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I’m getting it ready to go to the Syracuse Nationals.

Atlas won. I know better, but I did it anyway. I took a compressed air line with a chuck and rubber tip and jammed it in the open EGR port. The port was clear as far as I could see, and as far as I could poke with a flexible wire, but that doesn't mean it's not clogged. Compressed air blew back at me along with a cloud of black. Oops. I didn't have the rubber tip seated in there all the way. Jammed it up in there some more and squeezed the chuck. PSI was set to 120. Poof! It blew back at me again. Third time...pfffffttssssssspffffffsssfffffff, face full of carbon, and then, kind of a thud..and the air stopped spraying back at me. It was now exiting the exhaust with a low shhhhhh sound as it flowed through the pipe. Something broke free. I pressurized the port again, and air flowed. Made my day. Long story short on this problem, it's fixed. Something was really blocking the EGR passages down low, and compressed air blew it apart. I don't recommend this as who knows what debris was sent where. But it's allowed me to move forward, mentally, and onto the next problems I need to get this little S-Blazer going down the road properly again.

On the PCM side, blue PCM connector, pin 18, solid gray color (no stripe) wire circuit 435. That is the EGR low circuit which an issue on that line (be it the wiring, the PCM or the EGR valve or system performance) will trigger P0401 when it tests that code. There is also a VERY old TSB that states to make sure you clear the DTCs ANY time the PCM is unplugged, reprogrammed, or if the EGR valve is unplugged or replaced as the PCM has an auto zero function in the PCM for the EGR pintle data 61-65-59: SMU - SECTION 6E - ENGINE CONTROLS - CLEAR DTC'S - (Nov 25, 1996) "CLEAR ANY DTCS FROM THE VCM ANYTIME AFTER DOING VCM REPLACEMENT/ PROGRAMMING, TURNING THE IGNITION ON WHILE THE EGR VALVE IS DISCONNECTED, OR REPLACING THE EGR VALVE." Some diagnostic aid notes in the GM diag on P0401 for a 1995 S10 Blazer: Diagnostic Aids Notice: In order to prevent further damage if the EGR valve shows signs of excessive heat, check the exhaust system for blockage (possibly a plugged converter) using the procedure found on the restricted exhaust system check. If the exhaust system is restricted, repair the cause; one of which might be an injector which is open due to one of the following reasons: Stuck Grounded driver circuit Check the oil for possible fuel contamination if a stuck open fuel injector is found. Poor connection or damaged harness - Inspect VCM harness connectors for the following conditions: Backed out terminal BL 18 Improper mating Broken locks Improperly formed or damaged terminal Poor terminal to wire connection Damaged harness Intermittent test - If connections and harness check OK, monitor a digital voltmeter connected between terminal BL 18 and ground while moving related connectors and wiring harness. If the failure is induced, the voltage reading will change.

Oil change before Thursday's track day at NCM

We have a deposit on one. Dizzy is going to need a replacement sooner that later. We live equidistant from two towns 40 miles apart and the range of this the vehicle is in that sweet spot. Plus it's plastic and sans paint! I have 220 V in the garage so a station is not much of a lift. Wife wants the square back SUV variant and I want the extended battery. No frills salt truck for those mindless runs to town that eat up fuel economy on the gas burners and waist them away in winter salt. Plus I can sit my beer on it without worrying about a scratch. No midwinter, on my back in the snow oil changes. I figure it is the cheapest way into dipping a toe into the EV market. Plus it serves a utility.

This past week was spent in bowling green for Camarofest (15)

New sensors installed today. They auto learned without issue. They were working within a 1/4 mile of leaving the installer. I think I'm done for now. Finally have everything done to get it to a good enough base level that hopefully I'll be happy with. Time will tell. I appreciate everyone's thoughts and opinions along the way.

A young newlywed couple wanted to join a small church. The pastor told them, "We have special requirements for new parishioners. You must abstain from having sex for two weeks." The couple agreed. Two weeks later they returned. The pastor asked them, "Well, were you able to get through the two weeks without being intimate?" "Pastor," the young husband replied, "I'm afraid we were not able to go without sex for the two weeks." "What happened?" inquired the pastor. "My wife was reaching for a can of corn on the top shelf and dropped it. When she bent over to pick it up, I was overcome with desire and took advantage of her right there." "You understand, of course, that this means you will not be welcome in our church," the pastor responded firmly. "That's okay," said the young man. "We're not welcome at the grocery store anymore either..."

Turns out it was the remote transmitter. The dealer checker it and found the (remote) transmitter was sending out a close. Ed door signal all the time. Ed

From the back

Got a call today scheduling the bumbers for next week. Can't wait. That's the last major change, stuff they owed me, scheduled for next week. I'm not sure what I'm looking at. Looks like a draft from last week. Bumpers were installed today by the dealer. I'm very happy with the results. A couple before afters ... or not. looks like I can only get 2 into a single post.

dexos began as an effort for GM to control the oil change market because the Quick Lube Industry was eating into dealer service department profits big time. So they attempted to get other oem’s to develop standards as well and that would make it hard for Quick Lubes to compete because all the oems would be different. GM faced lot of industry push-back, mostly the quick-lube industry and they went to licenses. Still GM it making a ton of money (est'd 30-40 million in 2025) off the license structure as they charge a hefty fee to get oil tested then require a royalty on ALL gallons sold applicable to GM vehicles.

