Turbo 3800 blazer
- Thread starter BMFB
- Start date
BMFB
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Re: Turbo 3800 blazer
So I've been doing all of the furrin groups ice races and I managed one of the Saginaw ones. To even my own suprise I managed first place in all events.
This last one was somewhat brutal on the truck as it was very bumpy. I need to go through and fix some of the switches as at least one has rattle loose and shorted. I also developed a new noise up ground and need to check that out, might be a CV axle.
I drove this pile across the state time and time again this winter. 4 Long trips to Greensville and then snow drift. I used this truck every time it was snowing out to get places and it never let me down. I'm very happy with those facts and can't wait to start attacking some pavement this summer
So I've been doing all of the furrin groups ice races and I managed one of the Saginaw ones. To even my own suprise I managed first place in all events.
This last one was somewhat brutal on the truck as it was very bumpy. I need to go through and fix some of the switches as at least one has rattle loose and shorted. I also developed a new noise up ground and need to check that out, might be a CV axle.
I drove this pile across the state time and time again this winter. 4 Long trips to Greensville and then snow drift. I used this truck every time it was snowing out to get places and it never let me down. I'm very happy with those facts and can't wait to start attacking some pavement this summer
turbotoaster
New member
Re: Turbo 3800 blazer
Ide still hit that
Ide still hit that
BMFB
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Re: Turbo 3800 blazer
Still hit it airy dey
Went to an autocross yesterday. Halfway there I heard a cylinder start to drop out, and then drop out. I spend the entire day trying to fix the issue, chasing issues that never yielded any real results. I gave up, pulled the injector and drove it home. Once home I got my hands on a compression tester and found that there was only 15psi in that cyl. I couldn't do a leak down test right then so I called it a night.
No blowby, cooling system seems great. Current theory is a valvetrain issue. Looked at it and saw that it seemed to be working correctly, but that was also before i knew I had no compression. Had I known that I would have looked a bit harder.
Neat deal though, happened during light cruise/accel. I had my extra tires/chairs/grill/minibike/tools in the back so I was driving pretty easy. No load on the engine really, which is what makes a mechanical issue strange. could have broken a spring...
Gonna tear into it tonight and find out.
Still hit it airy dey
Went to an autocross yesterday. Halfway there I heard a cylinder start to drop out, and then drop out. I spend the entire day trying to fix the issue, chasing issues that never yielded any real results. I gave up, pulled the injector and drove it home. Once home I got my hands on a compression tester and found that there was only 15psi in that cyl. I couldn't do a leak down test right then so I called it a night.
No blowby, cooling system seems great. Current theory is a valvetrain issue. Looked at it and saw that it seemed to be working correctly, but that was also before i knew I had no compression. Had I known that I would have looked a bit harder.
Neat deal though, happened during light cruise/accel. I had my extra tires/chairs/grill/minibike/tools in the back so I was driving pretty easy. No load on the engine really, which is what makes a mechanical issue strange. could have broken a spring...
Gonna tear into it tonight and find out.
BMFB
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Re: Turbo 3800 blazer
found calprit
Seems i was sold springs that were for drag race only but not advertised as such
reinstalled an old spring I had laying around and did a leak down test. valve seems great, engine runs again. I will have to look into some new springs...again...
found calprit
Seems i was sold springs that were for drag race only but not advertised as such
reinstalled an old spring I had laying around and did a leak down test. valve seems great, engine runs again. I will have to look into some new springs...again...
![Quickstop [UK]](/forums/data/avatars/m/5/5165.jpg?1570199786){kind=avatar}
Quickstop [UK]
Combating adversyty.
Re: Turbo 3800 blazer
Damn dude...your truck is down for about as long as it takes my page to load.
Can I have whatever you have? Does it come in a bottle? Nice work! :tup:
Damn dude...your truck is down for about as long as it takes my page to load.
