Total Newbie: I want to learn! New '91 V10 in the family!

[renstyle]

Hello all.

I am a long time reader who has just been blessed with the addition of a 1991 K5 Blazer in our family. My father had a '79 from 1980-1993 which I drove and loved to death until it was traded off for a pickup

I don't really know how to begin, this '91 I just picked up has a 350 with TBI. It starts and runs smoothly. The prev owner swapped out the instrument cluster and steering column (unsure why) and added some new tires. It has some tranny issues (doesn't like to shift up out of first gear) which I'll remedy one way or another in the future. This question about the tranny brings me to the reason for this post:

I'm working from total scratch here. While I've always had friends in the past that could do anything with a chevy small block, (cams, engine swaps, carb adjusting, you name it) I was always a spectator. I'm what you would call a "highly motivated inexperienced blazer enthusiast" which means I want to try and learn everything I can about my new baby.

I can perform basic functions (change fluids, plugs, plug wires, air/oil/tranny filters, disc/drum brakes) but I've never delved deeper into the workings of the engine. I don't even know what type of tranny I have (prolly a 704?) just yet.

Other than the mandatory purchase of a chiltons or similar manual, does anybody have good how-to sites or reading material I can use to get some technical info on my rig? I still need to pick up more than the basic set of tools (already have sockets, torque wrench, things like that).

I suppose these general "tier 2" type questions can be asked about any relatively old vehicle. If anybody knows a way to download the knowlege of a Chevy V8 Guru into ones head, please let me know!

Apologies for the very long post, I love this site, been a member for some time and now that I have some hardware to ask about I'm hoping to spend alot of time learning here. I don't ever want to be one of those whiners who have a problem and want somebody to fix it.

I have excellent skills with computers (solaris, linux sysadmin), and some common sense with basic tools, so hopefully this will translate well over to automotive bits.

Thanks in advance for reading this, it sure is appreciated.

 

[MTBLAZER89]

Well you already found the best "how to ____ to a K5" site on the net! Spend some time on the forums searching around and you'll probably find most of your basic questions answered. If not post up and somebody should be able to help you.

For year to year differences check the main page tech link.

Your 91 should have:

Motor TBI 305 or 350
Trans 700R4 or 4L80E not sure what the K5's got.
Transfer Case NP241
Axles 10 bolts front and rear with most likely 3.73 ratios.

 

[broncoman6524]

Should be a 700, I don't think they put the 4l80 in 1/2 ton trucks.

Welcome...Pictures are a must :P

 

[blazinzuk]

dude welcome, this is pretty much the best source of info anywhere. Listen to what everyone else has to say then ask the question here. No one here will steer you wrong. And if they do several will stop them and steer you right.

Remember if you are as sick as most of us (mabey addicted is a better word no sick is the right word) alot of your work will be done on steering suspension re gearing swapping axles etc if your motor runs good leave it alone concentrate on other areas. All of which can be done by nearly anyone

 

[Russell]

Betcha your 700r4 has a broken sunshell... If you drive the truck and let it rev the engine way up to like 4500 then let off the throttle, I bet you'll drop down into 3rd gear. Do you have reverse?

Hopefully it isn't a sunshell, cause that will require a complete transmission overhaul, which even seasoned shadetree mechanics shy away from.

 

[renstyle]

Betcha your 700r4 has a broken sunshell... If you drive the truck and let it rev the engine way up to like 4500 then let off the throttle, I bet you'll drop down into 3rd gear. Do you have reverse?

Hopefully it isn't a sunshell, cause that will require a complete transmission overhaul, which even seasoned shadetree mechanics shy away from.

It does have reverse. Last nite I was trying to move the truck from it's wintering ground to the driveway to change the tranny filter it started running quite rough, sounded like a 2-cyl John Deere "Johnney Popper" and black smoke. I suspect some water in the tank. Trying some dryer right now, will prolly have to siphon it out and re-test with fresh fuel to find out if I hozed the fuel filter.

My recollection is that black smoke is generally running rich? Maybe I'm backwards on that. I had to hold the pedal to the floor to keep it popping, if I let up it died. Weird thing is that it fired right up and idled for a good 10 minutes with absolutely no problems after sitting for at least 6 months (had to give the battery to a family member to get thru the winter, was cold up here in IA). That's what made me suspect the water, the engine took that long to get the contaminated fuel.

I'll snap a few pics to post as well. Since I'm nowhere near ready for a "build thread" is posting a new message appropriate for this?

Thanks everybody for the welcome, I plan on being around for quite some time.

 

[Russell]

Well, if you have reverse the sunshell is just fine, good news!

Make sure that you check the injector spray pattern with a timing light. If the gas has been sitting for a long time, it may have clogged up the fuel filter, or the injectors themselves. Should be a fine mist, no dribbling

 

[renstyle]

I'm picking up some docs tonite which might answer this for me, but these trucks have one fuel filter under the hood? The fuel pump is in the tank? Or do I have a pair of fuel filters to deal with, under hood and another in the tank?

Thanks much for the tip on the TBI!

 

[dhcomp]

91 Should just have 1 fuel filter on the framerail under the middle of the truck.