What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Bought my TBI 4-speed Blazer

W

wyowrx

Registered Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2011
Posts
33
Reaction score
0
Location
Huntsville, AL
Hi, first real post here. Had an 83 305 4-speed in college and wanted to have another one, now that I'm getting older. So, it took me a while to find a fuel injected 4-speed, but I finally did. Had to drive two hours to meet the guy half way, so I think I overlooked some things and ignored some things. In the end it's a rust free 88. There is a laundry list of things that need to be fixed that I will post below, and any quick fixes would be much appreciated. 4" spring lift in front, 4" shackle flip lift in the rear. 14 bolt rear and super 44 in the front. 4-speed, NP208. 37" mil spec goodyear mt's on 16.5x12.5 rims.



Me with the new ride.


Things that aren't quite right:

The guy just threw on 37's with a 4" lift and ended up cutting the front fenders the week before I went to see it. Didn't know about the cutting till I showed up. Whats the best way to roll or doctor the fenders so it doesn't look ghetto?

I am looking to trade the military goodyear 37's (16.5 x 12.5) if anyone has some 33's or 35's. Rims are steel.

The transfer case was humming/sounding like a bunch of gears grinding when I got to 65 mph and worse when I decelerated. My neighbor looked at the drive shaft angles and said the rear dif was pointing up to meet the differential. He pointed me towards the pirate 4x4 axle tutorial. After reading the pirate 4x4 tutorial I now understand what he was talking about. The angles are not square (transfer case output to the rear diff), so I guess I will have to shim the rear diff according to my neighbor (who I trust on 4x4 issues). But that may mean a lengthened drive shaft.

The seller said the electric passenger window quit working on the drive to meet me. It's stuck in the down position. I tried switching to the center switch, which works, but it didn't fix the window. I will be tearing apart the passenger door this weekend.

The brakes feel like they have serious air in them. Thought about bleeding them, but the pedal has a gradual feel until the brakes engage. I think it's the master cylinder or the booster...

Emergency brake is not connected. Will be ordering parts from LMC, but not sure how it ties into the 14 bolt rear end drums.

Accelerator is sticky. Searched and didn't find a real easy solution...

Engine runs terrible on a warm re-start. I think it is the IAC. It got colder here today and the idle went up, so I don't think it is the temp sensor.

Radio cuts out on bumps. Will have to tear apart the wiring to see what's going on.

Exhaust has holes like swiss cheese. Will have to weld up all the holes/cracks.

All in all, my heart loves this truck. My brain and gut tell me I paid way too much ($5300), and that I should have walked away. But my neighbor likes the fact that it is rust free on the chassis, and that it has the parts for crawling.
 
Last edited:
wyowrx said:
The brakes feel like they have serious air in them. Thought about bleeding them, but the pedal has a gradual feel until the brakes engage. I think it's the master cylinder or the booster...
Click to expand...

When vacuum boosters go bad, the pedal gets HARDER, not softer. They're also easy to test. After turning the key off -- don't touch the brake pedal when you do -- wait fifteen minutes.

You should then get two or three good pumps of the brake pedal before it gets really hard to press. If so, the booster is keeping vacuum and should be fine. (If it's hard to press from the getgo, there's a vacuum leak somewhere, nothing to do with the hydraulics, but the big hose from the booster to the back of the throttle body or wherever it goes on newfangled trucks.)

If you're gonna replace the master, you may as well replace the wheel cylinders and the calipers. You gotta bleed the system anyway, it's manually intensive and messy, and done all at once, you shouldn't have to do it again for a long time.

I hate brakes, can you tell? :D

wyowrx said:
Emergency brake is not connected. Will be ordering parts from LMC, but not sure how it ties into the 14 bolt rear end drums.
Click to expand...

Probably doesn't tie in, i.e. the PO never finished :haha: You may need to mix and match parts, so find out what year the donor was for the 14bff.

-- A
 
The power windows on these trucks suck, always. Usually either the motor dies but sometimes you can lube the gaskets and coax the window up until more can be done.

If you do find the motor is bad be careful replacing it, I've read the regulator is spring assisted and will snip off a finger if you get careless. I've never done it but I'm sure there are instructions around here somewhere.
 
My guess is it's actually a 3/4 ton D44hd with the external style locking hubs.
 
the pedal sticking just means you need a new cable. I went to a junk yard for mine. I tried wd40, and soaking it in oil didn't help. Just went snaged another cable boom done!
 
