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Reviving an old diesel Blazer - need some moral and experience support!

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ChocoTaco

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84 6.2 L Diesel that's been sitting for many years and I am finally getting it going again. My mechanical knowledge is slim at best.

My plan right now is to see if the engine will still turn over manually. I am planning on trying to prelube it like this - with a garden sprayer.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/generation-iii-internal-engine/1640877-oil-priming.html#post17334038

I was planning on injecting the oil at the inlet into the oil cooler at the radiator. Will this work? Anyone know?

Also, someone recommended that I use a small bottle for the fuel to by pass the old fuel before I deal with that. Does anyone have any tips on the easiest and best way to do that. Is it tricky to prime the fuel when doing it that way?

Also, would a thicker or thinner oil be better here and I think the engine might have a heater. I am in Oregon, would it help starting it to use the heater before turning it over manually and with the starter.

Also, any ideas on getting cheap batteries just to start it would be great. Or if there was some way I could start it without batteries or could I find some other way to get some temporarily? I don't know anyone here to ask for theirs.
 
Drain the diesel from the tank, disconnect the fuel filter and use a small fuel can full of diesel to draft from. Just pull the fuel line off and put in a longer length to run into the fuel can. Check all the injector lines and make sure they are not cracked or you're done before you start. Put some hot batteries on it, doesn't really matter what they are as long as there are two of them. Take the air cleaner off and shoot some starting fluid down in there and let 'er rip tater chip.

Some salvage yards sell pull out batteries, otherwise look for a "Battery warehouse" they sell used batteries as well. Also in Walmart the other day I saw some group 29's for under 60 bucks.
 
Thanks so much Vombrown. Those Walmart batteries sound like they might be the way to go.
 
Define "sitting for a while"? Diesel doesn't go bad like gasoline does or at least not as quickly. I just bought an '84 Diesel K5 last summer that had been sitting for 7 years and all it took was a fresh set of batteries and tires. It took a while for the fuel pump to pull fuel up to the engine but once it did it fired right up. A quick puff of black smoke and it was running a lot cleaner than I had expected and ran like it had just been parked. Obviously I went through and changed all the fluids and did a better inspection of the brakes and all the important stuff once I got her home.

Be sure to check all your fluids and make sure they are where they should be and that none of the hoses are cracked and leaking before you try starting it up. If you plan on driving it more than up on a trailer be sure to check the tires for weather cracking and give the brakes a few pumps to make sure the lines aren't cracked or leaking and the calipers aren't siezed. Then one you get it home you can take your time going through everything more thoroughly.
 
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Hey NorCalAnthony, it's been sitting for like 15 years. But it ran totally fine before sitting. I had no idea it would be so long before getting it going again. Both me and the Blazer are coming back to life hopefully. I started it like once maybe 7 years ago. I don't think there was much fuel in the tank when I started it. It sat for like 10 years in Southern California under covered parking in a desert area... then the last 5 it has been garaged in Oregon.

The 2 back tires have a lot of cracking above the contact point with the ground. The front 2 tires are newer and look like they are in good condition. They are like 6 or 7 years old maybe and have no miles on them. I am not sure if I should risk trying them.

I am tempted to just fill it with fuel and workable batteries and try starting it but I feel like I should be cautious because I think it could still be a good engine for a while because it was in such good condition before sitting. So worth taking the precautions possibly.
 
You're not going to damage the engine. You will probably be fighting with priming issues. If so, you'll be cranking for a while, and ruining the starter is possible. But you will not be damaging the engine by using the stock fuel system. The oil priming is a good idea.

6.2 engines are really basic. Glow plugs are mandatory. Below 20*F the block heater is handy, but a healthy engine should still start without it. There is a GM-specified priming procedure for the fuel system. Pull the pink wire off of the injection pump and crank it until fuel starts coming out the overflow line. If you want to eliminate priming headaches I would add an electric lift pump (so you don't need to do a bunch of cranking to prime it). If you're mechanically priming it I would avoid hacking up the stock fuel system, but that's just my preference.


If you can get heat and fuel into the beast, and get it cranking at a decent speed, it will start. Give it a thorough inspection before putting it on the road. Don't be surprised if those perfect new tires crack very quickly once you start flexing them on the road. The aging effects aren't always obvious when the truck is sitting. Again, check things periodically as you drive it, but you don't need to overthink things. If you see cracking developing, start budgeting for a tire replacement. If not, you may be fine for years yet. All tires are not equal.

