Winter Vacation 2013-2014

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Pretty neat!

Got the Blue Ox brackets on this morning...had to loosen all the bumper brackets to get the metal backing plates in the right location, but overall it was an easy project.  Then I tightened all the bolts, and noticed some transmission fluid drips on some of the rubber hoses that go to the trans cooler in front of the radiator.  I added an extra hose clamp to each fitting and tightened them all down, so that should do the trick!  I'm all about redundant hose clamps on transmission and fuel lines!

Then I decided to tighten every other bolt I could find, and most of them were tight in the front, so I moved on to the back.

The leave spring U bolts were way loose on the passenger side, and the lift block was in danger of falling out and was canted to the side!

I didn't want to do a major project in the campground, so I drove it down to the garage, and they had all the tools to take the weight off the axle and move the block back to where it was supposed to be, and tighten down the U bolts properly.  40 bucks later, but it took them almost an hour, so I'm not complaining, and now its safe!

Cold all day, and it took until about 2pm to finish everything, so we decided to stay in today, and go to the gunfight with the pups tomorrow.

Then I joined the chevyK5blazer forum...which has a similar feel to this one...and that's it!

Now I'm gonna read for a bit.

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Just had some bad news from the chevyK5blazer forum.  Apparently you can't tow an NP208 transfer case 4 wheels down without disconnecting the rear drive shaft!  what in the world?  What's the point of having a transfer case you can't shift into neutral and just tow away?

Doing more research, so I'll let you know what I find out.  Not a super big deal, but what the heck?  I hate bad engineering! 

What moron designed a 4x4 transfer case, filled almost to the top with lube, that still requires a pump to lube the gears?

Idiocy I tell you!

Kev

[Froggy1936]

Kev The 700R4 Auto trans that you have Is almost exactly the same gearing as my 4L80E and you saw what a 19 mi tow did to the OD planetary .  If it were a 4 speed manual you could tow it 4 wheels down . The options are remove rear driveshaft & if it has a frt yoke that slides into trans You will need a dummy yoke to put into trans and tie in place (to prevent falling out) If it has a frt and reat u joint with bolts you can undo both ends and remove complete shaft (use strong tape to hold cups on u joints ) Or you can just undo rear u joint tape cups in place and tie the shaft up with chain or heavy wire  Be very careful cups dont come off or it will be cleaning and repacking time PIA >  THere are also electric oil pumps that can be purchased to circulate The trans fluid for circulation. When manufacturers stopped building in rear oil pumps in automatics They could no longer be towed or push started. somewhere in the 50,s i beleive . If you have to hook it up for travel and surface does not allow removal of D/S you can leave engine running till you tow it to a suitable place to crawl under . Frank

[jkilbert]

Check this site out, kinda cool www.blazerchalet.com. That's what that blazer is actually called.  One other thing to look into for towing is a driveshaft disconnect. I was looking at one for my S Blazer before I got my Wrangler. It's a cable operated disconnect that is similar to the central axel disconnect that is most newer 4x4's like the Jeep you just got rid of.
http://swdriveline.com/remco_driveline_disconnect.html

John

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Some good news after more research.  Apparently GMC switched over to the NP241 transfer case in 1989...and late 88.  Its apparently a bolt in direct fit in late 88-89, then in 1990 they switched over to electric speedometers.  They'll still work, but then you have to change out the speedo.

I've found rebuilt ones for as cheap as 600 bucks shipped, so that to me is a better option than an 800 buck driveline disconnect, plus shortened driveshaft, etc.

You can tow the NP241 4 wheels down no problem, since it has a pump where the rear driveshaft comes in.

For now I'll just disco and hang the rear driveshaft like I did with our Chevy van...at least its got a 6" lift so its easy to get under there!

Then I'll be hunting down an NP241C with the mechanical speedo!

Kev

[pvoth1111]

You should only half to put your transfer case in neutral to tow it.... i??

[ClydesdaleKevin]

That's what I thought too, Pvoth, but apparently the NP208 was a strange bird with no pump...it relies of the transmission side turning the chain and flinging oil around for its lubrication.  If its in neutral, then the transmission side is disconnected, the chain doesn't spin, and parts get damaged.  In late 88 they introduced the NP241, which has a pump spun by the rear driveshaft, similar to Jeep transfer cases, that keeps everything flowing and lubed up towing 4 down.

You'd think that a small gear box filled as full as these things are would be self lubed no matter what, but GMC put out a warning not to tow them 4 down for more than a few miles.

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

So in my research I discovered that the transmission in the Blazer is a THM700-R4, which will make it a breeze to convert over to the NP241C transfer case, since that was the most common transmission put in Blazers in 1989, the year of the transfer case I'll be looking for.

So, that said.  Anyone know how heavy duty a THM700-R4 is?  Would it work in the RV without blowing up?  Sure would love to make the RV a 4 speed overdrive...lol!

But that is for a different thread unless someone has a ready answer.