Can I have whatever you have? Does it come in a bottle? Nice work! :tup:
BMFB
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Re: Turbo 3800 blazer
lol after this weekend I need to keep it all for myself
Saturday night was fun. Raced a few guys on the street, running like a top.
Years of playing with super science finally resulted in a stock part failure. My most feared...
Engine stopped running during a pull. made a sorta rattly noise but I didnt recognize it. Cranked really hard but evenly. towed it home. Went to try to start it the next day and it cranked really hard then made a big clank noise and stopped.
I started pulling spark plugs.
I've studied reading spark plugs and made it a point to try and get really good at it. Every plug in this motor is a little different too. 1 and 2 are usually a little richer, and for some reason it seems like 4 and 3 get different timing marks in them then the rest. Its neat because the plugs can whisper things to you about everything that happens inside the combustion chamber. In this case though, #4 was really trying to tell me something.
So I tore in.
engine is out. I had another engine but it was still attached to everything in the cradle. I got the new engine out of the cradle, and tore everything off the broken engine that I need.
I need to have this thing running by friday morning to go to a huge track event I already paid for. To save time I am leaving the stock cam in, as well as the gaskets and bolts for the heads. I am going to replace the timing set, and springs. I am hoping to have it in the truck tonight or really close to it. maybe running by tomorrow at midnight or thursday.
Also I picked up a sweet tow vehicle. This is me getting ready to drag an entire gtp front cradle into my trailer.
http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll176/Bmfbbmfb/IMG_20140526_152806_615_zps15c299fa.jpg
EDIT::::It was a valve, intake valve. Broke the head off. Dont worry though, I got it back...found it in the turbo
lol after this weekend I need to keep it all for myself
Saturday night was fun. Raced a few guys on the street, running like a top.
Years of playing with super science finally resulted in a stock part failure. My most feared...
Engine stopped running during a pull. made a sorta rattly noise but I didnt recognize it. Cranked really hard but evenly. towed it home. Went to try to start it the next day and it cranked really hard then made a big clank noise and stopped.
I started pulling spark plugs.
I've studied reading spark plugs and made it a point to try and get really good at it. Every plug in this motor is a little different too. 1 and 2 are usually a little richer, and for some reason it seems like 4 and 3 get different timing marks in them then the rest. Its neat because the plugs can whisper things to you about everything that happens inside the combustion chamber. In this case though, #4 was really trying to tell me something.
So I tore in.
engine is out. I had another engine but it was still attached to everything in the cradle. I got the new engine out of the cradle, and tore everything off the broken engine that I need.
I need to have this thing running by friday morning to go to a huge track event I already paid for. To save time I am leaving the stock cam in, as well as the gaskets and bolts for the heads. I am going to replace the timing set, and springs. I am hoping to have it in the truck tonight or really close to it. maybe running by tomorrow at midnight or thursday.
Also I picked up a sweet tow vehicle. This is me getting ready to drag an entire gtp front cradle into my trailer.
http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll176/Bmfbbmfb/IMG_20140526_152806_615_zps15c299fa.jpg
EDIT::::It was a valve, intake valve. Broke the head off. Dont worry though, I got it back...found it in the turbo
Quickstop [UK]
Combating adversyty.
Re: Turbo 3800 blazer
Ouch. So it took out everything? Sheesh. And only down for a week.
What will you do to prevent this happening again?
Ouch. So it took out everything? Sheesh. And only down for a week.
What will you do to prevent this happening again?
BMFB
Not to scale
Re: Turbo 3800 blazer
well it took out the piston so that basically everything. I'll never rebuild one of these motors.
but...it didn't go great. I put a motor that was laying in a buddies back yard in.
See, there was this big track day thing called gridlife that was happening across the state the following weekend. I really wanted to go, and this engine died on the weekend beforehand. So, over the workweek I pulled it out and wanted to get the new motor in. I think I had it in by Thursday but I couldn't finish putting it together until I had this special front pump cover gasket that I can basically only order. It didnt come in until Friday afternoon...so I got the thing together Friday afternoon and running by about 6 o'clock. Let it idle for about 15 mintues, flushed the oil and took it for a short test drive...straight onto the trailer and towed it to the event.