But you can do this. If the truck was in good running order before, the sitting will not have broken anything major. Give it a try and post up your results. We'll walk you through things if it doesn't fire up right away. :burnout:

:popcorn:
 
I agree its unlikely the diesel has gone stale,it usually takes years for it to go stale enough not to run an engine..it may have water in it by now or algae,but you should be able to get it to run with whats in the tank with some fresh fuel added to it..


I bought my '85 Suburban with a 6.2 back in the fall of 2009...
It had a nearly full tank of a mixture of diesel fuel and $10 worth of kerosene the previous owner added just before he drove it to my house..it has sat in my yard since..

I did start it every few months for the first year or two,until its batteries died (big group 31 batteries that were formerly in a backhoe)...then I neglected to start it for almost a year a few times,and the past 5 years or so,I have only run it maybe a half dozen times for a half hour,and now the tank is down to less than 1/4 of a tank..

The engine is tough to start,I replaced some glow plugs and discovered it only has an electric fuel pump back near the tank someone added,and they by-passed the mechanical fuel pump on the engine--they added a Raycor filter setup,and I think the electric pump is marginal as far as fuel delivery.
--I find it'll start faster with less cranking if I leave the key on for a minute or two,to let fuel "build up" in the filter--they also used ten feet of rubber hose instead of steel line from the pump to the filter,which may also reduce the pressure and flow..

This truck supposedly had been "modified" to run on alternative fuels like cooking oil,but the previous owner never did (at least he did not admit to it!)--but the fact he added kerosene made me suspect he did,and winter was approaching,so he did that to help it start easier probably..

I have only fired the thing up 2 or 3 times the past year--once it finally starts,it runs OK,but I am sure the fuel and whatever else is in the tank must be getting stale by now,and affecting the starting..but I'm not about to try taking the 40 gallon tank down--someone did cut the bed floor out over the sending unit though,I suppose I could look in there that way..but I am not going to,unless I absolutely had too..

I would just drain the oil in your engine and put some fresh oil in it,10W-30 is better if its frigid ,instead of 15W-40,and then take the pink wire off the injector pump and crank it over until the oil light goes off or it shows pressure on the gauge (its unlikely the engine is "stuck",but it wont hurt to make sure it turns by hand first,in case a valve is stuck in a guide)..then use the starter to whip it over until it has oil pressure..

Then put the pink wire back on,activate the glow plugs,and see if it'll fire up..you'll need two fully charged batteries,and dont crank it more than 30 seconds straight without a "rest" or you may fry the starter...

I would not do anything to the fuel system other than add some fresh diesel to the tank,and some injector cleaner (Power Kleen or Howe's Lubricator)..as long as none of the rubber hoses are cracked or look like they'll pop I would just leave them until you get it to fire up,otherwise you'll likely let air in the system and really make it a headache to get started..after you get it to run and let it warm up,you can inspect all the hoses,then put a new fuel filter on,being careful to fill it first if it is the spin on type,to avoid air locking the injector pump and lines..

I would use starting fluid only as a last resort,and before using any,you must disable the glow plugs by pulling the connector off the glow plug relay or controller,and its also important to get the engine spinning over full speed BEFORE you spray any in the intake--you'll probably need an assistant,or jump the solenoid with a remote starter switch to do that...simply spraying it in first,then getting in the truck and cranking it can break the starter nose or drive,and ruin a piston or connecting rod..so can spraying some in with the glow plugs still connected..

I splices a wire onto my starter solenoid's purple wire so I can touch it to the positive battery terminal and make it crank from under the hood,in case I end up having to use starting fluid when I'm alone,should I run it out of fuel,or it is too cold to start with just the glow plugs alone..(I unplug those first)..
 
Also I have looked around for "cheap" batteries,I saw some group 31's with either stud posts or top posts at Tractor Supply recently for $110 each,not "cheap",but they have 1000 cranking amps,and will fit under the hood on a square body,but you will need to rig your own hold downs and maybe use a block of wood under them in the tray..

The "right" batteries are selling for $150 and are weaker,and side post,so I'd rather upgrade to larger ones..
Also I have heard Interstate sells some "plain black batteries" for a lot less,that they sell to used car dealers,also "blems" that have some cosmetic defects but are fine internally..the warranty may be much less than their top of the line ones though..
Walmart sells a "generic" version of a group 24 top post battery for $50 too,but I've heard they dont hold up too great..

Your tires will probably be junk--even if they look good with no cracks,chances are they will be flat spotted from sitting in one spot too long and will feel "square" when you start driving it--and will likely fail in dramatic fashion in short order...

I would expect it to have seized calipers and rusted brake lines too,maybe the master cylinder will be seized or rusty inside too..all of the above were noted after I let my 81 G10 van sit since 2004,I had to put a new master cylinder on it (was rusted tight!)--and the rubber rear brake hose had swelled shut completely,wouldn't let fluid get to the rear wheel cylinders...I wont be surprised if the calipers are seized now too,and the rotors are rusted pretty bad and pitted now too..
 
Oh yeah, I also vote for no starting fluid. You may be fine, but IDI engines are particularly vulnerable to rapid explosions. GM was pretty clear in warning against such.
 
diesel4me said:
--I find it'll start faster with less cranking if I leave the key on for a minute or two,to let fuel "build up" in the filter
Click to expand...

This is really nice. Because as fuel builds up in the filter (and the IP reservoir), it's pumping the air back to the fuel tank via the overflow lines. So you don't stall out. This is why I recommended adding an electric pump. You can pump it out manually via disconnecting the pink wire and cranking, but it's so much nicer to just let the pump do its job without a special procedure.


Once air gets past the fuel shutoff solenoid (into the injection lines), it's no longer a closed loop, and air can't be pumped back to the tank. So you wind up cranking endlessly or manually cracking open the injection lines to bleed them one at a time. Much easier to bleed things out before energizing the FSS, and the odds are good that the downstream side never lost its prime. You just need to get good fuel into the injection pump reservoir. :waytogo:
 
diesel4me said:
I would expect it to have seized calipers and rusted brake lines too,maybe the master cylinder will be seized or rusty inside too..all of the above were noted after I let my 81 G10 van sit since 2004,I had to put a new master cylinder on it (was rusted tight!)--and the rubber rear brake hose had swelled shut completely,wouldn't let fluid get to the rear wheel cylinders...I wont be surprised if the calipers are seized now too,and the rotors are rusted pretty bad and pitted now too..
Click to expand...

diesel4me, can't thank you enough for all the great info! The help you guys are giving is so awesome. I would have been screwed without it I think. Now I at least have a shot. :) You are lucky to have a Suburban! If I wasn't so attached to my beast I would upgrade I think! My truck is my only family at this point.. if it doesn't survive I got nothin. haha
 
campfire said:
This is really nice. Because as fuel builds up in the filter (and the IP reservoir), it's pumping the air back to the fuel tank via the overflow lines. So you don't stall out. This is why I recommended adding an electric pump. You can pump it out manually via disconnecting the pink wire and cranking, but it's so much nicer to just let the pump do its job without a special procedure. :waytogo:
Click to expand...

I'll see what the price is at the auto parts store when I go today or tomorrow. If it's too high I might try ebay. Is this a food one to get?

https://www.ebay.com/i/322932011325?chn=ps
 
I have a universal electric pump that looks much like that one--but you can get them on E-bay as cheap as $10,there is nothing "special" about them,that one is probably an OEM replacement one...all you need is one that says "compatible with diesel fuel or ethanol gasoline"--and one that puts out 5-7 PSI or so...

I have the mechanical lift pump on the engine still hooked up as it was originally,I just added the electric one to make it easier to bleed the system out and you can feel a difference in the way it runs with it turned on,the extra pressure seems to help..


Mine has worked fine since 2003,and it was on the truck when I bought it,but for some reason,not connected !..
I ran power to it and it worked,so I spliced it into the fuel feed line,close to the fuel tank..(Electric pumps "push" fuel,they wont suck it from any distance well,that will burn one up fast)...


