Made some progress on my '80

[CircusWagonJim]

After getting my Blazer a couple weeks ago I have been making some decent progress on it. The day after I got it I cleaned it out and inventoried everything and looked it over good for the first time. Found out it is indeed pretty rust-free (except the hood). I was surprised most all the pieces were intact and the seats were in great shape. Made a mental note of the missing parts and headed to the junkyard on Day 2. Found a MINT tailgate to replace my dented and cracked one, an original Delco AM/FM Cassette player in excellent shape in a Chevy conversion van, lots of exterior trim, interior trim including the shiny aluminum pieces that hold the top down, a pair of red visors, new cap & wires, a gauge cluster with a clock, center caps, and a few more bits. I had a huge pile on the way out!

Where I started-

[CircusWagonJim]

This week I was able to tear into it and see if the story about a new timing chain being installed 180 out was true. Indeed it was! I got the chain on correctly and have been cleaning EVERYTHING and changing all the gaskets and fluids. I totally degreased the engine and front and rear suspension while I had it on the lift. Cleaned up the wheels and swaped aound some tires until I had a presentable set on it.
This weekend I'm painting the engine and all the suspenrsion pieces. Hopefully this all ends with a decent running daily driver!!!

[CircusWagonJim]

Pulled the rear helpers and heated the front springs so it hopefully doesn't look like a 4x4 until I can afford dropped spindles and springs.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by CircusWagonJim

Pulled the rear helper and heated the front springs so it hopefully doesn't look like a 4x4 intil I can afford dropped spindles and springs.

Cutting a coil would of accomplished the same thing w/better ride quality.

[CircusWagonJim]

This is just s few week thing until I get new spindles and springs- didn't feel like breaking apart the original suspension that had never been apart.

[Corts60]

That looks like a sweet little blazer man. How about some pics of the interior and the engine? What are your long term plans for it? Just a DD?

[CircusWagonJim]

For now a daily driver. I'll be picking up a '70 longbed in California soon and then can tear into the Blazer. The red interior is decent- and the engine will be a lot cleaner after this weekend. Didn't take any before pics of the trashy inside or the ugly engine. Amazing what a little cleaning will do. The person I bought it from let it sit for years- was just filthy!

[mcboomport]

That's going to be awesome! It already looks good!
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[CircusWagonJim]

At first I wasn't a fan of the squre headlights on this bodystyle, but when I found out they only came on '80 silverados they have started to grow on me.

[Cue-Ball]

Originally Posted by CircusWagonJim

At first I wasn't a fan of the squre headlights on this bodystyle, but when I found out they only came on '80 silverados they have started to grow on me.

Not true. They came on '80 Silverados and it was also an option available on other trims. My truck is a Cheyenne and has the 80-only square headlights, thanks to the original owner ordering that option.

[texastruckjunky]

Looks good lowered.

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by CircusWagonJim

This week I was able to tear into it and see if the story about a new timing chain being installed 180 out was true. Indeed it was! I got the chain on correctly and have been cleaning EVERYTHING and changing all the gaskets and fluids. I totally degreased the engine and front and rear suspension while I had it on the lift. Cleaned up the wheels and swaped aound some tires until I had a presentable set on it.
This weekend I'm painting the engine and all the suspenrsion pieces. Hopefully this all ends with a decent running daily driver!!!

What was the deal with the timing chain ?

[CircusWagonJim]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

What was the deal with the timing chain ?

The previous owner had done a ton of preventitive maintenance and when they installed a new timing chain the put both dots at the top. It wouldn't run so instead of mess with they gave up and parked it.

The inside of the engine is totally clean without one speck of sludge. The outside looked crusty with plack spray paint peeling off over rust and dirt. I took everything off and sandblasted all the pieces, painted them black and putting it all back together today. I didn't want to put it together twice just to hear it run so I still haven't fired it up for the fist time. Hopefully it's running tonight after 6 years of sitting.

[Tx Firefighter]

Jim, you've got some other problem going on then. You can't install a camshaft 180 degrees out.

The cam shaft spins one turn every two revolutions of the crank. They are geared at a 2:1 ratio.

If you install a cam with the crank dot up and the cam dot down (like most people do), then rotate the crank one full turn, the crank gear will now be up and the cam gear up. Turn the engine another turn and the cam mark will be down. And so on...

Every full turn of the crank makes the cam turn exactly half a turn.

I always build my engines with both dots up. That way the cam is ready for the distributor to be dropped in pointing at number one terminal without having to rotate the engine to find compression of number one like you'll have to do if you build it one dot up, one dot down.

[CircusWagonJim]

DANG!!!! Well, we will see what happens when I try to run it.

[Tx Firefighter]

I'm sure you'll be fine, just remember, if you built it crank dot up, cam dot down, that you are not on number 1 compression stroke and can't just drop the distributor in place. You'll have to rotate the engine and find number one compression.

That screws up 99 percent of the guys that have troubles in this area of engine building.

[CircusWagonJim]

After much struggling I got the Blazer running today!!!! I was taking my time cleaning and painting everything. First attemps were kinda depressing, but after replacing the timing chain, all the gaskets, the fuel pump (not working) and fuel lines, rebuilding the carb (stuck float), new plugs and replacing the cap, wires, rotor, module and eventually the entire distributor when no spark she FINALLY came to life!!! Still a stuck valve after sitting for 8 years! But the good news the tank was dry and clean and nothing came up into the new fuel filter. Poured some ATF down the carb, but needs some real run time to hopefully unstick the valves and then adjust the rockers and time it correctly. Pretty stoked that you can lean in an flick the key and it fires on the first spin.

[Corts60]

Tranny fluid down the carb? Never heard of that. How about just running some Lucas fuel treatment through it? Glad to see it's running though!

[CircusWagonJim]

ATF is a common old timer trick- also recommended when long time storing an engine.

[AntiGov]

i remember the ATF old timer trick.....i did that on my blue 67 lemans 2 door........man i should have kept that car..

[CircusWagonJim]

Fluid in trans got it moving. Dash pad came from Anti-Gov and it's AMAZING!!!!!

[silvereagle07]

Cool blazer circuswagonjim! Glad to see you got it moving. As for the ATF in the carb trick...I do that all the time...even to fuel injected engines. It works really good to decarbon the top of pistons.

[cahurst2001]

Jim - I see you live in Austin and went to a pick-a-part for your Blazer. Where did you go? I've been meaning to head to one for my 73 now that the weather has gotten nicer.

[Low Elco]

We demand pics! Looks good, Jim.

[CircusWagonJim]

Have to make updates. Moved back to California 2 1/2 years ago- sold that Blazer and just bought another one yesterday.