It was a blast. Never seen an event like that. So I get out on the track. Huge track...and I take it easy because im not failure with it and im not sure of the motor. First lap I stay out of boost. and feel it out. Super great, but I have a cloud behind me so I pull into the pits. Oil pressure gauge feed line melted. So I fix it and go back out, again, take it easy cause I really didnt learn anything that first lap. Second lap there is a switch that stuck on that I have to fix so I pull in and fix it. OK go back out, third lap, get into boost once on the back straight just to feel it...feels slow...still manage to keep guys off me and catch up to a group of porsches, then the engine seized on the forth lap.
****. So we drag it in and look at it. Figure out later that one of the main bearings spun, which is something we've never encounted. Concidering I put less than 10 miles on it and I really only put 12 psi on it once (nothing crazy) I guess it was bad from the get go. I get home and look at the flush oil I pulled out of it and sure enough it has some big flakes in it....wish I would have looked at it before leaving.
So I grab another motor and put it in last weekend just in time for the 3800 meet that happens down in detroit every year. Drove it there, was great.
Stayed together. Special note: I thought this engine was doomed. I didn't take the heads off of it so its on stock head gaskets and bolts. Engine sat outside for a couple years and got rained into. I cleaned the valves out sorta when I was pressurized the cylinders to change the valve springs over but I knew one cylinder was in bad shape rings wise. When I started it I could hear the rings grinding the rust and shit off of the walls and it was terrible sounding, as well as a crapload of blowby. Lasted about 10 minutes of idling before it started to go away, and 10 more minutes after that before it completely dissipated.
Also white purilator filters caused me a drop of 20psi oil pressure on top, but same basement pressures...
Syty homecoming happened...I wanted to head to milan with Alex and make some runs together but weather didnt work with us. Trailered it on slicks for it so I felt like a wuss showing up to the hotel with it on my rig.
Blast at homecoming. I cant wait to participate again. Ken Lingenfelter looked at the truck and loved it. Friend took a picture of him taking a picture of me and the truck. He signed the cage and I thought was pretty great.
well it took out the piston so that basically everything. I'll never rebuild one of these motors.
but...it didn't go great. I put a motor that was laying in a buddies back yard in.
See, there was this big track day thing called gridlife that was happening across the state the following weekend. I really wanted to go, and this engine died on the weekend beforehand. So, over the workweek I pulled it out and wanted to get the new motor in. I think I had it in by Thursday but I couldn't finish putting it together until I had this special front pump cover gasket that I can basically only order. It didnt come in until Friday afternoon...so I got the thing together Friday afternoon and running by about 6 o'clock. Let it idle for about 15 mintues, flushed the oil and took it for a short test drive...straight onto the trailer and towed it to the event.
It was a blast. Never seen an event like that. So I get out on the track. Huge track...and I take it easy because im not failure with it and im not sure of the motor. First lap I stay out of boost. and feel it out. Super great, but I have a cloud behind me so I pull into the pits. Oil pressure gauge feed line melted. So I fix it and go back out, again, take it easy cause I really didnt learn anything that first lap. Second lap there is a switch that stuck on that I have to fix so I pull in and fix it. OK go back out, third lap, get into boost once on the back straight just to feel it...feels slow...still manage to keep guys off me and catch up to a group of porsches, then the engine seized on the forth lap.
****. So we drag it in and look at it. Figure out later that one of the main bearings spun, which is something we've never encounted. Concidering I put less than 10 miles on it and I really only put 12 psi on it once (nothing crazy) I guess it was bad from the get go. I get home and look at the flush oil I pulled out of it and sure enough it has some big flakes in it....wish I would have looked at it before leaving.
