for info., and the people are all great...

**jaros44sr** · 04-13-2013, 10:24 AM

The problem is the design of the floor boards, it has a flange that acts like a dam. So, any water that leaks, including snow melt from your boots, will sit at the conjunction of the rocker panel, floorboard area.

Rugs help to rust this area out, since they act as sandpaper with any dirt underneath, and moisture retension. If you dont have paint or undercoating on the floorboards, it will rust. Now, it could rust from the inside out, since the torsion box, under the floorboard, is not protected at all from the factory....

If you replace the rocker panel, pay attention to the torsion box while your inside, put something in there as a sealant, if your lucky enough to have any metal left.

Good luck!

Dclassen · 04-13-2013, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaros44sr

Try putting some one inside, and spray the truck, might help locate the leak. But, i suspect the seal at the top of the winshield, and roof, which has always been an area that is hard to get right.

Good luck, and keep posting, its a great place for info., and the people are all great...

I picked up some rust-o-leum rust converter(believe it was called something else) fairly sure its the same thing, and chrome polish/rust remover at walmart yesterday. Gonna pull the rugs out at least in the front and try these out today.

Dclassen · 04-13-2013, 04:24 PM

I got all the carpeting out, the rust doesn't look too bad but has definitely extended onto the floorboards in some parts and is steadily creeping up the left side and has left a significant hole in the inner left wall where it connects to the floor in front of the seat. its rusting out right next to the weather stripping. Should I go ahead and pull out the weather stripping, attempt to seal the areas that arent too bad, then replace with new stripping? I had intended on replacing this rubber anyway and I'm not sure if I will be able to put it back on.

4oldcars · 04-14-2013, 10:16 AM

Your wasting your time (and money) with Rustoleum. There is NO rust inhibitor in it. Get Rust Encapsulator from Eastwood.

**jaros44sr** · 04-14-2013, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4oldcars

Your wasting your time (and money) with Rustoleum. There is NO rust inhibitor in it. Get Rust Encapsulator from Eastwood.

X2, you need a rust convertor....

20130414_105407 by jarosaj, on Flickr

DSST_construction · 05-02-2013, 10:16 AM

i would try to fix the leaks first then see how hard and long its gonna take. good luck buddy keep us posted

Dclassen · 05-03-2013, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DSST_construction

i would try to fix the leaks first then see how hard and long its gonna take. good luck buddy keep us posted

I've been focused on making the interior nice and preventing it from rusting out since I'll be driving it daily now. Worked ALL Day yesterday. Sanded down rust, the whole cab floor, sealed, and patched and bondo'd the holes. Got one side sanded pretty nicely after the bondo job. looks pretty good, the best part no more ugly rust/holes to look at! Going to attempt the bed liner on the cab floor today after I finish sanding. Have to go pick up another quart of the herculiner just to be sure I have enough on hand. Hope all goes well. I should be posting a pic of the results.

Stupid question: Some of the fuses are burnt out. What kind do i need to replace them?

red71cheyenne · 05-03-2013, 03:18 PM

The fuses are probably your gauge problems as well. Replacing them may fix your gauges. They are easy to get and the fuse box is labelled with which size for what ckt it is. The fuse box is under the steering wheel on the firewall. I'll attach a photo of one...

Dclassen · 05-03-2013, 08:43 PM

Well I'm finally done. About 20 hours of work later. I'm finished. Sanded rust down, sealed it, bondo'd the holes. bedlined. Finished. Damn I'm tired but it does look nice. Also pressure washed underneath this morning and pretty much solved my squeaking problem.

Here it is.

Lets play spot the bondo.

Dclassen · 05-07-2013, 03:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by red71cheyenne

The fuses are probably your gauge problems as well. Replacing them may fix your gauges. They are easy to get and the fuse box is labelled with which size for what ckt it is. The fuse box is under the steering wheel on the firewall. I'll attach a photo of one...

