The build is about to start. It will be a slow process but give me time and I will get it done. Some of you may remember me from the cheap upgrades post. Well I traded the Blazer for a big ass 1976 chevy.Here is the main donor vehicle. Used to be another local wheelers rig. Chevy 350 bored .30 over and from what I was told 400hp. 14bolt rear 44 front drivetrain with 4.56 gears and lincoln locked rear, granny low 4 speed. Numerous goodies already Welwood hydraulic clutch, Autometer monster tach, Edelbrock carb, Cobra cb, etc. are on the truck that I am gonna transfer over to the Blazer. Hell the front and rear bumpers gotta weigh 100lbs a piece. !1/4" steel plate all the way. Great for bracket material.
http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/5686/img21872cw7.jpg
I even got me a new decal on the back glass. Guess I got me those extra inches the local big truck guys talked about. Definately gonna put a small version on the blazer for posterity.
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/7716/img21882bt2.jpg

Got me a Titled Blazer for fitty bucks the other day. Even has some parts removed that I didn't need.The body has had some work done to it alredy so a partial exo is a must. I am really diggin' the visor on the roof, thats gonna be pimp. The rest of the parts are coming, but I wanted to get this much so I can start hopefully this weekend. Gotta get the Rife Rocket done first though.
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/396/img21902kp0.jpg
http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/5158/img21912qf8.jpg
Speaking of pimp, it even came with a cool license plate frame. Gonna have to get more chrome to match now.
http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/3251/img21922jo6.jpg

but looking to the good in every situation, The license plate frame will match my beadlocks I cut on the waterjet at work. LOL....
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/5558/img21942kd3.jpg

I know the project will be slow going, cash is limited, but I don't want to compromise on part or build quality. Looking to do a 4 link front and rear with F-O-A coil overs, only bout 5" lift and run the 39's that are on the 76 Chevy. I know lots of fender trimmin along with the lift but that all good fun. I am also working the motor over a little more. Looking at building a 8 point cage both internal and external cage fot it as well. Should show my Sammy a thing or two when I am done. At least the family will be able to ride in this one.

When I am done I will have the 1976 chevy body, frame, springs up for sale. I will have a set of 10 bolts from a 89 full size blazer to go too. I am sure there will be other stuff to go as well as time rolls on.

any progress? :)

I just posted yesterday. I have to finish a samurai today and in the morn then I am pulling the Blazer in to start. Motor Swap first. By the way you have a nice rig...

I have to finish a samurai today and in the morn then I am pulling the Blazer in to start. .

Don't take this the wrong way, I must have been staring at the computer screen too long because when I first read this I thought you said "and my mom and I are pulling the Blazer in... " :barf: WHAT A COOL MOM!! mine's "brings baked goods to my house when she visits" cool but she's not "build a 4x4 with me" cool!

Then I re-read and saw that I was just blind + stupid :grinpimp:

I like the little spoiler stand-offs in the back, they need flags or flames comin' out of them! I'll be watching this thread.. should be fun

The spoiler standoffs will be used. I like the looks of the spoiler so I will get one to go back on. Should have the Samurai done by noon. I was mappuing my plan today during our breaks.

Well like I said it is going to be slow but at least it is proceeding. Took bout an hour and a half tonight to remove the old 2.8. Wasn't too hard. I removed motor mount bolts, shifters, wiring, exhaust and transfer case cross member. Lifted and pulled it out with a little shaking. Oh, that was after I pulled the cap and rotor off. Didn't notice that one till I heard a crack. But thats not needed anyway. Pulled it all out in one unit. Now I got the transfer case to get rid of, Motor and tranny are spoken for.
http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/9675/img22022oa7.jpg
Here's a pic of the engine area after removal.
http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/7748/img22032li6.jpg
Anyway, I went ahead and pulled the engine part of the harness out too. Looks like something one could work with now. I'm taking the mud truck to the local rec. park Sat. to see exactly how it works before I start stripping and fabbin. Figure might be fun since I don't care bout the body. I'm sur I can't keep up with the Samurai's though.
http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/354/img22042aj6.jpg
Gonna head to Checker Racing tomorrow to look at thier motor mount kits and see what they look like. I may just buy a set from them instead of making my own. But then again, building everything would be cool.