So I grab another motor and put it in last weekend just in time for the 3800 meet that happens down in detroit every year. Drove it there, was great.
Stayed together. Special note: I thought this engine was doomed. I didn't take the heads off of it so its on stock head gaskets and bolts. Engine sat outside for a couple years and got rained into. I cleaned the valves out sorta when I was pressurized the cylinders to change the valve springs over but I knew one cylinder was in bad shape rings wise. When I started it I could hear the rings grinding the rust and shit off of the walls and it was terrible sounding, as well as a crapload of blowby. Lasted about 10 minutes of idling before it started to go away, and 10 more minutes after that before it completely dissipated.
Also white purilator filters caused me a drop of 20psi oil pressure on top, but same basement pressures...
Syty homecoming happened...I wanted to head to milan with Alex and make some runs together but weather didnt work with us. Trailered it on slicks for it so I felt like a wuss showing up to the hotel with it on my rig.
Blast at homecoming. I cant wait to participate again. Ken Lingenfelter looked at the truck and loved it. Friend took a picture of him taking a picture of me and the truck. He signed the cage and I thought was pretty great.
bigmileage
Member
Re: Turbo 3800 blazer
Are you using L67s or L36s? Or even the newer L32? The main bearing failure is very very unusual. Chipped pistons are the #1 failure by far I've seen, but hardly never seen a main bearing go in a 3800.
I've seen at least a dozen engines go down from purolator and a select few other oil filters. I have two spare 3800s with windows in the side of the block from purolator filters failing..... The oil change for life shops around here install a lot of engines....
Are you using L67s or L36s? Or even the newer L32? The main bearing failure is very very unusual. Chipped pistons are the #1 failure by far I've seen, but hardly never seen a main bearing go in a 3800.
I've seen at least a dozen engines go down from purolator and a select few other oil filters. I have two spare 3800s with windows in the side of the block from purolator filters failing..... The oil change for life shops around here install a lot of engines....
BMFB
Not to scale
Re: Turbo 3800 blazer
head gaskets went on well. Everything seems great there.
So ever since I put the truck together its clicked in a way that I knew wasnt healthy. I knew it was mostly due to the front prop shaft being too long, and it binding. Well, it finally bound its last bound and the bearing cage inside of it died. Made alot of noise, and a lot of vibration. Scary stuff.
So I took it apart and tried a few days to find new pieces to rebuild it. I was totally unsucessful and decided to buy a new one from D&R driveline on the other side of the state. for 280 dollars they are going to make me a new shaft (33 1/4 inches long) that will be probably stronger than the first one, with more travel and less clicking.
Some pic's of the adventure.
Before I figured out the bearing was bad I decided to shorten it 7/16's of an inch. I cut it in half and pressed a 1/2 drive 5/8's socket into one end, and then heated a pounded the other side in. Did a small back cut to weld it.
picture is showing the socket in the tube before the last hit to put them together.
burned it in with fluxcore. A little ugly but really good penetration and a decent weld.
shaft in all its glory.
disassembled shaft with stupid unfindable head and broken bearing thing in background.
They said they should have it ready by wednesday to pick up, I'll post pics/results.
head gaskets went on well. Everything seems great there.
So ever since I put the truck together its clicked in a way that I knew wasnt healthy. I knew it was mostly due to the front prop shaft being too long, and it binding. Well, it finally bound its last bound and the bearing cage inside of it died. Made alot of noise, and a lot of vibration. Scary stuff.
So I took it apart and tried a few days to find new pieces to rebuild it. I was totally unsucessful and decided to buy a new one from D&R driveline on the other side of the state. for 280 dollars they are going to make me a new shaft (33 1/4 inches long) that will be probably stronger than the first one, with more travel and less clicking.
Some pic's of the adventure.