Thank you! I replaced all the fuses and that fixed my lighting problem on the gauges at least. They still aren't working though. I'd like to get the temp gauge at least working. Blazers in the shop now, was driving out to go shooting and started making some loud noise and smoking, turned out it was the A/C compressor? The whole system is getting re done now so I should have air soon. Gonna ask about the gauges/leaks as well.

Dclassen · 05-10-2013, 10:10 PM

Well, got it back. Then the battery was dead soon as I got it home from the shop. Took it back to autozone, had to replace some external regulator, and I think my battery drainage problem is donezo. A/C is nice and chilly. Made that shooting trip today that I missed out on last week

.

GuyO · 05-19-2013, 10:48 PM

Dood, that is sweet. Your problems are our problems, VetteVet is your man for electrical issues. Temp sender sounds to be either not making connection or shorting out. Fuel gauge is a ground problem. My Blazer and GMC PU were terrible leakers. It's one seal, one gasket, one sealant at a time. Especially where speedometer cable goes into the transfer case. The worst leaks get attention first. Speedo issue is due to oversized tires. Bowtie Overdrives sells drive and driven speedo gears, call them. Good luck. Guy.

Dclassen · 05-20-2013, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuyO

Dood, that is sweet. Your problems are our problems, VetteVet is your man for electrical issues. Temp sender sounds to be either not making connection or shorting out. Fuel gauge is a ground problem. My Blazer and GMC PU were terrible leakers. It's one seal, one gasket, one sealant at a time. Especially where speedometer cable goes into the transfer case. The worst leaks get attention first. Speedo issue is due to oversized tires. Bowtie Overdrives sells drive and driven speedo gears, call them. Good luck. Guy.

Thank you sir, it seems all the fixes thus far have been easy little tiny things. I found out after 2 weeks the electrical problem was just due to the wire plug into the alternator being melted >_< I don't think I needed to replace all that but it wasn't very expensive. I replaced the temp sensor today, not knowing my coolant was gonna dump, LOL. Anyway it didn't fix my gauge. That's the last of my fixes I'm really worried about besides the leaks, got the horn working today as well. Just would like the fuel/temp gauge working properly now then I will see about having someone fix the leaks cheaply. Then I'll be 100% done besides worrying about the body work later. Oh and I still need to figure out how those window channels go in. Anyone have a good pic of stock weatherstripping around doors/window? Mine seem to be off somehow.

GuyO · 05-20-2013, 01:28 AM

Hiya, you have a beautiful Blazer. The temp sender is a green wire in your under hood harness. If the gauge reads extremely "High" it isn't connecting, meaning there is a short causing a ground somewhere. I would also remove the plug from your cluster and clean your contacts that come into contact with the printed circuit. On the fuel gauge be very-very careful. Make sure your tan wire from the fuel sending unit is plugged ONLY into the "fuel" connection on your fuse block. Do not put 12 volt DC power to your sending unit, it will catch fire and you could explode your Blazer. If it is, then you have a bad ground on the sending unit. Be prepared to drop your tank and replace the sending unit. Door channel felts can be purchased from LMC or Wes in Olympia Washington. I use a sharp/wide screwdriver to remove the window channel on the vent side. Those are riveted in and use trim adhesive to glue the new ones back in. The rear door side just pulls out after removing the small screw in the rubber at the end of the window channel. Your dad gave you something special: a 72 K5 CST with a external spare tire mount. Have fun with it.

04-12-2013, 04:07 PM	#1
Dclassen Registered User Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 41	The blazer, keeping it, beginning to restore, need some help. I was attempting to sell my dads 1972 K5 4x4 Blazer but have now decided to keep it and work on it myself. Here are some pics, and a few questions. Now the first thing I want to do to this truck is seal up the doors! Every time it gets wet water gets on the inside and sits on the carpet, and it is starting to rust out the floor in the corner on the left side! I think I am going to need some new rubber for this. I am not sure what all I need to order however, or how difficult this would be to install. Any suggestions? Once I get it all sealed up nicely, I'm going to replace some parts like the back bumper which has a nice dent in it, fix the rust on the rocker panels and what is forming on the floor, and repaint it. My dad wanted it orange so that's what I'm gonna go with. Last edited by Dclassen; 04-12-2013 at 04:33 PM.

