I have failed...

[Don Jordan]

I have taken the Plymouth engine apart, out of the car, put it back together and put it in the car.

56 Chevy took it apart put it back together - how hard can it be.

My daughter has a 99 Chevy Blazer V6. She blew a head gasket. The oil looks like a chocolate milk shake. The hero I am I said no problem I'll do the head gaskets. WOW!!! It took me about 4 hours to get one valve cover off. Of the 6 plugs I was only able to get one out. I wasn't able to do a compression test. There is so much electrical stuff that goes to things I've never seen. I bought the book (no help). In order to get the head off you have to remove everything. Take off the intake manifold, exhaust manifold. You have to have hands the size of Tinkerbell's and tools used by gnomes. I couldn't do it. Maybe if I had more time and patience I could figure it out. I called around and it's going to cost $2500 - I can see why.

I'm going to stick to the old reliable Plymouth. This whole thing is very demoralizing.

[55 Fargo]

Don, with the right equipment and experience, you could do this job, don't be so hard on yourself.

Modern engines and drivetrains can be a nightmare, sorry your Daughter may have to shell out so much cash for this repair.

Shop around, see what the best price you can come up with.

Hey at least you tried, tells me you care a lot for your Kid.......Fred

[WatchingWolf]

Wife bought a 99 Blazer on eBay with a "rebuilt" engine. From the day we got it, it smelled of coolant. The seller swore it was just some spilled during the swap. Well, less than 1000 miles and the "rebuilt" motor let loose.

Again the seller says "no problem, the 1 year warranty will cover it" .....the 1 year non-transferable warranty.

"OOPS!" she says

We bypass the seller and go to the "rebuilder" who turns out to be a "recycler". After explaining our situation (and threating to tell everyone we knew that they were crooked) they agreed to supply us with a second "recycled" engine with (of course) 65,000 to 85,000 miles on it, at no charge. We were expected (of course) to cover the replacement due to not being the warranty holders.

We supplied everything to a reputable local mechanic who agreed to do the swap for $1000. ouch! The body actually has to be unbolted and lifted 4" to do this...

[JerseyHarold]

Don,

Newer vehicles can be a real pain to work on. I very rarely work on my modern cars anymore. Luckily, I have a friend who works at a new car dealership and does side-jobs at home.

Have you tried checking your local Craigslist under 'Services Offered' to see if any mechanics advertise there?

Another possibility is to check with the auto supply store you patronize and see if they know any mechanics doing sidework. Can never tell who you might find.

Best of luck with this project.

Harold

[Oldguy48]

A mechanic friend of mine finally gave up his repair business due to the specialized equipment/tools required to work on newer vehicles. The guy was second to none on repairs, honest, and very skilled. The cost to keep up with the modern vehicles was just too much to bear. What a loss:(

[Joe Flanagan]

Blazers are a nightmare. Especially those made in the late 90s. I have a 97 and it has been one thing after another. Go to the Blazer forum and check under that particular time range and check out what kind of problems these vehicles have had. Incredible to me that they could sell them with a clear conscience. My situation was unusual. I basically had to buy the thing because there weren't any options--long story. The circuit board that controls the wipers goes bad. The multifunction switch in the steering column that controls the brake lights, backup lights, tail lights, dash gauges goes bad. It's notorious. Suspension falls apart after a few years, though mine hasn't done that yet. But I found the Blazer forum a great help. I was able to repair all these things. Check the forum and see if anyone else has done the job you're trying to do. I'm sure they have answers. Just take your time and label everything. I recently replaced the intake manifold gasket on my daughter's Nissan Altima and I know exactly what you're talking about. The gasket costs fifteen bucks. The job itself is a thousand. Why? You have to take half the engine apart to get to the gasket. Lots of hoses, tubes, and electrical connections. I took pictures through the course of the job, most importantly before I even began taking things apart. Masking tape and a Sharpie are very useful. I labeled everything so I'd know what went where when the time to reassemble came along.

You know, once I replaced all the parts on the Blazer that were bad, it turned out to be a pretty good vehicle. I still don't trust it, though. I have a 22-year-old Toyota pickup that hasn't had a thing go wrong with it. It's been through tires, brakes, oil, and a radiator or two but it's just been wear and tear. Never failed me. I'll hate to let it go but it's rusting out. I thought I might pull the engine and keep it in my garage just for sentimental reasons. Hang it by a chain from the ceiling or something.

If I were you, I'd get a good assortment of deep and shallow sockets, one of those devices that is set up like a U-joint that lets you use your ratchet at an angle, and anything else that will help you work in tight spaces. That is, if you still plan to do the work. Good luck.

[Plymouthy Adams]

if you want to test your faith or really let the neighbors become aware of your colorful vocabulary..just work on a modern day car...

[james curl]

Most of the new Chevy V8's use a plastic type of material which is extruded into a form to make the intake manifold, after a while they warp and all of the coolent goes into the valve valley. Anti Freeze is death on rod and main bearings and requires a complete rebuild of the lower end.

[PatS....]

if you want to test your faith or really let the neighbors become aware of your colorful vocabulary..just work on a modern day car...

How true that is!!!!

[WatchingWolf]

Most of the new Chevy V8's use a plastic type of material which is extruded into a form to make the intake manifold, after a while they warp and all of the coolent goes into the valve valley. Anti Freeze is death on rod and main bearings and requires a complete rebuild of the lower end.

I left the lights on in my Bronco and a co worker had to jump start me with his Buick. He popped the hood and low and behold, right in the center of what I guessed to be his intake was a big old recycle symbol like on the bottom of a milk jug.....