[bizutch]

Stupid vehicle. Mechanic seems to think I'm pretty screwed. Possible stuck valve.

He said he had to limp it back to the shop and did something called a vacuum test with readings all over the place. Wish I knew what the heck that is.

He's so certain it's FUBAR that he's got calls in trying to price a salvage engine, using the logic that fixing the valve will jack up the lower end of the engine and spending close to a grand on a inferior fix is not going to be appealing.

I hate not trusting mechanics. Why the hell do I trust a guy on a bike forum more than the rest? Could it be the beard???

 

[CrabJoe StretchPants]

Try it now!

 

[stevew]

what car is it?

 

[DirtyMike]

Stupid vehicle. Mechanic seems to think I'm pretty screwed. Possible stuck valve.

He said he had to limp it back to the shop and did something called a vacuum test with readings all over the place. Wish I knew what the heck that is.

He's so certain it's FUBAR that he's got calls in trying to price a salvage engine, using the logic that fixing the valve will jack up the lower end of the engine and spending close to a grand on a inferior fix is not going to be appealing.

I hate not trusting mechanics. Why the hell do I trust a guy on a bike forum more than the rest? Could it be the beard???

Well, its probably the fact I give teh truth on these matter just as they are.... Oh and I shaved the beard and grew the hair..... PM'd you already, but before agreeing to an engine replacement, you need to get a Cylender leak test going to prove what he is saying.

 

[jonKranked]

what car is it?

sounds like a jeep

 

[gonefirefightin]

change your muffler bearings and check your halogen fluid

 

[Da Peach]

 

[SkaredShtles]

what car is it?

It's the Audi... what car did you *think* it was?

 

[WestCoastHucker]

needs a bacon option...

 

[bizutch]

1997 Blazer. I posted about this thing before because it drives me nuts. I'd say the worst thing about it is that I've gone through mechanics along the way because they tend to be more transient than gypsies sometimes.

So, no one mechanic has tried to fix it over the years. It throttles itself down going up big hills and then gets better after it levels off. Throws engine misfire codes. DirtyMike has helped me along the way by cutting out all the fluff and making sense of the crap some of these guys do.

What's happened is that I've finally taken it to the "Chevy" know how guy in town who I know charges for his "specific skill set". But he stunned me by saying he test drove it a few blocks away, but that it shut down to about 5-10mph and limped it back.

Here's where it gets confusing. I dropped it Wednesday and gave him the weekend. Called Monday & he said it "sounds like a stuck valve" and you're looking at $900+ to work it out and have a slightly compromised lower end. So he said he had some calls to find low mileage salvage engines.

A customer (didn't know he's a mechanic) said "Whoa! Have him diagnose it first. There's a ton of things minor that will make it do that."

I call "Chevy Guru" back and ask what the leakdown and compression test showed, you know...which cylinder? He tells me, I was trying to save the money of the diagnostics. Asked him how he knew it was a valve for sure and he said a vacuum test. I told him I'd feel better if he went throgh a complete diagnostic. Come to find out, I think he just didn't want to have to move it from his storage lot to his work and do the tests.


Here's where DirtyMike came in and helped me sleep last night. He told me I was doing the right thing. All this could have been avoided if I had "that one guy" to work on it all the time.

 

[dan-o]

You don't need a 'chevy guru' for a corporate engine.
This guy sounds like a parts-changer more than a mechanic, too.
Anyone who is familiar with GM engines (or any engine for that matter) can help you out.

 

[sstalder5]

Symptoms sound similar to when the head gaskets blew in my Subaru (go ahead and get your giggles out SS..)
Antifreeze was getting into the pistons and gunking them up and it eventually slowed the engine to a crawl. IIRC that was about a $1200 fix. Let's hope it's not that. Good luck getting it fixed though!

 

[SkaredShtles]

Symptoms sound similar to when the head gaskets blew in my Subaru (go ahead and get your giggles out SS..)

Eh? I had the head gaskets go in mine around 140K. Was actually expecting it...

 

[sstalder5]

IIRC every time I posted about a problem with my car you said it was head gaskets. Mine made it to ~160k before they blew. Going strong at 182k now though.