04-12-2013, 06:05 PM	#2
jaros44sr Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Philadelphia, Pa. 19454 Posts: 9,694	Re: The blazer, keeping it, beginning to restore, need some help. Very nice blazer....get the rugs out, now! They only retain moisture at this point. Put a rust convertor on the metal that is starting to rust, hopefully, this will stop any more rust until we can give it futher attention... Sealing it up is wishful thinking. They leak, some worse than others. Seals are available, and are easy to install, if, you follow the directions of the sealant __________________ Semper Fi...Uncle Sam, you da man All parts offered to help are free, unless otherwise noted Dont try this stuff in my build thread, unless you have 55 years of mechanical OTJ training SAFETY FIRST AS usual, off topic They say your mind goes second, can't remember the first Jim

04-12-2013, 07:29 PM	#4
jaros44sr Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Philadelphia, Pa. 19454 Posts: 9,694	Re: The blazer, keeping it, beginning to restore, need some help. Try putting some one inside, and spray the truck, might help locate the leak. But, i suspect the seal at the top of the winshield, and roof, which has always been an area that is hard to get right. Good luck, and keep posting, its a great place for info., and the people are all great... __________________ Semper Fi...Uncle Sam, you da man All parts offered to help are free, unless otherwise noted Dont try this stuff in my build thread, unless you have 55 years of mechanical OTJ training SAFETY FIRST AS usual, off topic They say your mind goes second, can't remember the first Jim

04-13-2013, 10:24 AM	#5
jaros44sr Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Philadelphia, Pa. 19454 Posts: 9,694	Re: The blazer, keeping it, beginning to restore, need some help. The problem is the design of the floor boards, it has a flange that acts like a dam. So, any water that leaks, including snow melt from your boots, will sit at the conjunction of the rocker panel, floorboard area. Rugs help to rust this area out, since they act as sandpaper with any dirt underneath, and moisture retension. If you dont have paint or undercoating on the floorboards, it will rust. Now, it could rust from the inside out, since the torsion box, under the floorboard, is not protected at all from the factory.... If you replace the rocker panel, pay attention to the torsion box while your inside, put something in there as a sealant, if your lucky enough to have any metal left. Good luck! __________________ Semper Fi...Uncle Sam, you da man All parts offered to help are free, unless otherwise noted Dont try this stuff in my build thread, unless you have 55 years of mechanical OTJ training SAFETY FIRST AS usual, off topic They say your mind goes second, can't remember the first Jim

04-13-2013, 04:24 PM	#7
Dclassen Registered User Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 41	Re: The blazer, keeping it, beginning to restore, need some help. I got all the carpeting out, the rust doesn't look too bad but has definitely extended onto the floorboards in some parts and is steadily creeping up the left side and has left a significant hole in the inner left wall where it connects to the floor in front of the seat. its rusting out right next to the weather stripping. Should I go ahead and pull out the weather stripping, attempt to seal the areas that arent too bad, then replace with new stripping? I had intended on replacing this rubber anyway and I'm not sure if I will be able to put it back on.