Motor and tranny are spoken for.


Is somebody in need of a boat anchor?:flipoff2:

This should be a cool build. I love the s-trucks.

Well sorry for the delay in any progress. Like everyone, life has thrown some curveballs. But junkin was good. After the payday of some leftovers so far it pulled 433 bucks. That puts this project at 700.00 so far. Hopefully ebay and scrapping leftover will still keep this deal sweet and cheap. As some know alot of the delay has been weather, and the fact I was starting to enjoy wheeling the big o' chev. But anywho thats not what it was bought for. Yesterday there was some progress. Pulled the motor out and did some inspection/upgrades.
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/6379/img22172wv0.jpg
I tell you what, I am used to my Samurai and how it can be difficult to get to little crannies to aquire the best grab on a bolt but this full size was sweet. It was nice to be able to lay anywhere and sit on your work. Below is the motor as we got it in the garage.
http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/9561/img22242tc0.jpg
We all thought it was a good motor. Ran real strong, lots of power etc... No signs of any trouble. We started with the valve covers. Popped them off and here's what we found. They were clean egnough to eat off of. I am talkin no buildup of any kind. but that was the good part. ALL of the valves are VERY loose. I am talking the can be moved anywhere from 1/32" to 1/16" off the springs/push rods. Then there was the pic below. We thought I put a push rod through the lifter but that wasn't the case. We assume the rockers got soo loose that it popped off. And in our future digging we find out what the deal is.
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/6325/img22192oc5.jpg
The lifter was found in the valley and we believe the rocker studs are being pulled out. That would make sense to me about everything being loose. I am going to call and see what is costs to drill and pin the studs. That way this wont happen again. I am hoping it isn't too much but it needs to be done.
http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/7482/img22272gc1.jpg
We also found the carb spacer was installed upside down. Talk about restrictor plate racing. I am wondering what this motor really has now that these things are being found. The alum intake should get me more plus all these thing are being fixed. Still need to do the gear drive and get the heads fixed so I can get it into the Blazer soon.
http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/5986/img22262hz2.jpg
Below is what the motor looks like right now. Roller rockers, 589cam, bored .30 over, headers, torker intake, GM 195 heads, and a 650 edelbrock. Not sure on the valve spring rates or anything. It will have gear drive, full elect ign., and shorty headers. I think today will be pulling the front diff out of the Blazer so the motor can go in.
http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/2273/img22282wj9.jpg
Oh, got the motor mounts done and put on too.
http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/7577/img22182wu4.jpg
And no thats not FORD blue. Its true blue. The truck is going to be Flat black with a gloss black graphic down the sides and on the hood. Some parts and such will be blue for accents. Mabyee even the block.

looking good so far, youll start to see how much more s10s suck with working on things compared to fullsize trucks, pretty much everything is a pain to get at

abig84, Thanks for the heads up, hopefully it wont be that bad. if its a pain, I'll cut it out and figure out a easier way. I want it to look good but this wont be a show truck. Function before beauty. I know its going to be hard at first, but as parts get removed, space opens up.

Well looks like the heads are coming off for some work. Either they will be pinned which is the cheap way or they will be replaced with screw in studs. I may also check on the valve springs to see if they are causing binding issues or not. Mabyee even mill some off for more compression. Anyone got a dyno local for when I get this done? I'd like to know some numbers... Anyway here is a quick look at the possible outcome as far as body. This was made before the decision to add 24" to the wheelbase so the front axle will be 15" farther forward and the rear 9" farther back. There will also be sections of exo cage incorperated into the truck.
http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/9382/blazergraphicsbm7.jpg

Anyone need 1976 Full Size Chevy parts? How bout 85 S-Series blazer parts?

my 2 cents...

you might be able to get fenderwell exit headers to work without fighting.
anything that gets headers away from the engine is good.

Is there any way to rebend the long tubes I have now. possibly heat them and tweak? Or even cut and add some tube bent the way I need it? It had a set on it and would be nice to reuse them saving some money. Just a thought?

its possible.

its also a pain in the ass.

i use old headers from a bbc to build exhaust for my racing lawn mowers. header tubes are a bitch to weld, though it is possible.

you could probably get a set of fenderwell exit headers from somebody at a swap meet, or check out www.speedwaymotors.com and the header page they have... where you can get this kit (http://www.speedwaymotors.com/p/3843,44_Speedway-Small-Block-Chevy-Header-Kits.html)to make your own...

its not THAT bad. but its obviously worse then the fullsize, i remember spending like a hour just trying to get the stupid steering shaft off the gear box compared to a fullsize where its not a problem at all

its not THAT bad. but its obviously worse then the fullsize, i remember spending like a hour just trying to get the stupid steering shaft off the gear box compared to a fullsize where its not a problem at all
Mabye, when I get this truck running, we can hook up at Badlands or Haspin to see what havok it can provide. I am having high hopes.

Looks like Friday is the day for drop off. I got the heads removed tonight. Wasn't too bad of a job, first time though. Putting them back on might be a challenge for a New motor builder though. Anyway here is a shot of the pistons. Not sure what they are exactly but I am going to do some research to try and find out. I wish I checked the compression before I removed it all. Got a guy here local trying to talk me into alcohol.
http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/2147/img22292nr8.jpg
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/6100/img22302lg9.jpg
When I drop them off, they will get tapped and then screw in rocker studs installed. I am also going to have them check for milling. If it hasn't been milled, I think I will have them mill a bit off. Also I am going to see if the springs are clear of binding. I hope to god the are ok. Hopefully I can get everything back soon so I can hear this thing run with everything in order, tight, and put together right.
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/7073/img22312zs1.jpg
Lookie Lookie, lots of different levels of Rocker arm bolts. Guess this was a good time to find this out before major problems came up.

Mabye, when I get this truck running, we can hook up at Badlands or Haspin to see what havok it can provide. I am having high hopes.

sure thing. with gas prices im probably only going to go down once or twice this year. hopefully you can drag me back when my shitbox breaks in half:flipoff2:

Well I dropped the heads off today. Should be done by the middle of the week. They aren't for sure which way they are going to fix the rocker studs but they will be fixed. They are also shaving .020 thousandths off the heads. Machinist said the heads never been machined yet so that should be safe. Should help the power a bit. Last night we did get the front diff out so when the parts come back we can get the motor set in fairly quickly. Tonight the tranny and transfer will be removed from the mud truck and moved into the garage. Anyone know of anyone needing a front third member with 4.10 gears for a 85 GMC s-series blazer? I'll sell it cheap.
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/4862/img22332lc6.jpg

Well trying time for the build. Motor was build wrong to last and now I am paying for it. Lots of work to do. But there is the RTI ramp since I broke the 4x4's.....
http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/3497/crusherfx1.jpg



Well the time has come to add more info to the build. I finally got all my parts back to start on the motor swap. Come to find out the cam was too large for the valve springs. Cam was solid lifter while it had hydraulic lifters in it. So I had the heads checked, reset, and they milled 30 thousandths off. Then I bought a 4.88 lift cam and lifter set for the rest of the fix. Anyway, I didn't have a clue how to go about installing this whole thing so I thought about trying to install the whole thing at one time. I did have to trim the firewall and floor to make the SM420 and NP205 fit. I think I am going to have to still cut some more but it is in there.
http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/3728/img24942cg4.jpg
For the motor mounts I used a set from a local race shop for templates then cut a set out on works water jet.
http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/205/img24992ez3.jpg
For the rear transfer mount, I am goimng to try and use the stock Blazer cross member moved to a new location. I like the looks of it compared to what was on the mud truck. I should have that done tomorrow morning. Tomorrow afternoon I am going to start reassembling the motor and getting ready to make the headers. Below are some pics of the firwall/floor cut. Gas peddle needs moved...And yes the heater ducts gotta go.
http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/376/img25012pc6.jpg
one more pic of the interior. Floor boards were rustier than I hoped too. Oh well cant complain for a mud/trail truck build.
http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/7393/img24952ih4.jpg
Hopefully in 2 or 3 weeks I can hear it run again. I'm thinking about making a temp driveshaft bolted to the stock rear end and seeing what she can do on stock tires just for giggels. How long before I burn'em off to the rims on 1 burnout?

