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I need your input, '73 Blazer

R

RJG

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Location
Cook, MN
I bought this truck with a good body and interior. It already had a 350 from a '76 Camaro so I'm not worried about originality. Now, it needs new wiring and guages but aside from that, the engine, transfer case and transmission could all use an upgrade. This has an auto transmission and 98% of my driving is on the highway. Following the K.I.S.S. principle and knowing that reliability, not high performance is my main concern, what might you recommend as good options for replacing those components? Also, when I bought this, it had a 4" body lift and 35" tires. I took the lift out and went back to stock wheels and tires. But I never did anything with the shocks which I assume should be replaced to improve ride quality. So, any recommendations on which shocks I should consider?

Thanks!
 
Hard to go wrong with the yellow and blue Bilsteins at stock height. KYB and Gabriel both make less expensive monotube stock replacement shocks if the Billies are too steep for your budget.
 
I like Bilstiens personally.

Depending on your skill level and work area capabilities, maybe stay with the stock components. If you know enough, can find the parts to update some, AND have shops that cab provide a few things, like driveshafts, then you could install a 700R4 with an NP208. BUT! You need to know how much work it is versus rebuilding what you already have installed. There are several changes and it may simply be not worth it for what you do with the truck.
 
If your are keeping stock size tires, the factory engine trans combo is good. The crappy ethanol gas requires some adjustment to the fuel system, also the heads will need hardened valve seats to compensate for the lack of lead in the gas.
A quardrajet carb in good condition will be reliable, if you desire efi, the GM TBI system is the probably the most reliable and you can get repair parts at most if not all the chain parts stores.
Can't speak to the aftermarket efi systems there are many threads here discussing them thou
 
RJG said:
I bought this truck with a good body and interior. It already had a 350 from a '76 Camaro so I'm not worried about originality. Now, it needs new wiring and guages but aside from that, the engine, transfer case and transmission could all use an upgrade. This has an auto transmission and 98% of my driving is on the highway. Following the K.I.S.S. principle and knowing that reliability, not high performance is my main concern, what might you recommend as good options for replacing those components? Also, when I bought this, it had a 4" body lift and 35" tires. I took the lift out and went back to stock wheels and tires. But I never did anything with the shocks which I assume should be replaced to improve ride quality. So, any recommendations on which shocks I should consider?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Your rig is as about as dirt simple as you can get. Simple equals reliable. I have Bilstein shocks on my wife's Honda and had Bilsteins on my big F250 that I sold. I would have Bilsteins on the Jimmy if they had coil overs for added weight capacity.

Engine I would rebuild with good components for torque down low where you can use it. Maybe a quick refresh on the TH350 and a larger capacity oil pan. Maybe some of the outer seals on the transfer case. If you can still get it into 4low and it doesn't pop out of gear while in 4wd, then I would leave it alone.

If most of your driving is on the highway, going with highway gears may be better. You can drop your highway driving RPM 3 different ways. Gears, tires, or with an overdrive of some kind. I would check your axle to see what gears you have. Pop your covers and count the teeth to be sure.
 
If it is stock, and someone didn't put early heads on it. Thou chances are that it does have hardens seats.
If memory serves the oems needed a year or 2 to discover the effects of unleaded gas.
I don't believe all 76 Camaro's had cats. Both my 77 suburbans didn't have factory cats, nor an unleaded filler neck.
Cats weren't required till 78 even then the Honda civic didn't need them till 80.
 
Wes Harden said:
If it is stock, and someone didn't put early heads on it. Thou chances are that it does have hardens seats.
If memory serves the oems needed a year or 2 to discover the effects of unleaded gas.
I don't believe all 76 Camaro's had cats. Both my 77 suburbans didn't have factory cats, nor an unleaded filler neck.
Cats weren't required till 78 even then the Honda civic didn't need them till 80.
Click to expand...
This wasn't a definite rule. Weight ratings were some of the deciding factors. I am pretty positive that my Grandpa's '75 C10 had a cat under it. It had the unleaded sticker above the fuel filler. There were incidents of farmers starting grass fires more often when trucks originally got catalytic converters.
 
Wes Harden said:
If it is stock, and someone didn't put early heads on it. Thou chances are that it does have hardens seats.
If memory serves the oems needed a year or 2 to discover the effects of unleaded gas.
I don't believe all 76 Camaro's had cats. Both my 77 suburbans didn't have factory cats, nor an unleaded filler neck.
Cats weren't required till 78 even then the Honda civic didn't need them till 80.
Click to expand...

