Problems with the blazer

[RAB38]

I know I dont post much but thought I would share my frustration. It will be 3 years since I have restored my blazer to the state it sits now. over the past few years i have had several issues to work on and it has not been the most reliable truck in the world. This past winter I decided to pull the engine for several reasons. I had a bad oil leak from the pan and my lifters were really noisy. Being that the truck is so tall it was just easier to pull the engine to do the minor repairs. Anyway, after I pulled the engine I determined the heads were in bad shape. Mind you this was after about no more than 10,000 miles. They needed new seals and the guides were bad and the valve install heights were all different. So as typically happens things snowball.

Had the heads redone, fixed the oil pan gasket, put in a diy 4x4 crossmember, gm perf. part roller lifters, degreed the cam, some other odds and ends.

Put the engine back in and ran it a little loccally. Everything seemed fine. This past weekend I decided to drive it 2 1/2 hour to my grandparents house for a shake down before a car show in OC MD this coming May. Anyway thing runs awesome, no issues whatsoever.

I filled the truck with fuel while up there and then starts the problems. get back to thier house and the fuel pump started acting up (in the tank pump for FI) Would not hold pressure, so I unhooked the line at the filter and bypassed the relay to run the pump and seemed to pump fine (pumped about 2 gallons out). Hooked the line back up started the truck and it ran fine. I thought wierd, maybe I have a vent issue with the tank being full. Drove it around the next day before leaving for home and everything was good.


Start to drive home got about 1/2 hour from my gparents house on the interstate and the truck starts to run bad, I pull over and see that my fuel pressure is erratic and it seems to running rougher than it did the day before. So I turn around and limp the truck back to my gparents house.

Long story short, went back up during the week and trailered it home and tore into it last night. Pulled the valve covers and low and behold the number 1 exhaust valve, the rocker had some how got loose and allowed the pushrod to popped loose. Looked a little closer and realized that the valve spring was compressed at least 1/4".

I am thinking bent valve ( possibly struck the piston )or when I had the heads redone they had the guide set to tight. Hell I dont know all I know is I am disgusted and When I thought I just had a simple fuel pump problem now it looks like the engine will be coming back out... and most likley will be a complete rebuild.

Just had to vent...........