Good for you for finding what you wanted. Welcome to the site. You will find more info then you ever thought possible here. Don't know if you have been a lurker for any length of time but if you have you have seen how good this site is already. Congrats man, enjoy your K5.
 
I've had a few gas pedals get sticky ,and it was not the cable,but the bracket under the dash where the lonkage hooks up to the cable,the pedal linkage goes thru a plastic bracket and I used chassis grease to lube it up after romoving the 3 screws holding it together--made driving my truck a lot less "lurchy"--was hard to take off in traffic smoothly,when you pressed harder and harder on the pedal,then had it break free sudden;y and go halfway to the floor!..
 
dremu said:
When vacuum boosters go bad, the pedal gets HARDER, not softer. They're also easy to test. After turning the key off -- don't touch the brake pedal when you do -- wait fifteen minutes.

You should then get two or three good pumps of the brake pedal before it gets really hard to press. If so, the booster is keeping vacuum and should be fine. (If it's hard to press from the getgo, there's a vacuum leak somewhere, nothing to do with the hydraulics, but the big hose from the booster to the back of the throttle body or wherever it goes on newfangled trucks.)

If you're gonna replace the master, you may as well replace the wheel cylinders and the calipers. You gotta bleed the system anyway, it's manually intensive and messy, and done all at once, you shouldn't have to do it again for a long time.

I hate brakes, can you tell? :D



Probably doesn't tie in, i.e. the PO never finished :haha: You may need to mix and match parts, so find out what year the donor was for the 14bff.

-- A
Click to expand...

Awesome, I was worried about having to swap the booster. Brakes aren't so bad for me. Bought a pressure bleeder a while ago and it works wonders, when you are short handed.

How do you tell which year/model the 14bff came from?
 
jekquistk5 said:
the pedal sticking just means you need a new cable. I went to a junk yard for mine. I tried wd40, and soaking it in oil didn't help. Just went snaged another cable boom done!
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll check out the cable and also do as diesel4me suggests!

Again, thanks for all the replies!!!
 
wyowrx said:
Thanks, I didn't think he had done enough to clear them. I really want to trade down to some 33's or 35's.

Thanks to all who have responded! I have been on quite a few auto forums and this response has been tremendous!
Click to expand...


Theres a reason we call the dedicated here "The brotherhood". Stick around, be a good person, have good morals and you'll be more than welcome here.

We're generally a lower cut up, bigger meats is better kinda group but its no for everyone. You can check out ryokens build for sectioned fenders. He opened them up and kept the body "lines" on the opening for a more finished look.
 
nvrenuf said:
The power windows on these trucks suck, always. Usually either the motor dies but sometimes you can lube the gaskets and coax the window up until more can be done.

If you do find the motor is bad be careful replacing it, I've read the regulator is spring assisted and will snip off a finger if you get careless. I've never done it but I'm sure there are instructions around here somewhere.
Click to expand...


That seems to be a common problem in GMs of the era. I was shocked when I bought my 85 that all the power windows worked, although they do move a little slower when its cold.
 
wyowrx said:
Awesome, I was worried about having to swap the booster. Brakes aren't so bad for me. Bought a pressure bleeder a while ago and it works wonders, when you are short handed.

How do you tell which year/model the 14bff came from?
Click to expand...

Actually swapping the booster is easy, except the bottom two nuts are a PITA, but no fluid is involved so it's less messy. However, it's rarely needed, so why spend the $$ and time?

And yes, the pressure bleeder is a godsend for those of us working solo.

What you'll need to know for the 14BFF is which of two types of parking brake hookups it has. In any event, inventory what you do or don't have (does the axle even have cables sticking out, are they there but not connected, whatever) and then compare your backing plates to, say, the pictures in the LMC catalog (which are often very good), and/or take a trip 'round the junkyard and look at all the 14bff's to see the different kind of backing plates.

-- A
 
If it's really rust free $5300 isn't the end of the world. If you've ever had to repair the kind of rust these rigs are known for you'd feel a lot better about the price.

As long as you have 4.10's I'd keep the 37's...it's a nice tire size vs. gearing combo when you have the SM 465. Good in town, good on the highway.

Spend a bit of time searching fender trim threads for ideas. There is "quick and dirty", but effective...and then there is effective and good looking. I prefer the latter, and if done right only a square body aficionado can tell you've done anything.

I think you'll find this site to be exceptionally active, helpful to a fault and very friendly...as long as you don't come across as a know-it-all prick. None of us know it all, but we do know more than our fair share about K5's and other square body rigs.

Rene
 
Nice shirt. Fenders look fine. I'd run them and just replace down the road if you decide you need to.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom