Questions on 85 K5 becoming seasonal daily driver

[GoGoGirl]

Lately I’ve been thinking of replacing my daily driver with something more capable of light to moderate off road duty, such as camping and kayaking, sometimes off the beaten path. Some of my friends have property with very primitive roads, so my Acura MDX just won’t do.


Today it suddenly hit me...why not make the Blazer more reliable and fully roadworthy? I’d feel much more confident driving it more often and I can then wait longer to replace the Acura with something similar for commuting and travel, and not spend the money on a totally different vehicle to fill multiple roles. I know the mannerisms and the work that’s been done to the Blazer, so buying something different (used) would be entering the realm of an unknown maintenance history.


Enter my two considerations: legality and reliability. As far as I know, the only work the Blazer needs to pass inspection is ball joints and new exhaust. Neither of which I’m sure I can do myself. I don’t have a ballpark estimate of the cost to have someone else do the work. I’m guessing roughly $1000 would likely cover both...? I bet many of you on here would know. Reliability...my only concern with the truck is how every time I start it is a roll of the dice. Will it cold start today? Will it start after driving ten miles? And so on. I’ve changed plugs, wires, cap, and rotor, and sure the vehicle starts and seems to run better than before, however it’s still a gamble. My non-expert opinion is that having a qualified person examine or tune or rebuild the carb might solve that problem. I think that’s the key here. And then to religiously avoid ethanol-free gas (I avoid it when I can but living out in the country leaves me few choices sometimes).


What are your thoughts?

 

[blazinzuk]

I daily drive an 89 suburban. Has it had issues. Yes. But not a ton. It's a fairly dependable ride.

I have also daily driven a 73 blazer and an 89 blazer an 86 pickup and a 73 pickup.

It will require some work to be sure. But is certainly doable .

Find a decent mechanic. It might take a bit. But blazers are really pretty simple. It's super hard to diagnose problems over the internet, that's why you need a good local mechanic to do things your not capable of.

Using your blazer as a daily is totally doable

 

[fordsucks!]

Depends on your definition of daily driver. If your daily drive consists of 30 miles then a Blazer is no problem. If your daily Drive is 300+ city miles with 20+ stops (like me), then an 80's carbureted Blazer is a terrible choice.

 

[GoGoGirl]

Depends on your definition of daily driver. If your daily drive consists of 30 miles then a Blazer is no problem. If your daily Drive is 300+ city miles with 20+ stops (like me), then an 80's carbureted Blazer is a terrible choice.

That’s a good point that I forgot to address. I mean a fair weather commuter for a ride of roughly 12 miles each way. Mostly back roads. I’ve commuted in the Blazer before and it was fine, just not inspected and I was nervous about it starting up.

 

[fordsucks!]

That’s a good point that I forgot to address. I mean a fair weather commuter for a ride of roughly 12 miles each way. Mostly back roads. I’ve commuted in the Blazer before and it was fine, just not inspected and I was nervous about it starting up.

I am jealous. 12 miles of back roads One Way?? Blazer is a mighty fine choice.

 

[GoGoGirl]

I am jealous. 12 miles of back roads One Way?? Blazer is a mighty fine choice.

Lol yes absolutely! I basically sneak into town on the back roads, and pull out onto the main road for the last 1.5 miles.

 

[swettysblazer]

It's definitely possible. I would figure that for someone to do ball joints at 100 bucks an hour (normal labor rate down here) plus the parts would run about 700 bucks, and then the exhaust depending on what you get or do could be in the 3-500 range so I think you are in the ballpark.

Is the no-start issue carb related do you think?

 

[imiceman44]

Lately I’ve been thinking of replacing my daily driver with something more capable of light to moderate off road duty, such as camping and kayaking, sometimes off the beaten path. Some of my friends have property with very primitive roads, so my Acura MDX just won’t do.


Today it suddenly hit me...why not make the Blazer more reliable and fully roadworthy? I’d feel much more confident driving it more often and I can then wait longer to replace the Acura with something similar for commuting and travel, and not spend the money on a totally different vehicle to fill multiple roles. I know the mannerisms and the work that’s been done to the Blazer, so buying something different (used) would be entering the realm of an unknown maintenance history.


Enter my two considerations: legality and reliability. As far as I know, the only work the Blazer needs to pass inspection is ball joints and new exhaust. Neither of which I’m sure I can do myself. I don’t have a ballpark estimate of the cost to have someone else do the work. I’m guessing roughly $1000 would likely cover both...? I bet many of you on here would know. Reliability...my only concern with the truck is how every time I start it is a roll of the dice. Will it cold start today? Will it start after driving ten miles? And so on. I’ve changed plugs, wires, cap, and rotor, and sure the vehicle starts and seems to run better than before, however it’s still a gamble. My non-expert opinion is that having a qualified person examine or tune or rebuild the carb might solve that problem. I think that’s the key here. And then to religiously avoid ethanol-free gas (I avoid it when I can but living out in the country leaves me few choices sometimes).


What are your thoughts?

I think the blazer would be a great candidate for what you want and you're right starting with a known vehicle is better than a gamble on a new to you possible lemon.
I personally would not spend money on rebuilding the carb if you can get it fuel injected with stock parts for easier starts and more reliability.
But it's not necessary.
It would not cost much more either.

 

[diesel4me]

I say go for it!...

I've driven a dozen or more old GM pickups daily most of my life,ranging from my first one,a '56 Chevy 3200 series,to the current '82 GMC K2500...

I drove them all much further as far as commuting to work than yours too--I lived 65 miles away from my job in the 80's and I drove my '72 K5 to work and back daily until I moved closer,I also had a '71 GMC K1500 I used for the same commute--and I rarely ever had any roadside breakdowns,nothing more than a flat tire once in a while,I was lucky I never had to tow any of them home that far ,but I had AAA then and was a lot braver too..
--back then I was better off financially and kept the trucks in good roadworthy mechanical condition,to avoid any dangerous breakdowns on Rt.495 ,which was 90% of the commute..none of them were mint as far as body condition or looks really,but as long as they got me there and back,I wasn't worried about looks..

I actually prefer older vehicles I can fix myself,or at least know how to,the parts are usually cheap now too,some cost less than they did in the 80's..if I had a commute of 15 or so miles a day I could do on "back roads",I'd feel right at home in an old GM truck..

I even trusted my '82 GMC with the 6.2 to get me around on a 55 mile round trip most every weekend this past year,despite its many shortcomings..I admit its probably the truck I trust the least out of all I have owned,but I still feel more confident in that thing than I would in some new hi-tech truck..I had a few mechanical failures,my own fault for not keeping up with its maintenence as well as I should have ,but it got me home without calling a tow truck when a tie rod failed and I cobbed it together with some chain..try that in a Lexus..

Carbs aren't all that bad once you get one dialed in,and ethanol gas usually only ruins them if you let them sit with old gas in them more than a few months..(but non-ethanol is better if its available in your area)..

I've replaced ball joints,axle u-joints,most all other mechanical parts and have most of the "special" tools you'd need..be glad to assist you if you were able to get your truck to my town..
I probably couldn't (or shouldn't) swap a engine or put in a transmission any more,but most other repairs I can still manage to do myself..

 

[K5wrench]

That whole inspection thing is just so alien to me.
But aside from that.. I think I'd still hit a tree if you ever drove past me in that m1009.

To your point;
How expensive, and how difficult would it be to make your Honey pass that crazy commie inspection?

Might be worth it.

 

[campfire]

What are your thoughts?

How big of a mechanical problem are you comfortable dealing with?

Old vehicles break. Often. Keeping one of these rigs in a reliable state requires regular infusions of time and money. It can be cheaper than buying a newer Acura, if you do your own work. But you need to keep up on the maintenance or you are in for some untimely breakdowns.

4WD blazer ball joints are more headache than on your typical econobox car (because hubs hafta come apart). But they're still a routine and straightforward project.

