CK5
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1989 K5 - Gradual Learning
- Thread starter shima
- Start date
First 4x4 - learning basic maintenance / upkeep and maybe some small mods.
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2000
- Posts
- 9,123
- Reaction score
- 7,077
Awesome of you Scott, doesn't surprise me at all!
That’s great!!! Way to go Scott for helping Drew. Thrush welded mufflers sound great. The ck5 brotherhood is awesome. Helping each other what this is all about.
I picked them up from Ron a couple of weeks back! That's my next project. Gotta do a little reading - one of the studs is blocked by the power steering pump bracket.
I have to admit after hearing Drew's K5 when it pulled into the shop, it was just nagging at me. No Chevy V8 exhaust should sound that restricted. While we were installing the cat, I was trying to remember if I still had that muffler because I had tried to sell it on our garage sale. Glad it was still laying around waiting for Drew to show up in need of a better sounding exhaust. 
That’s recycling in my book. Everybody wins.I have to admit after hearing Drew's K5 when it pulled into the shop, it was just nagging at me. No Chevy V8 exhaust should sound that restricted. While we were installing the cat, I was trying to remember if I still had that muffler because I had tried to sell it on our garage sale. Glad it was still laying around waiting for Drew to show up in need of a better sounding exhaust.
So what did the old cat look like inside?
I didn't look in it, but moving it around sounded and felt like it was full of sand.
Dual bed cat one half were filled with beads. The round plug on bottom was were it was filled.
The Blazer still has a noticeable shake when idling. I was hanging out with @ZooMad75 on Tuesday night and he got me motivated to get after it.
The task list is:
The manifold is pretty beat-up. Here is a video, hopefully it plays for you all. The silver stuff is a JB Weld product.
View attachment PXL_20240509_015516471.mp4
On the driver's side, I am blocked by this bracket that has the alternator and power steering attached to it.
It looks like it's bolted-in up high on the back of the alternator, then a couple of times down by the power steering pump.
One of the fasteners underneath doesn't have enough clearance to come off. Here is what that looks like:
I ran into this when pulling the manifolds from the engine at Ron's. We ended up just bending the bracket out of the way. Ron told me what I would have to do, but between then and now I had forgotten all of the details. So I gave Rob a ring and showed him the situation - he let me know that I'd have to remove the PS pump. After we hung up, I found this old thread last night as additional evidence. So, I called it a night and am going to look into handling that next.
I'm happy to be making progress because the shake at idle is preventing me from taking the Blazer outside of Denver metro area. It deserves much better.
The task list is:
- Replace the manifolds with the pair I got from @Capt Ron.
- While doing this, bolt-in the tube that has some starter wires and the knock sensor wire running through it.
- Fix the EGR.
- Bang my head against the wall if it still shakes.
- Idea: Get a rebuild kit for the TBI?
- Idea: Take a look at the distributor (I replaced the cap and rotor back in 2020, maybe I screwed something up)?
The manifold is pretty beat-up. Here is a video, hopefully it plays for you all. The silver stuff is a JB Weld product.
View attachment PXL_20240509_015516471.mp4
On the driver's side, I am blocked by this bracket that has the alternator and power steering attached to it.
It looks like it's bolted-in up high on the back of the alternator, then a couple of times down by the power steering pump.
One of the fasteners underneath doesn't have enough clearance to come off. Here is what that looks like:
I ran into this when pulling the manifolds from the engine at Ron's. We ended up just bending the bracket out of the way. Ron told me what I would have to do, but between then and now I had forgotten all of the details. So I gave Rob a ring and showed him the situation - he let me know that I'd have to remove the PS pump. After we hung up, I found this old thread last night as additional evidence. So, I called it a night and am going to look into handling that next.
I'm happy to be making progress because the shake at idle is preventing me from taking the Blazer outside of Denver metro area. It deserves much better.
Last edited:
You'll have to pull the pulley off to get the pump removed from the bracket. The mounting bolts for the pump are behind the pulley.
Never even thought about the motor mounts. I guess now would be a good time to check them over.
Actually iirc you can take that alt and power steering pump off the engine still in the brackets. This will allow you to lift the brakes off the exhaust studs.
If the exhaust manifold bolts do not straight and by do not force them, come back here and we'll show you how solve this.
Should be 3 bolts (maybe 4) into the head and block, be sure to disconnect the battery
If the exhaust manifold bolts do not straight and by do not force them, come back here and we'll show you how solve this.
Should be 3 bolts (maybe 4) into the head and block, be sure to disconnect the battery
I think there's a bolt where my crude attempt at an arrow is pointing that the pump will block.
I drilled two holes ( for balance) so I can remove and install p.s. without disturbing the pulley.
Edit—the belt is not routed correctly in that pic.
passenger or driver side??
Woops
Drew. Let me know if you want to borrow my ps pulley removal/installer tool. I could bring it over tomorrow after work.
Also, save future Drew a problem later and toss the bracket from the alternator to the exhaust manifold when you have it apart. I was thinking about it and didn't remember having that bracket on the 350 in my '75 Blazer with the serp drive. Since I take pics of everything like an Asian tourist at Disneyland, I pulled up a pic of it.
Obviously with the headers, that bracket wasn't going to fit without some spacers and longer bolts so we tossed that backside bracket. I drove that truck a very long time without the extra bracket and had zero issues from it. The main aluminum bracket is really rigid does not deflect at all. So save yourself the pain in the future if you need to replace an exhaust gasket or the manifold again. Toss the bracket.
Also, save future Drew a problem later and toss the bracket from the alternator to the exhaust manifold when you have it apart. I was thinking about it and didn't remember having that bracket on the 350 in my '75 Blazer with the serp drive. Since I take pics of everything like an Asian tourist at Disneyland, I pulled up a pic of it.
Obviously with the headers, that bracket wasn't going to fit without some spacers and longer bolts so we tossed that backside bracket. I drove that truck a very long time without the extra bracket and had zero issues from it. The main aluminum bracket is really rigid does not deflect at all. So save yourself the pain in the future if you need to replace an exhaust gasket or the manifold again. Toss the bracket.
That's a cool idea. And don't worry, I don't know how to properly route a serpentine belt anyway.