Kev

[pvoth1111]

Sorry.... the way I read your post you had the 241....but if you have the 208...you will hose your tranny.....you should be able to find a 241 for the Chevy in AZ no problem.....kits to rebuild are cheap....try UTE in Phoenix complete kits for no a lot of cash....If you need a real transfer case an atlas is the best....but there are plenty of 241's in the junk yards near Tucson....or hit up a 4x4 place near you....that 208 is worth money, do a trade with a little money on the side for the install.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Found an exploded diagram of the NP208, and it does have an oil pump in the tailshaft, so now I'm thinking it can be towed 4 down.  Still a debate going on about it in the K5 forum, so I'll let you all know.

Gotta get all packed up today and hit the road to Hot Wells Dunes!  I'll check in with everyone this evening once we get there and are all set up.

Kev

[M & J]

I'm proud to welcome you to the Blazer Owner's Group Kevin. We own 2 - a 1991 (last year of the square body) & 1992 (first year of the rounded body). The 91 has every available option since the factory cleared out it's stockpile of parts including power mirrors which I never knew was even an option and a cooler for the power steering. We have a soft top for it and Best Top I think is who we got it from several years ago.
Our 92 is loaded and has a 6" lift, 36" tires, the 350 is supercharged, ceramic headers, free flowing cats, custom chip and still runs the TBI injection to boot. It will boil those 36 AT tires. Premium unleaded only so we don't drive it much. Don't mean to steal your thread but enjoy and if there's anything information I can help with please let me know.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

[jkilbert]

The 700r4 is not the greatest for use in a high horsepower/heavy duty application, in stock form that is. Bowtie Overdrives sell some killer units to fill this need. The 700r 4 is essentially a TH350 with an overdrive , GM recommends not towing or hauling heavy loads in overdrive. The newer 4l60, 4l60e and 4l80e are true 4 speed transmissions. With the standalone controllers that are available you are seeing a lot of these being used in hot rods to make them more drivable .

[007]

holly smokes kevin, you got the boys at k5  going!! my guess is that sooner than later one of them will have their transferscase out and tore down with pics, lol. 11pages of info/debate so far,wow!! i gotta get my builds/reserctions wrote up/caught up both there and here, i knew they would like your ride. and thanks for the shoutout. mark

[legomybago]

I love the "inner-web"!! The endless amount of info at the touch of your fingers...absolutely amazing.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Safe touchdown in Hot Wells Dunes!  All set up in the same camp we had last year, although at a better angle for the solar panels to most efficiently catch the sun.

A technical difficulty getting here though...the rig was running fine pulling the Blazer with no problems all the way from Tombstone to I-10...then started to the whole crazy vapor lock thing again!  As long as I kept the pedal light, ran great.  As soon as I had to punch it for the hills, that whole scary vapor lock power loss, back, loss, back.  Was like that all the way to Safford!  I just replaced the electric fuel pump!  Again!  I'm going to pull the fuel line in a day or so, and have Patti start the rig and see if fuel comes out of the electric pump.  Now I'm starting to think its a bad fuel pump relay or a loose connection somewhere.  Just have to find where the relay is on this beastie and trace the wires back to the gas tank!

Once we were in Safford, we stopped at Tractor Supply for more dog food, then Walmart for 4 more of the 7 gallon blue Reliance water jugs for a total of 5, then stopped at Basha's supermarket, where Patti went in for more groceries while I filled all 5 water jugs....15 cents a gallon at Basha's, reverse osmosis filtered. 

We filled both onboard freshwater tanks in Tombstone right before we left.

To be on the safe side, since there is some debate as to the towability of an NP208 transfer case in neutral, I discoed the driveshaft and hung it up out of the way, then reconnected it when we got here.

About the only thing we're going to do today besides relax in the hot tubs is that I'm going to take the bicycles off the ladder rack and get up on the roof to clean the dust off the solar panels, then get Patti's Dish reciever and tailgater antenna set up and hooked up, and then activate it.

Already set up our porch and grill when we got here, so not gonna do much today!

Sure is quiet!  We are a LONG way from the nearest town or even house, and quite a ways from any traveled road.

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Check this site out, kinda cool www.blazerchalet.com. That's what that blazer is actually called.  One other thing to look into for towing is a driveshaft disconnect. I was looking at one for my S Blazer before I got my Wrangler. It's a cable operated disconnect that is similar to the central axel disconnect that is most newer 4x4's like the Jeep you just got rid of.
http://swdriveline.com/remco_driveline_disconnect.html

John

Hey John!  Check out this Blazer Chalet they are selling on eBay!  Dang nice condition!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevrolet-Blazer-1977-RARE-FACTORY-K5-BLAZER-CHALET-NO-RUST-4X4-RARE-FACTORY-K5-BLAZER-CAMPER-4x4-NO-/131087076249?forcerrptr=true&hash=item1e85660b99&item=131087076249&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

About to have french toast for breakfast, then hit the hot tubs!

Solar power system is doing its job amazingly well!  Night before last the pups had a nasty accident in the house, and I had to run the rug shampooer for quite a while.  Sucked the batteries down to 12.2, and by noon the bank was already fully charged.

