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Need to learn basics

FatBoyM

FatBoyM

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Hello everyone with great knowledge about these awesome trucks.
I recently bought 85 K5 Silverado 4x4 Blazer; has a 353 blueprint motor, Holley carb,700R4 Transmission with 4.56 gears.
I'm no mechanic. This will be my joy driver, when I am not on my Harley, "daily, weekend ride". I drive a work vehicle daily so not a commuter vehicle. I want this to be reliable driver to home depot, cigar bar, lake, river, alone time, mountains & gun range.
What do I need to know & where is the best place to learn about the basics, beyond fluids, filters..
How to identify problems in could fix (carburetor performance & the such).
Thanks for any & all input, I look forward to enjoying this truck & hopefully having the ability to fix some of the basics myself.

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Dang, that thing is nice. Reminds me so much of when I bought mine 26 years ago.

You'll have to be more specific. The information is all posted here *somewhere*. If you need help, do Google searches with "site:CK5.com". A factory Quadrajet can be pretty reliable. Visual inspection of everything is a good start. Any current drivability issues or weird noises?
 
Nice Blazer. That's a real clean one, Enjoy!

All the info you need is here at CK5, Youtube has a lot too.

The carburetor will be your biggest issue. Newer mechanics often can't tune them well, you need an old school guy with some experience. If you can find a good carb guy you are all set. TBI didn't come around until 1987, so a Quadrajet is correct on your truck if you are interested in originality.

A good aftermarket fuel injection system would be the only change I would make to your truck. I have a few squares with factory TBI and an Edelbrock aftermarket injection setup on one. The overall drivability is great, and injection adjusts for altitude and temperature very well. I never met a great carb guy I could learn from. Since moving to injection, I won't go back.
 
Blue85 said:
Dang, that thing is nice. Reminds me so much of when I bought mine 26 years ago.

You'll have to be more specific. The information is all posted here *somewhere*. If you need help, do Google searches with "site:CK5.com". A factory Quadrajet can be pretty reliable. Visual inspection of everything is a good start. Any current drivability issues or weird noises?
Click to expand...
I've searched the thread a lot, I think my ignorance makes it hard to ask the right questions. Thanks for the tip.
Everything looks good, had the mechanic look & going by his recommendations.
It's been running nice for the last 800 miles, it's stalling now at idle & low speed (less than 15mph), no tachometer to watch..
It seems to stall after it's warm.
I've gotta see what exact carb it is but I have a few pictures..

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HankScorpio said:
Nice Blazer. That's a real clean one, Enjoy!

All the info you need is here at CK5, Youtube has a lot too.

The carburetor will be your biggest issue. Newer mechanics often can't tune them well, you need an old school guy with some experience. If you can find a good carb guy you are all set. TBI didn't come around until 1987, so a Quadrajet is correct on your truck if you are interested in originality.

A good aftermarket fuel injection system would be the only change I would make to your truck. I have a few squares with factory TBI and an Edelbrock aftermarket injection setup on one. The overall drivability is great, and injection adjusts for altitude and temperature very well. I never met a great carb guy I could learn from. Since moving to injection, I won't go back.
Click to expand...
The same advice I got from a buddy, I think that's the next step since I'm having some stalling of recent art low idle.
Also since I'm no mechanic, the fuel injector would be a better way to go.
 
well your engine has some mods. That's a Holley carb they tend to run rich. If my guess is right after 800 miles the plugs may be a bit fouled. If you can take a couple out and post some pictures of the tips

easy check for a Holley is to make sure the bowls are tight. see the 4 bolts front and back, put a wrench on those and snug them up. On the choke horn(top of carb) will be some stamped numbers, this will id the carb size and model
 
Wes Harden said:
well your engine has some mods. That's a Holley carb they tend to run rich. If my guess is right after 800 miles the plugs may be a bit fouled. If you can take a couple out and post some pictures of the tips

easy check for a Holley is to make sure the bowls are tight. see the 4 bolts front and back, put a wrench on those and snug them up. On the choke horn(top of carb) will be some stamped numbers, this will id the carb size and model
Click to expand...
Ahhhh that's interesting. I think it's definitely running rich. Thank you.
I have my Easter hunt for tomorrow. (Hunting spark plugs).
 