 

[SkaredShtles]

IIRC every time I posted about a problem with my car you said it was head gaskets. Mine made it to ~160k before they blew. Going strong at 182k now though.

So I was right.

 

[bizutch]

A mechanic nearby just opened his doors and is consulting me. Having him and DirtyMike quell my fears helps. My thin hope is that it's something minor in the $300 range. Then I can take it to a dealer and trade it in or sell it private party for more than the repairs to get SOMETHING out of it.

But if it's sitting broke with a $1000 work I'll never get back and I'm sure a transmission or computer waiting to die on the horizon, I'm just stuck with a shell of a vehicle...a money pit.

And it's no consolation when people say "Well, $1000 is way cheaper than $10+ for something newer." I'm not fond of my vehicle's beater status.

 

[SkaredShtles]

'97 Blazer? That thing is f**ked dude. Be glad it lasted this long.

 

[stevew]

So I was right.

does subaru make a legacy wagon anymore that isn't a fvcking outback?

 

[Dirtrider]

Run a can of Seafoam through the vacuum line and see what happens..

 

[SkaredShtles]

does subaru make a legacy wagon anymore that isn't a fvcking outback?

Yup - they've made a straight-up Legacy wagon the whole time, I'm pretty sure.

Edit: Whoops - I stand corrected... it appears there is no longer a Legacy wagon model??

 

[DirtyMike]

Run a can of Seafoam through the vacuum line and see what happens..

NO...... Goes in too fast, does not atomize, great way to finish off what is already happening inside the engine.......

 

[DirtyMike]

A mechanic nearby just opened his doors and is consulting me. Having him and DirtyMike quell my fears helps. My thin hope is that it's something minor in the $300 range. Then I can take it to a dealer and trade it in or sell it private party for more than the repairs to get SOMETHING out of it.

But if it's sitting broke with a $1000 work I'll never get back and I'm sure a transmission or computer waiting to die on the horizon, I'm just stuck with a shell of a vehicle...a money pit.

And it's no consolation when people say "Well, $1000 is way cheaper than $10+ for something newer." I'm not fond of my vehicle's beater status.

Truth is with the milage you have, I would be more concerned with the trans giving it up before the bottom end of the engine with a valve job. Unfortunatly sometimes it is just the nature of the beast

 

[stoney]

IIRC every time I posted about a problem with my car you said it was head gaskets. Mine made it to ~160k before they blew. Going strong at 182k now though.

I'm still not looking fwd to that. I'm at 110k and give out a regular flogging.

 

[SkaredShtles]

I'm still not looking fwd to that. I'm at 110k and give out a regular flogging.

Yours is rather new-ish, isn't it? IIRC they "mostly" fixed the head gasket issue by 2000...

 

[Kanye West]

NO...... Goes in too fast, does not atomize, great way to finish off what is already happening inside the engine.......

What, by hydrolocking?

 

[DirtyMike]

What, by hydrolocking?

Partly, more so that it breaks off large chunks of carbon. f your already having issues with compression, you do not want liquids in the intake system. Seafoam is not a great product to begin with, its very hard on engines top ends, when it is fed through a vacuum line you also see that one or two cylinders will get A LOT of it, while others will get very little, so you end up with a very uneven cleaning anyways which can actually upset the run-ability.

The system I uses atomizes at the throttle body, ensures a very even distribution through out the engine, also the product itself is one that once atomized stays atomized. Even cleaning, slow removal of carbon, works great... Still would never run it on an engine with existing problems

 

[Pesqueeb]

Yours is rather new-ish, isn't it? IIRC they "mostly" fixed the head gasket issue by 2000...

IIRC anything after 2001.

 

[bean]

does subaru make a legacy wagon anymore that isn't a fvcking outback?

Nope. And the outback drives like an SUV.

 

[proglife]

Nope. And the outback drives like an SUV.

The new one does. The last gen handles ****ty, but not as bad as most SUVs I've driven. My '08 outback drives a lot nicer than my '01 4runner.

 

[bizutch]

So the mechanic called me on Saturday. He ran the compression test and fine on 1,2,4 &6, but ZERO compression on #3 and almost none on #5. He doesn't seem to think the work that will be done will be justified by the cost if I just stand the potential to have it limping along. Plus he and other mechanics have mentioned I should plan on a transmission job in the near future.