I knew practically nothing about my 6.2 when I got it in 2003--if not for this forum and TrustyK5 helping me ,I probably would never have succeeded in getting it to run..someone butchered all the fuel lines to the dual tanks and removed the selector valve and wiring,the dash switch,and jerry rigged a manual tank valve to them,I had to take off all the fuel lines and put them in a gas can full of diesel,then bleed the system out and then get new glow plugs,following the advice given here..

I bought the truck cheap after someone put this engine in it,but failed to get it to start,they were probably diesel retarded like me!--I would have swapped a gas engine in it if I failed to get it running..
 
diesel4me said:
I bought the truck cheap after someone put this engine in it,but failed to get it to start,they were probably diesel retarded like me!--I would have swapped a gas engine in it if I failed to get it running..
Click to expand...

Great job doing all that work and taking on the challenge.. if you did it maybe I can too! Inspirational! It's been so long since I did any mechanical work it's a little nerve racking getting back into it.
 
If you guys had a limited budget, say $2,500 to put into the truck mechanically to keep it running over the next 6 months would you recommend getting cheap, middle of the road batteries or really good ones? Especially considering it may be tough to start until the bugs are worked out.

Also, how else would you allocate funds?
 
Get good batteries. One key element in getting a 6.2 to start nicely is cranking speed. Poor cranking speed will create a poor starting or even a no start. Get a gear reduction starter (28MT). Install heavier gauge battery cables. Get some Kennedy Quick Heat glow plugs, or some other self limiting GP's. AC60G's are really good, but don't work well with the factory controller, so if you get AC60G's you'd be best swapping to a manual glow plug controller (super easy, under $10 DIY)

You could accomplish the above for about $500 with room to spare. The rest of your truck might or might not eat the rest. I'd assume a set of tires will eat a good chunk. Then brakes etc. Your budget seems do-able and realistic to me.
 
tRustyK5 said:
Get good batteries. One key element in getting a 6.2 to start nicely is cranking speed. Poor cranking speed will create a poor starting or even a no start. Get a gear reduction starter (28MT). Install heavier gauge battery cables. Get some Kennedy Quick Heat glow plugs, or some other self limiting GP's. AC60G's are really good, but don't work well with the factory controller, so if you get AC60G's you'd be best swapping to a manual glow plug controller (super easy, under $10 DIY)

You could accomplish the above for about $500 with room to spare. The rest of your truck might or might not eat the rest. I'd assume a set of tires will eat a good chunk. Then brakes etc. Your budget seems do-able and realistic to me.
Click to expand...

Thanks tRustyK5! Any battery recommendations anyone has please let me know. Your guess is better than mine I am sure. I had the same feeling about batteries too having experience starting it in the past.
 
ChocoTaco said:
Thinking of trying this one - electric lift pump.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HEP-02A-4-...INE-DIESEL-GAS-LOW-PRESSURE-12V-/322543583380
Click to expand...


I'd say that will work OK...my only advice is don't buy a "Mr.Gasket" electric fuel pump,I've had two of them fail in short time on other vehicles,and they cost $50 ,Pep Boys is the only store locally that has ANY "universal" fuel pumps in stock,and that is the brand they sell--a few of my friends have had bad luck with those too..

It is best to put a fuel filter before the electric pump--mine had one but it clogged up twice--after I put a non leaky fuel tank in my truck that was perfectly clean,I left the filter off--the "sock" filter in the tank does a pretty good job of keeping gunk out of the fuel lines..

The "best" electric pumps are the square "transformer" looking ones that use a nylon ball that a solenoid operates,one moving part,and no rubber diaphragm or bellows to get ruined by ethanol or diesel,but they are not cheap either..."Facet" is a good brand,but like I said,my "cheapie" has worked fine almost 15 years now.. images (23).jpg

By the way--I paid much less than $2500 for both of my diesel trucks,and it didn't cost me more than $100 for new glow plugs and some fuel hose to get it to run...I have put 3 starters in my pickup though,and the one in it now is the gear reduction type,it is an improvement..
Tires will likely be your biggest expense..I would go look at some salvage yards,they sell used batteries here for $30 that are less than 2 years old,with your core exchanged,and you might find 4 decent tires there cheap too..

I've have had to put at least 2 sets of glow plugs in it though,they rust away at the connectors more than they fail around here..had no success getting one to come out too,so it has had only 7 working ones since I got the truck..still started ok as long as the batteries were fully charged..
 
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