Before I figured out the bearing was bad I decided to shorten it 7/16's of an inch. I cut it in half and pressed a 1/2 drive 5/8's socket into one end, and then heated a pounded the other side in. Did a small back cut to weld it.
picture is showing the socket in the tube before the last hit to put them together.
burned it in with fluxcore. A little ugly but really good penetration and a decent weld.
shaft in all its glory.
disassembled shaft with stupid unfindable head and broken bearing thing in background.
They said they should have it ready by wednesday to pick up, I'll post pics/results.
BMFB
Not to scale
Re: Turbo 3800 blazer
I found this video of the head gasket failure. seeing that I didn't blow the coolant jackets out of it or anything oil related Im wondering what the white smoke is...maybe its what happens with E85 burns super lean? I saw the white smoke come out of the exhaust while I was driving it but I missed the smoke show on the other side of the truck.
I found this video of the head gasket failure. seeing that I didn't blow the coolant jackets out of it or anything oil related Im wondering what the white smoke is...maybe its what happens with E85 burns super lean? I saw the white smoke come out of the exhaust while I was driving it but I missed the smoke show on the other side of the truck.
bigmileage
Member
Re: Turbo 3800 blazer
Gotta love the 3800. How are you tuning it? I normally run some of the cylinders slightly richer than the others; the plug variations is another common thing 3800s do.
Gotta love the 3800. How are you tuning it? I normally run some of the cylinders slightly richer than the others; the plug variations is another common thing 3800s do.
BMFB
Not to scale
Re: Turbo 3800 blazer
I tune with dhp. I keep everything balanced between cylyders but I also am running e85 so I can ignore Injector balance issues. Plugs are autolite xp103s all gapped to .018.
I have heard things about cylinder balance but my plugs seem to read about the same across the board I know the camaro intake can't flow evenly at all Lol.
I tune with dhp. I keep everything balanced between cylyders but I also am running e85 so I can ignore Injector balance issues. Plugs are autolite xp103s all gapped to .018.
I have heard things about cylinder balance but my plugs seem to read about the same across the board I know the camaro intake can't flow evenly at all Lol.
BMFB
Not to scale
Re: Turbo 3800 blazer
so i went through hell.
I replaced my felpros with cometic MLS gaskets. I have used them before in the past and am familur with making them work.
Got it together and was idling it. 15 minutes later the pass. side was leaking coolant out of the back of the motor. sadface.
tore it apart and redid the pass side.
45 minutes later both sides are leaking.
Tore apart and replaced with delco gaskets. Famed to be the best a 3800 can get. we shall see...
With some extra fuel to cool it down on the big end and maybe some timing pulled out I think they will hold.
I took 0 pictures, I am sorry. I will grab a pic tomorrow of it sitting in the driveway.
so i went through hell.
I replaced my felpros with cometic MLS gaskets. I have used them before in the past and am familur with making them work.
Got it together and was idling it. 15 minutes later the pass. side was leaking coolant out of the back of the motor. sadface.
tore it apart and redid the pass side.
45 minutes later both sides are leaking.
Tore apart and replaced with delco gaskets. Famed to be the best a 3800 can get. we shall see...
With some extra fuel to cool it down on the big end and maybe some timing pulled out I think they will hold.
I took 0 pictures, I am sorry. I will grab a pic tomorrow of it sitting in the driveway.
BMFB
Not to scale
Re: Turbo 3800 blazer
Wow havnt upped this.
Gaskets still running strong. Figured out my issue was a clogging fuel filter, wot afrs were 14.8:1. I've been adding fuel still compared to how I had it just in case though, sitting right now around 12.60 and it seems happy
Messing around local with medium boost and no launch, won both.
I need to get it back to the track
Wow havnt upped this.
Gaskets still running strong. Figured out my issue was a clogging fuel filter, wot afrs were 14.8:1. I've been adding fuel still compared to how I had it just in case though, sitting right now around 12.60 and it seems happy
Messing around local with medium boost and no launch, won both.
I need to get it back to the track