So sounds like my options are finding a low mileage engine (about as fun as flossing with a wire), have the top end repaired and hope for the best or getting a reman engine (that ain't happening).

He mentioned that if none of the above was appealing, just putting it on craigslist for $500 for parts. Already even have a guy at my church that apparently does just that, parting them out and selling the hull for scrap.

 

[DirtyMike]

I already answered your PM, but like I said in it, you need to know why the compression is low.... isit valves, head gasket or is it rings.... if teh rings are sound then go for the top end repair..... the compression check just tells you what cylinder the problem exists in.... still needs to finish up with teh Diagnostic

 

[bizutch]

I already answered your PM, but like I said in it, you need to know why the compression is low.... isit valves, head gasket or is it rings.... if teh rings are sound then go for the top end repair..... the compression check just tells you what cylinder the problem exists in.... still needs to finish up with teh Diagnostic

Yeah, I don't expect your answers in mor ethan one place. Just figure PM is the way to send you something direct. I intentionally don't hit the "Subscribe to Thread" option, so only way I ever know if someone has responded to me is if I click the thread again or I get a PM that pops up on screen.

 

[kazlx]

A friend of mine has a Blazer and it is the biggest pile of shiat. I think his is a 2005, with 120K and it's literally falling apart. Sell it, cut your losses.

 

[bizutch]

A friend of mine has a Blazer and it is the biggest pile of shiat. I think his is a 2005, with 120K and it's literally falling apart. Sell it, cut your losses.

This just in. Had it towed away from the guy telling him I was going to park it. Took it to mechanic #2 whose been good with advice. For whatever reason the guy did the compression test but never performed any of the other tests to make a confirmed diagnosis of it and give me an exact cost to repair.

A buddy that owns a used car lot pointed out to me something I had not considered. The guy doesn't want to do it b/c he doesn't like to and/or does not want to tie up his garage bay for the amount of time it takes. He said the guy wants to do quick jobs and move lots more cars through the bay. It makes sense b/c this guy is booked to the hilt all the time.

Mechanic #2 is a old school guy who I feel I can trust whose insisted all along all tests (just like DirtyMike) need to be done. He's going to give me an exact price to repair it and will do the work.

I'll get it up and running long enough that I can take my time finding the vehicle I want while I've got it listed for sale. That way someone will get a decent deal on my vehicle and I'll get to find the best vehicle for my budget. (still sux).

 

[bizutch]

It's official. Engine blown. Scrapping it.

 

[kazlx]

You can probably find a good deal on another Blazer.

/sarcasm.

 

[bizutch]

You can probably find a good deal on another Blazer.

/sarcasm.

Funny you mention. The mechanic had a young guy there say " tell himn I will sell him.my 2000 blazer and take his 97 in trade for only $2500.

I respectfully declined. Got $400 in new tires plus $500 in a new fuel pump. Talked to an auto recycled who will pay $11.50 per lb which would make me.maybe $400 off it? Trying to figure a way to sell the tires, fuel pump, battery...maybe the Cat? And still get it towed to the recycled without those things on it. I'm open to suggestions. Would like to squeeze a few hundred extra out of gutting it, but logistics may be tough.

 

[jimmydean]

Most recyclers will tow sans wheels. You want to check first. I know because I got a good quote for my Corvette sans suspension. They would just dolly it.

 

[Nick]

wouldn't putting in a new motor be less expensive than buying any new-to-you used vehicle??

 

[bean]

Funny you mention. The mechanic had a young guy there say " tell himn I will sell him.my 2000 blazer and take his 97 in trade for only $2500.

I respectfully declined. Got $400 in new tires plus $500 in a new fuel pump. Talked to an auto recycled who will pay $11.50 per lb which would make me.maybe $400 off it? Trying to figure a way to sell the tires, fuel pump, battery...maybe the Cat? And still get it towed to the recycled without those things on it. I'm open to suggestions. Would like to squeeze a few hundred extra out of gutting it, but logistics may be tough.

Could you do that trade and then resell the new one for more than the $2500 plus what you'll get out of this one?