All 1976 Camaros had catalytic converters.

243C51CE-6301-4078-A379-8382FB69183A.jpeg
Martin
 
6872xtc said:
This wasn't a definite rule. Weight ratings were some of the deciding factors. I am pretty positive that my Grandpa's '75 C10 had a cat under it. It had the unleaded sticker above the fuel filler. There were incidents of farmers starting grass fires more often when trucks originally got catalytic converters.
Click to expand...
My 76 C20 never had cats and my 77 Jimmy has never had cats either. The Jimmy has a GVWR of 6400. Not sure of the C20. Screw it, put 2.02 World Products heads on it and be done.
 
If the heads are from a 1976 Camaro, they are fine.

There are plenty of other places to spend money.

Martin
 
nitro_rat said:
Hard to go wrong with the yellow and blue Bilsteins at stock height. KYB and Gabriel both make less expensive monotube stock replacement shocks if the Billies are too steep for your budget.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply. I'm going for the the Bilsteins...
 
Cheavyk10 said:
The drivetrain components on the trucks are proven and time tested. Just rebuild and enjoy. Too many folks get caught in the "I need an LS swap with an OD trans" camp and then the truck sits in the garage for years while you try to reengineer the whole vehicle.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I've been thinking about it and you're 100% right. This will never be more that a fun truck to drive when the weather is good so why try to get crazy with it.
 
6872xtc said:
I like Bilstiens personally.

Depending on your skill level and work area capabilities, maybe stay with the stock components. If you know enough, can find the parts to update some, AND have shops that cab provide a few things, like driveshafts, then you could install a 700R4 with an NP208. BUT! You need to know how much work it is versus rebuilding what you already have installed. There are several changes and it may simply be not worth it for what you do with the truck.
Click to expand...
I think you're right. I'm not the worlds best mechanic so it's best to stay with what I have, maybe rebuild the current tranny and transfer case. Thanks
 
Wes Harden said:
If your are keeping stock size tires, the factory engine trans combo is good. The crappy ethanol gas requires some adjustment to the fuel system, also the heads will need hardened valve seats to compensate for the lack of lead in the gas.
A quardrajet carb in good condition will be reliable, if you desire efi, the GM TBI system is the probably the most reliable and you can get repair parts at most if not all the chain parts stores.
Can't speak to the aftermarket efi systems there are many threads here discussing them thou
Click to expand...
Thanks, I appreciate your input. I'll need to get a look at these heads, maybe replace the valve seats. Shouldn't be too tough.
 
Joel Wilson said:
Your rig is as about as dirt simple as you can get. Simple equals reliable. I have Bilstein shocks on my wife's Honda and had Bilsteins on my big F250 that I sold. I would have Bilsteins on the Jimmy if they had coil overs for added weight capacity.

Engine I would rebuild with good components for torque down low where you can use it. Maybe a quick refresh on the TH350 and a larger capacity oil pan. Maybe some of the outer seals on the transfer case. If you can still get it into 4low and it doesn't pop out of gear while in 4wd, then I would leave it alone.

If most of your driving is on the highway, going with highway gears may be better. You can drop your highway driving RPM 3 different ways. Gears, tires, or with an overdrive of some kind. I would check your axle to see what gears you have. Pop your covers and count the teeth to be sure.
Click to expand...
Great reply, thanks. I like working on the truck but am not a great mechanic by any stretch. Can I get the tranny and transfer case out without pulling the engine? I do have huge leakage problems down there and probably need to replace a number of seals/gaskets. Also, what exactly am I looking for when counting the teeth on the axle?
 
Yes you can.
2 things that will not seem obvious.
Loosen the dist cap, and take bolts out of the fan shroud.
You'll want some way of supporting the back of the engine while the trans is out.
I try to do it from above. A bar or 4x4 with a chain.
You can remove the trans and t case together if you have a good trans jack, or some strong buddies and floor jack.
If you put your floor jack under the trans pan use some wood to spread the load.
I will discourage anyone from putting a jack under the engine oil pan.
Bent pans leak.
Don't for get the dipstick tube and any cable to carb
 
Count the teeth on the ring gear and the teeth on the pinion then divide the two numbers to get your gear ratio.
 
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