that carb has an electric choke. looks to me like the tab for the electrical positive lead is broke off. the negative is there and just bolts to the carb. do you have a wire laying around that choke that has a broken terminal from the choke?
 
in the first pic looking down, it looks like the terminal is sticking out
in the second pic from the side, it looks broken off or maybe it is just the angle
 
fourwheelerjeff said:
that carb has an electric choke. looks to me like the tab for the electrical positive lead is broke off. the negative is there and just bolts to the carb. do you have a wire laying around that choke that has a broken terminal from the choke?
Click to expand...
I do not, this was installed before I purchased the vehicle. I'll look for a loose wire, as of now I've pulled a few spark plugs, they are toast.

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83ChevyK5Blazer said:
Start a build thread in the driveway, good way to document stuff and ask away as you have questions.
Click to expand...

I'm not really building the truck, looking for direction where I could learn the basics.
Should I look for a "Chiltons" book, subscribe to a "basic mechanic" on you tube. The knowledge is so vast here & I'm so ignorant, I'm not sure of the correct questions to ask or search.
Any suggestions that you would offer to help teach the basics to someone who understands vehicles & how they operate but not how to repair the common issues with a K5?
What to look for, how to t/s common issues?
I fairly certain I'm going to get a fuel injection installed to eliminate trying to learn the carburetor.
 
Chilton isn't very specific. A better buy would be the factory service manual from ebay. There are a bunch of tech manuals hiding here somewhere. Someone will chime in as to where. The resources tab maybe?
 
Let check the float level. holley float adj.jpg
The red circle is the float level check plug. Engine off, Remove this plug, gas should be just at the bottom of the hole. If gas pours out the float level is to high, and could be the cause of fouled plugs. If gas does not pour out put plug back in, not tight, start engine and remove plug, gas should be just at the bottom of the hole, and not be dribbling out.
If an adjustment is needed, loosen the screw blue arrow, and turn the nut under screw. clockwise will lower the float level(make gas level go down) counter clockwise will raise the level. Once the fuel level is correct hold the nut and tighten the screw.
perform the same procedure on the rear bowl.

Have a fire extinguisher handy.

While we are talking about fire, I do not care for your fuel feed to carb. Ideally it would be metal from mechanical pump to carb. This would have to be custom made. Ok would be steel braid with AN fittings. Last would be a good quality rubber fuel line that is inspected regularly. No matter which you choose the fuel filter need to be down by the frame , and not up high above intake, or where a leak might blow/spray on exhaust.
 
the choke is probably not set to close. Hollies run so dam rich they hardly need one. The electric choke cover only needs a keyed on 12v source. An 85 would have had this wire factory I will look and see I can find the bulk head cavity and wire color. once we get that wire hooked up we can set the choke.

Until then loosen the 3 choke cover screws turn the choke cover back and forth while watching the choke butterfly valve, when it starts to move stop then turn the cover counter clockwise a bit more and tighten the 3 screws. This should keep the choke from closing when engine is closed and maybe fouling plugs.

Build thread is just a place for your personal thread about this K5, helps to keep everything you do to your truck in one place. esp when the A.G.E virus take that memory away.
 
Wes Harden said:
the choke is probably not set to close. Hollies run so dam rich they hardly need one. The electric choke cover only needs a keyed on 12v source. An 85 would have had this wire factory I will look and see I can find the bulk head cavity and wire color. once we get that wire hooked up we can set the choke.

Until then loosen the 3 choke cover screws turn the choke cover back and forth while watching the choke butterfly valve, when it starts to move stop then turn the cover counter clockwise a bit more and tighten the 3 screws. This should keep the choke from closing when engine is closed and maybe fouling plugs.

Build thread is just a place for your personal thread about this K5, helps to keep everything you do to your truck in one place. esp when the A.G.E virus take that memory away.
Click to expand...
 
After rereading my post. The direction to turn choke cover is wrong.
Turn clockwise then tighten screws.
 
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