Exhaust is a dirty job, but it's just clamping together pieces of tubing.

My thought is that if you're not comfortable with your ability to fix these things, you probably should not be putting daily miles on an old truck. Because other things will break. Small things, big things, medium things. If you hire out your routine maintenance it can wind up being ridiculously expensive in the long run.

The CK5 answer is to do everything yourself, regardless of sensibility. That's why I asked how big of a project you're willing (and able) to tackle. We'll happily talk you into all sorts of unfeasible projects...

 

[GoGoGirl]

How big of a mechanical problem are you comfortable dealing with?

Old vehicles break. Often. Keeping one of these rigs in a reliable state requires regular infusions of time and money. It can be cheaper than buying a newer Acura, if you do your own work. But you need to keep up on the maintenance or you are in for some untimely breakdowns.

4WD blazer ball joints are more headache than on your typical econobox car (because hubs hafta come apart). But they're still a routine and straightforward project.

Exhaust is a dirty job, but it's just clamping together pieces of tubing.

My thought is that if you're not comfortable with your ability to fix these things, you probably should not be putting daily miles on an old truck. Because other things will break. Small things, big things, medium things. If you hire out your routine maintenance it can wind up being ridiculously expensive in the long run.

The CK5 answer is to do everything yourself, regardless of sensibility. That's why I asked how big of a project you're willing (and able) to tackle. We'll happily talk you into all sorts of unfeasible projects...

I don't say this enough, but @campfire, I appreciate your wisdom and wit, and know your screen name very well from my time here. Extra thanks for reading my thread.

I want to learn and do things for myself, mainly so I have the skills, also to be able to say that I can, and the financial aspect of it is rather minor. I do have patience, this forum, and Youtube...and once in a while someone who can stop by and show me something in person. The main things I lack are proper space and tools, as my garage is (but shouldn't be) full of crap I need to go through and clean out, the result of two houses and a storage space worth of things becoming just one house. I live in a fairly rural area where not many roads are paved, so my driveway is dirt/gravel, and that's the work and jacking surface I have for now. I've done many an oil change on driveways like this so I'm confident that jacks and jack stands work safely. It's just not as neat and clean and stable as the garage floor. I have a huge assortment of tools but not necessarily the exact ones needed for any given job. I'd surely have to borrow some to change the ball joints.

Random thoughts that are occurring to me...with the exhaust, I realize I can technically (I think) walk into Auto Zone and purchase everything I need and all the pipes are bent and ready to go. But I have a "Frankenvehicle"-- I'm not sure if I would just order the exhaust for an 85 Blazer with a 350, or if the pipes would need to meet the headers bent in some different way because what I have is actually an M1009 with an unknown-origin 350 in it. I still haven't found the darn casting numbers on the engine to know exactly what it is. The valve covers have Mercruiser decals on them with production numbers that compute to them being for a late 1980s 454-- but I definitely have a 350. Why or how those valve covers, or at least the Mercruiser decals, came to be there is a mystery.

 

[campfire]

I want to learn and do things for myself, mainly so I have the skills, also to be able to say that I can

If that's your motivation, there isn't anything on these trucks that you can't fix. It's one of the reasons that we like these rigs, normal people can work on them without needing specialized shop space. Case in point, I don't own a garage. My driveway and barn floor are loose sand, and I actually prefer to work in my grassy pasture when it's dry out (the sand swallows tools, it's annoying). I've done bodywork, painting, axle swaps, a transmission rebuild, and two entire drivetrain swaps, just sitting there in my sandbox. You can do it, too. If a little bit of cleaning gets you a garage, go for it!

Excepting your engine, you can find detailed instructions on everything you could want to do by reading through the CUCV service manuals (link). Particularly the TM9-2320-289-20 (basic support) and TM9-2320-289-34 (intermediate support) manuals. Skip the M1008/M1010/M1028 paragraphs and enjoy the M1009 ones. As for your engine swap, it sounds like you have a pretty basic carbureted small block. You may not know exactly how the previous owner built it, but I'm pretty sure that You + CK5 + Youtube can figure out any issues it may have. It's one of the most popular engines ever built. Much easier to find answers than...say...the 6.2 that originally came with that truck.