04-14-2013, 10:16 AM	#8
4oldcars Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: On The Beach, S C Posts: 613	Re: The blazer, keeping it, beginning to restore, need some help. Your wasting your time (and money) with Rustoleum. There is NO rust inhibitor in it. Get Rust Encapsulator from Eastwood. __________________ 4oldcars Driving: 1971 Jimmy w/68 Chev front clip, 1953 Bel Air 2 dr hdtp, 1996 Roadmaster wagon, 2000 Eldorado The ones I let go: 1931 2 dr sedan, 1935 pick up, 1938 2 dr sedan, 1962 SS 454, 1963 409 wagon, 1970 short bed, 1972 short bed, 1972 sub, 1976 short bed, 1986 long bed, 03 short bed

05-02-2013, 10:16 AM	#10
DSST_construction Registered User Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Houston Texas Posts: 66	Re: The blazer, keeping it, beginning to restore, need some help. i would try to fix the leaks first then see how hard and long its gonna take. good luck buddy keep us posted

05-03-2013, 03:18 PM	#12
red71cheyenne Back in the sticks Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Fordland, MO Posts: 3,188	Re: The blazer, keeping it, beginning to restore, need some help. The fuses are probably your gauge problems as well. Replacing them may fix your gauges. They are easy to get and the fuse box is labelled with which size for what ckt it is. The fuse box is under the steering wheel on the firewall. I'll attach a photo of one... Attached Images __________________ 1971 Cheyenne C-10 w/700R4 and Tuned Port Injection 1969 K5 Blazer w/Tuned Port 2010 2SS/RS Flaming Orange Camaro 2011 K1500 Suburban 2014 K1500 Pickup 2008 Nissan Altima? The wifes' hoopty

05-03-2013, 08:43 PM	#13
Dclassen Registered User Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 41	Re: The blazer, keeping it, beginning to restore, need some help. Well I'm finally done. About 20 hours of work later. I'm finished. Sanded rust down, sealed it, bondo'd the holes. bedlined. Finished. Damn I'm tired but it does look nice. Also pressure washed underneath this morning and pretty much solved my squeaking problem. Here it is. Lets play spot the bondo.

05-10-2013, 10:10 PM	#15
Dclassen Registered User Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 41	Re: The blazer, keeping it, beginning to restore, need some help. Well, got it back. Then the battery was dead soon as I got it home from the shop. Took it back to autozone, had to replace some external regulator, and I think my battery drainage problem is donezo. A/C is nice and chilly. Made that shooting trip today that I missed out on last week .

05-19-2013, 10:48 PM	#16
GuyO Registered User Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Kirkland, WA Posts: 343	Re: The blazer, keeping it, beginning to restore, need some help. Dood, that is sweet. Your problems are our problems, VetteVet is your man for electrical issues. Temp sender sounds to be either not making connection or shorting out. Fuel gauge is a ground problem. My Blazer and GMC PU were terrible leakers. It's one seal, one gasket, one sealant at a time. Especially where speedometer cable goes into the transfer case. The worst leaks get attention first. Speedo issue is due to oversized tires. Bowtie Overdrives sells drive and driven speedo gears, call them. Good luck. Guy.

05-20-2013, 01:28 AM	#18
GuyO Registered User Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Kirkland, WA Posts: 343	Re: The blazer, keeping it, beginning to restore, need some help. Hiya, you have a beautiful Blazer. The temp sender is a green wire in your under hood harness. If the gauge reads extremely "High" it isn't connecting, meaning there is a short causing a ground somewhere. I would also remove the plug from your cluster and clean your contacts that come into contact with the printed circuit. On the fuel gauge be very-very careful. Make sure your tan wire from the fuel sending unit is plugged ONLY into the "fuel" connection on your fuse block. Do not put 12 volt DC power to your sending unit, it will catch fire and you could explode your Blazer. If it is, then you have a bad ground on the sending unit. Be prepared to drop your tank and replace the sending unit. Door channel felts can be purchased from LMC or Wes in Olympia Washington. I use a sharp/wide screwdriver to remove the window channel on the vent side. Those are riveted in and use trim adhesive to glue the new ones back in. The rear door side just pulls out after removing the small screw in the rubber at the end of the window channel. Your dad gave you something special: a 72 K5 CST with a external spare tire mount. Have fun with it.



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