wow im surprised that trans came that much into the floor. i did a v8 s10 with a th350 with the engine towards the back and only had to smash up the firewall a bit with a hammer. nothing that extreme.

the sm420 is just a huge tranny i had one in a 70 gmc and the floor is notched out bigger from the factory compared to the automatics.

Good to know about the tranny. I'll be dropping that from my build, when ever I get to it.


Did you ahve to notch the front cross member to clear the oil pan?

Did you ahve to notch the front cross member to clear the oil pan?
I did not notch anything. it was a 4x4 blazer to start with. Not sure if there is a huge difference though. the only thing I had to do beside new motor mounts was remove all the stock 4x4 center section. The front cross member will be removed later in the build. More of the floor did get removed. I set the whole powertrain in as one piece. Easier than lifting that hoss of a tranny alone.

Well got some more done today... The rear mount is finished and mounted along with the motor is half put together. Still need to do rocker arms up. We put the covers and intake on just for looks and to keep debris out of important parts. Here are a few shots:
first the transfer cross member. Made from the 1985 stock Blazer member but modified. Location had to be moved about 2 inches from stock too.
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/6529/img25062pk4.jpg
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/9334/img25072gv2.jpg
And here ios the motor and how its gonna sit in the engine bay. Once put together, I am going to start on the headers, clutch, throttle, and temp driveshaft. I'd like to have it running in 3 weeks with everything pretty much buttoned up good egnough to move it down the driveway and back.
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/110/img25082am9.jpg

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/2774/img25672iq1.jpg
Well I have gotten some work done to the Truck. Finally got the motor buttoned up and fired it today to make sure things were right. Not sure on the H.P. but I am curious. I did have to remove all the steering and clutch mechanism. I'll firgure all that out later. Since it is running I am going to get the front clip finished and move into the cab. I did go ahead and paint and graphic the hood up so I could get an idea of the scheme of things. Full body graphic is ready to match the hood.
http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/8811/img25692ri9.jpg
I also tried my hand at making a set of headers. Here is a pic of how they turned out so far. Still need to be painted and wrapped but they seem to work so far. 1 1/2" runners with a kick back at the end into a 3" main and a 55 degree bend down. Do you think it will be too much flow without full exhaust? I am planning cutouts for the bogs but full exhaust for the main trail.
http://img238.imageshack.us/img238/7398/img25682cu2.jpg
I know some of the things I am doing seem ridiculous but its my way of keeping at it in some way when Cash is short. Bear with me...

Well I got the motor finished up and started it last weekend. Sounds sweet with the headers and built back right. Ended up with 10.5:1 compression. Now I have moved onto the front clip radiator and then onto the interior dash and cage. Heres what I got done yesterday. This is the lower radiator mount. 2"x3" rectangle tube cut to make buckets. Simple and to the point.
http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/4953/img2571gj3.jpg
The top I placed the hood in the stock location, measured to the bottom and then figured the 1 5/8" tube to be right at the bottom of the hood. Installed the uprights and notched them at the previous measurement. then I cut a tube the width of the hood and bent it to match. Welded it up and made some brackets from the upper rail to the radiator. I also notched the inside of the hood to acomodate for the placement of the radiator. 33" wide notch. from the hood to the front leaving only a 1/4" lip under the front of the hood.
http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/8147/img2574dg0.jpg
Here is a pic of how the tube and radiator looks with the fenders and hood on. I think it turned out real clean.There will be tube for the inner fender mounts running into the cab for the dash and outside the front corners for protection. The rest I will wing as I go.
http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/1489/img2575nt7.jpg

Is there anyone that can figure horse power if I send specs of my motor? I would like to get a number.