As for exhaust, you're in a pretty good spot. Your truck is already set up for factory dual exhaust, and dual exhaust kits for Blazers with small blocks are really popular on Summit/Jegs/etc. This is actually easier than trying to find pre-made replacement pipes for a 6.2 Blazer (as I found out last summer). The driver-side manifold on a 6.2 uses a special front pipe (Walker #45870) that is long out of production. So, in a sense, your problem is made EASIER than if you had the factory engine. If your exhaust hangers are all still there, the hardest part will just be removing your old pipes. Note that you wouldn't need to use the factory single exhaust for a 1985 Blazer. You might not even have the right hangers for such (though the routing won't be much different).

Side note, for parts-catalog purposes, every CUCV is a 1984 model. The transmission mount might be the only thing that's different, but they all got the older 1984 flat-style cross member with the taller transmission mount. Just in case you're ever ordering transmission parts. Of course, the catalog will also tell you that you couldn't have a TH400 in a 1/2-ton, but what do they know.

 

[campfire]

Do your Nazi inspections require a smog test? Does that tie your hands when it comes to exhaust mods?

Of course, if someone asked to smog my M1009 Blazer (R.I.P.), I would tell him to read the sticker on the core support...

 

[campfire]

I'd surely have to borrow some to change the ball joints.

You'll need a special socket to take the hub nuts off (any good parts store will know which hub socket to use on a 1985 K5 Blazer). A ball-joint remover is handy, but not crucial. A blowtorch is handy for unsticking rusty bolts.

But it's not a terrible job. I'd think you'd get the first side done in a Saturday. And the second side done in half that much time (once you know what you're doing.

 

[K5wrench]

Do your Nazi inspections require a smog test? Does that tie your hands when it comes to exhaust mods?

Of course, if someone asked to smog my M1009 Blazer (R.I.P.), I would tell him to read the sticker on the core support...

I've often wondered what CARB would say about the M1009 exemption.

 

[campfire]

I've often wondered what CARB would say about the M1009 exemption.

IIRC, diesels of that era are already exempt, so it's probably moot.

 

[imiceman44]

IIRC, diesels of that era are already exempt, so it's probably moot.

It is.
98 and older diesels in California are exempt.
75 and older gasoline engines are exempt

 

[blazinzuk]

I concur with the gravel driveway sentiment. I built 3 rigs in a gravel driveway.

The first with a 3 drawer craftsman tool kit, a grinder and a borrowed flux core welder.

You can do anything on a truck with a small amount of tools. There are things that make it easier to be sure.

One thing I may suggest, an electric impact gun. Cordless tools are a great thing. And they have come a long ways.

Also most auto parts store will rent speciality tools.

Harbor freight is your friend for just starting out on a budget.

Oh also on the gravel please please put a board under the jack stands. I have had some I almost died experience with this.

1/2 OSB doubled or tripled up is fine but a good plywood is better. Even 2x4s to spread the load out is way better.

Everyone starts somewhere. The key is starting

 

[imiceman44]

I concur with the gravel driveway sentiment. I built 3 rigs in a gravel driveway.

The first with a 3 drawer craftsman tool kit, a grinder and a borrowed flux core welder.

You can do anything on a truck with a small amount of tools. There are things that make it easier to be sure.

One thing I may suggest, an electric impact gun. Cordless tools are a great thing. And they have come a long ways.

Also most auto parts store will rent speciality tools.

Harbor freight is your friend for just starting out on a budget.

Oh also on the gravel please please put a board under the jack stands. I have had some I almost died experience with this.

1/2 OSB doubled or tripled up is fine but a good plywood is better. Even 2x4s to spread the load out is way better.

Everyone starts somewhere. The key is starting

I always put plywood under my jack stand if it's not concrete.
Even asphalt needs it in the summer