Got the Dish receiver and Tailgater antenna all hooked up and activated, and it works great!  Antenna aims itself, and compared to how much we were spending in DVDs, its very affordable.

After breakfast, its the hot tubs, then we'll turn on the pup's wireless electric fence and train them where their perimeter is, so they can run and play and we won't have to worry about them running off too far.

Going to be a relaxing day!

You all should have seen the stars last night!

Kev

[Froggy1936]

Hey Kev I saw on facebook the other day there is a Syestem that places a sender on the dogs collar Then you can track them on a smart phone or a computor see where they went and are at anytime ! Was not too expensive ! Frank

[ClydesdaleKevin]

I saw those too at a Camping World, Frank.  Only problem is we only have dumb phones...lol!

They did pretty well on the wireless collars.  Only got themselves zapped a couple of times before they figured out that our saying "not too far" meant "stay close or get a shock."...lol!

They stayed close!

Went to the tubs twice, played with the pups, and that was about it on this fine vacation day.

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Woke up this morning to the volt meter reading 12.5!  SWEET!  Watched TV all night until about midnight before shutting down the inverter.  The solar power system is definitely doing its job!

Not a heck of a lot on the agenda today besides good food, hot tubs, and playing with the pups.  I want to work on the wiring for about an hour or two on the Blazer today when it warms up...going to try to get the passenger side power window working, and then maybe attack the blower motor and heater core cable.  If that all goes smoothly and well, then I'll try to figure out why the wipers won't work.

But we are here for a while, so just a little at a time is fine by me!

Obviously before we leave I have to figure out the vapor locking issue on the RV, but my guess is that it has to be a loose wire, bad relay, or even a bad OP sending unit.  Can't the be fuel filters, which we just replaced at my sis's house in GA, and I highly doubt another fuel pump went bad so soon, since that was just replaced in some random small podunk town in Texas on the way here.

We'll see! 

For now, its coffee wake up time.

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Decided to do just one small wiring project a day, since we are on vacation.

So I troubleshot the passenger side power window on the Blazer.  Turned out it was just a cut wire where the wires go from the door jam into the door.  A previous owner had just taped it with electrical tape, and over time, since the rubber grommet on the door was missing, the sheetmetal wore through the wire and cut it.  I repaired the wire, taped it, then covered the whole bunch of wires with that plastic wire protector stuff that is split up the side, since I have a few feet of it on hand.  Window now works perfectly from the passenger side switch, but not from the driver's side switch.

So I checked the wires on the driver's side, and the same thing...a cut wire and another wire worn almost all the way through.  Repaired those, but still no connection between the driver's door and the passenger window.  Either the switch is bad, or the connecting wire enroute to the other door is bad somewhere under the dash.  When I start going through the dash wiring, I see if I can repair it...or else just replace the switch.

Other than that, we hit the hot tubs twice, played with the pups and let them run around with their wireless fence, and watched a few episodes of Game of Thrones on HBO.

It was Patti's birthday yesterday, so we relaxed a lot!

Today I'm going to see about getting the heater blower working in the Blazer, and hooking up the cable that goes to it, which is disconnected.  Hopefully it wasn't disconnected for a reason, like a leaking heater core, but I'll find out!

Other than that, its more fun with the pups, and soaks in the hot tubs!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

So here is an idea Patti and I are seriously toying with.

With the upcoming impending costs of fixing the rear suspension on our rig, the impending rebuild of the motor with 115K on her, etc., we were playing around with the idea of getting an M934 5 ton Expansible military command truck like this one:



Doesn't look like much, eh?  But both sides slide out into full slides!



Look at the interior room when the slides are out:



You can get these things pretty cheap.  This particular one is on Craigslist in the Phoenix area for 11K, with brand new tires and batteries, and only 15K on a completely rebuilt (by the military) drivetrain.  I called, and the seller told me it has the ABS upgrade and radial tire upgrade.

I did some research on these trucks, and driven conservatively, they can get up to 12 mpg.  They are Cummins diesels with Allison 6 speed automatic transmission.

Can you imagine how cool one of these would be fixed up as an RV?  Make the inside as luxurious as you want, maybe even add an extension on the back to make a big bedroom, and then when parked the rig is nearly 14 feet wide!

OH this is tempting!  Especially since it wouldn't cost all that much over and above purchasing it if we used our current rig as a donor.

What do you all think of this idea?  Wouldn't this be the most awesome boondocking RV ever made?

Kev

[Froggy1936]

Cool ! One question is there any insulation at all ?  Without any sweating in the cold is a major problem inside (voice of experience from homemade camping trailer)  Looks like it will go almost anywhere . Frank

[pvoth1111]

 I think that thing would beat you to death driving down the road.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

That's what they make Air Ride seat pedestals for...lmao!  Would have to insulate the heck out of it too.  Only 18 feet long after more research, but 14 wide.  And they don't slide out per se, its a weird swinging wall system, so you'd have to build all your stuff on slides or wheels that you could push to the sides when parked.  Its still an interesting idea though to look in to.

Might be better off getting the flatbed version and just sticking the Holiday Rambler body, from the floors up, on top...lol!

Kev