Well I got the motor finished up and started it last weekend. Sounds sweet with the headers and built back right. Ended up with 10.5:1 compression. Now I have moved onto the front clip radiator and then onto the interior dash and cage. Heres what I got done yesterday. This is the lower radiator mount. 2"x3" rectangle tube cut to make buckets. Simple and to the point.
http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/4953/img2571gj3.jpg
The top I placed the hood in the stock location, measured to the bottom and then figured the 1 5/8" tube to be right at the bottom of the hood. Installed the uprights and notched them at the previous measurement. then I cut a tube the width of the hood and bent it to match. Welded it up and made some brackets from the upper rail to the radiator. I also notched the inside of the hood to acomodate for the placement of the radiator. 33" wide notch. from the hood to the front leaving only a 1/4" lip under the front of the hood.
http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/8147/img2574dg0.jpg
Here is a pic of how the tube and radiator looks with the fenders and hood on. I think it turned out real clean.There will be tube for the inner fender mounts running into the cab for the dash and outside the front corners for protection. The rest I will wing as I go.
http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/1489/img2575nt7.jpg

Is there anyone that can figure horse power if I send specs of my motor? I would like to get a number.

did you drill holes in top of radiator to mount?
I always thought that type radiator was rubber mounted with the plastic top mount to prevent it from twisting & breaking like a hard mount?
LOOKS GREAT! Just wondering if you have seen them hold up mounted like this?
P).S. that GRUMPY paint on rad adds 4.375 HP at least:D

did you drill holes in top of radiator to mount?
I always thought that type radiator was rubber mounted with the plastic top mount to prevent it from twisting & breaking like a hard mount?
LOOKS GREAT! Just wondering if you have seen them hold up mounted like this?
P).S. that GRUMPY paint on rad adds 4.375 HP at least:D
I installed it like I removed it from the mud truck. The holes were already there but they didn't do much with it off road wise. I was really the first to put it through its paces. But I didn't think about the twisting stress. Tubing the whole thing out, to the frame, do you think that would stiffen the frame up to stop some of the twisting or should I redesign with the rubber mounts? I already see the frame needs more support from how it all moves when we bleeped the throttle on initial fire up.

I installed it like I removed it from the mud truck. The holes were already there but they didn't do much with it off road wise. I was really the first to put it through its paces. But I didn't think about the twisting stress. Tubing the whole thing out, to the frame, do you think that would stiffen the frame up to stop some of the twisting or should I redesign with the rubber mounts? I already see the frame needs more support from how it all moves when we bleeped the throttle on initial fire up.

I don't know, but looks easy enough to make the bracket you made into 2 pieces and sandwich a soft rubber donut in there somehow if you think the frame will twist enough to cause problems.

I nearly buit a 98 blazer 4 door, but just no time so I bought a built 4runner, but drive an 02 sonoma 2wd, I love the 4.3.l :smokin:

I don't know, but looks easy enough to make the bracket you made into 2 pieces and sandwich a soft rubber donut in there somehow if you think the frame will twist enough to cause problems.
Sounds like something good to do just for cheap insurance to cheat failure in either case. I'll get that done tonight when I am working on it again. Gonna try to get some more tube work done so I can started on the dash. Thanks for the advice...

Sweet another S10 with link build :) I wish I had time to finish mine up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNLZKwfCne0
Video we took the other night of the motor. Sorry, the throttle guy didn't want to let it idle.

Its always cool to hear a project roar to life

It always makes me cringe when I hear a motor rev like that right after startup :eek::shaking:

It always makes me cringe when I hear a motor rev like that right after startup :eek::shaking:
The only major thing changed was the cam. This wasn't the first time run either since the build-up. We been babying it for a while now.