Trailblazer SS

[Russell]

Third time is the charm.

[DanStokes]

My knuckles are bleeding from knocking on wood!

Dan

[silver_bullet]

that blood gives that wood a nice patina though...JK

[SuperBuickGuy]

well, did the wood-knocking work? *thinking knocking anything would bring bad juju*

[DanStokes]

I'll find out tomorrow. I need a fitting to pre-lube the engine and I'll have to wait for the Parker Store to open. Today I'll fill the oil filter and add coolant as well as check for any loose bolts or that sort of thing - though I think everything's OK in that department. I think I'll also finish re-assembling the front end (grill, bumper cover, etc.) as I have at least SOME confidence that the project will be done!

Dan

[DanStokes]

I think I had the wrong "tomorrow" above. It'll be this coming "tomorrow" as in Monday.

Anyhow - I did trim up some loose ends today and all I need to do is pressure-lube it (as noted) then hit the key and top off the coolant, PS fluid, etc.

Here I'm filling the coolant. You guys probably already know about this method but I was clueless until Bro Dave picked it up on the Internet as he was prepping to fire up the Subaru. Go to the hose w/o the thermostat and pour in as much coolant as you can. His fired up without so much as a burp so I'm trying it too.

I had a length of hose that fit the fitting so I crammed it on there and worked a funnel into the hose - turned out to be a nice fit. I then mixed a gallon of Dex-Cool and distilled water (I read that it's important to use distilled water in an aluminum engine) in a 5 gallon bucket then returned it to the coolant bottle to make it easier to pour. I got at least 6 quarts, maybe more, directly into the engine. Of course, I'll top it off tomorrow once the engine is running.



I also hooked up odds and ends like the vent tube that goes from the fan shroud to the battery box and the ambient air temp sensor, then finished reassembling the front beauty stuff. A lot of that was held together with plastic push pins and I replaced some of those with clip nuts given that I have a stash of those. I prefer a screw to a tiny piece of plastic! So how it looks tonight:



I'm not happy with the gaps between the front fenders and the bumper cover but there's no adjustment and I'm guessing it the way it was when I got it. Don't get me wrong - it isn't terrible but not as tight as I'd like it. If Casey wants that tighter he'll have to work on it as he finds time.

Dan

[Dan Barlow]

seriously putting dex-cool back in there ?

[silver_bullet]

I was thinking the same thing....we have sworn off of that stuff....

[DanStokes]

I'm putting everything back as it came from the factory, even Mobil 1 in the crankcase. If this engine craps out it won't be because I cut corners or strayed from the factory recommendations. So orange coolant it is......

Dan

[SuperBuickGuy]

Dex cool is fine. I know exactly why people don't like it - the issue is people don't change their antifreeze and what most don't realize is there will be electrolysis if they use green. Orange gums up if you don't change it, green eats your aluminum until there is no aluminum left....

[DanStokes]

Dex cool is fine. I know exactly why people don't like it - the issue is people don't change their antifreeze and what most don't realize is there will be electrolysis if they use green. Orange gums up if you don't change it, green eats your aluminum until there is no aluminum left....

Besides, the orange flavor is YUMMY!

Dan

[SuperBuickGuy]

I have a friend, who is now a well-known baritone for a Christian quartet (King's Heralds). We used to entertain each other with the dumbest jokes - and whoever had the dumbest joke (and got a laugh) won. He won with this one:

Jeff: Ask me if I'm an orange.

SBG: are you an orange?

Jeff: No

I still feel bad I laughed at that.... but it is true, he's not an orange and I laugh at the stupidest of all jokes.

[DanStokes]

Today's results:

On an LS this is a handy port to pressurize the oil system and it's found on the left front of the engine just behind the timing cover. The big plug to the right is into the water jacket - DO NOT pressurize that one with oil!



The result of my trip to the Parker Store. They didn't have it in a single fitting so we jinned this up. Screw it in and you're ready to pressurize.


Using 1/4" tubing and my pressure pot makes for something that looks like this. Works great but the fill is a bit slow. I may upgrade to 3/8 tubing at some point.


A word of caution: DO NOT let the pressure tank run out of oil! Then you'll pump air back into the passages you carefully filled with oil, negating all of your good work. I pumped in about 3 quarts +/- then poured the rest into the oil fill.


Another snag: It turns out that the starter end of the battery cable has a tab on it that can roll up and hit the trigger wire for the starter. This one had done that so as soon as I hit the cables to the battery (like, to hook up the battery) the engine cranked. I was paying attention so it just barely engaged the starter but it's something to watch for on these. So I had to pull the starter back and sort this out. The starter is a PITA to work on in this chassis.

But the BIG NEWS - IT RUNS!!!! It fired up immediately with zero clattering lifters or any of that stuff. I only let it run for a minute as it was getting cold outside again and I didn't want to open the door and let it warm up. Tomorrow I'll reinstall the front wheels and back it out of the shop to warm up and make sure all the fluids are happy. The engine sounds like a new one and I'm feeling good about this.

Dan

[SuperBuickGuy]

congratulations!

so.... when's the turbo install?

[DanStokes]

Not on this one - it's the family wagon for the Great-Grands. And hey, "It's got a Corvette motor in it!"

Dan