This biggest difference in a HM oil is in contains some "Seal Conditioner". DEXOS oils and most shelf oils are "Dry" oils which over time harden seals. "Seal Conditioner" is more times than not, an Ester. Addition will soften the seals over time but will not repair one that leaks or has cracked. Esters also provide some cleaning but these HM oils don't contain enough to solve out hard deposits. Just the soft stuff. Also a function of an Ester. Ester's are not 'allowed' as a 'co-base" by license. Weird, right? A certain amount is allowed as an additive. Bunch of game playing is what it is. It's why HM oils don't have a DEXOS approval. DEXOS is a license 'with' a specification but is not a specification. Never was, never will be. It's GM's slot machine always paying the house. Use what you like.

I may post it once I'm ready to send it down the road. It's very....recognizable. Documented, even. This isn't just any 1995 Blazer The feature it has is the only one I've ever seen in the wild. Not necessarily value-increasing, but it is rare. You are correct about the body; it's a Pacific Northwest (Wet side) vehicle since new so it has zero rust. It's straight. It was parked outside for a long time so it does show its age a little bit but otherwise presents very well and is very clean. If I didn't have guys on this forum wanting to hunt me down and kill me for my politics and sass, I'd post it up right now. And there it is, adding some faux-intrigue about this weird little truck for those following the story.. I just returned from tearing the lower intake off a junkyard '95 2-door 4.3 CPI. $50 for the intake and $45 for the EGR still attached to it. I said to the guy, MY DUDE, it came attached, and probably doesn't work, and you're charging me 2/3 the cost of a brand new EGR, I know, I just bought one. Are you serious? He said if I didn't want the EGR I could go take it off. Alrighty then. So I took it off. My total with tax was $56 out the door.

You got any pictures of this beast? I’m assuming the body is in better condition than anything remaining here in Wisconsin or the list wouldn’t be quite so long!

Over the last week I installed GM coils, Taylor wires and Red Line SI-1 in the fuel which cleared up a slightly rough idle. Coils made the biggest difference even just A/B testing one bank at a time. I know everyone says the OEM ones last forever but at 212k on these units they were tired. Fade to failure, like shock absorbers in my experience. Also slightly richened the target idle AFR in the tune for good measure. I have zero tolerance for anything less than buttery smooth, and since emissions are not a concern I can get there any way I please.

^^ Yep, that's all it was. The fuel line had rubbed through on one of the spider legs and was severely leaking. Even the lines/nut and bolt kit are harder to find and I think I paid $84 (Standard HK-11) for the kit. Ripoff. But when you're the only brand still making it... There are a few things left before the truck is Atlas® Certified (and I've thoroughly spent too much on it considering what it's worth). My RockAuto shopping cart total is about $250 and growing: -Radiator (there's a pinhole leak, driver's upper corner where a cooling line bolts in, the threaded insert weld cracked) -Water pump (mine squeaks, I assume it's shot) -Lower radiator hose (it's original, if replacing cooling parts, this shall be touched too) -Starter (It's not always engaging the flywheel, get the whirrrrrr sometimes when I turn the key but no crank) -Door hinge replacement pins (already purchased, need to install) Suspect/borderline parts NOT included in shopping cart (only if I want to opt for bonus points): -Motor mounts. Someone twerked the radiator fan shroud, so I can't tell if the motor mounts are bad/squished or if it's truly just a deformed fan shroud. I reassembled the shroud correctly but the plastic is still re-forming/relaxing where it was all mangled and bent, and the fan still chafes it occasionally, but it's 99% better. -Left rear door speaker is blown -Rear wiper motor is shot (horrible grinding noise) -One of the wheels is missing the bowtie center cap. This drives me insane to look at, I'll just need to find a replacement. I've already replaced: -Driver's door mirror -Idler pulley -Tensioner pulley -EGR -MAP sensor -Hood prop retainer -Intake plenum fuel lines -Intake gaskets -Thermostat (and flushed cooling system) -Radiator cap -Radiator overflow reservoir cap And it needs tires, and could use a set of front brake pads, and the brake system flushed. And it could use a transmission service, and if I'm doing that, why not differentials, and transfer case, and oh hell, why not flush the power steering. Is there anything I won't touch? Or...do I just get it to a point where I can send it down the road?

Problems are blown way out of proportion due to the internet. The same experiences get repeated over and over again till it sounds like a real problem. There is NOT an vehicle out there that does not have some issues. Building 100's of 1,000's of vehicles with 1,000's of parts from various suppliers all over the whole, some quality control issues are going to make it through the process. The internet is full of misinformation often designed to change readers opinions. I have had 2 trouble free years with my 2024 Sierra, don't tow anything heavier than a 2026 Ranger NorthStar and mostly a around town. I personally know 3 others with same engine and no issues, 2 are LM2 version and 1 is the LZO, all three happen to be GMC's. All of these owners are older persons (40+) so that may have a lot to do with it. No modifications, no big tires, suspension hacks etc, just normal use. One who has a 2021 LM2 has over 100,000 miles and travels estimating projects for the electrical contracting company.

Engines wear. It is unavoidable. So the question isn't if it will wear out but rather WHEN it will wear out. That question is about rate and RATE is a HUGE problem for almost everyone; but not in the way we may think. Unless there is something drastically wrong with your powertrain, wear is exceedingly slow. It doesn't wear out in minutes or hours or days or months but in years or even decades. Ditto sludge and varnish. Humans are an impatient lot so to see the benefit of a truly superior product you may have to wait a very long time. Most will get bored first and trade before they reap the benefit. Humans are not companionate creatures when it comes to those we do not know. We don't care what happens to the second or third owner as long as it doesn't happen to us or someone we know and actually like. Sad commentary on humans but it is what it is. That thus, then, there is no advantage...to or for you if the above paragraphs adequately describe you. BUT if you are a buy and hold type and patient enough to reap the rewards of your labors then that thing that is happening that you haven't yet seen, but will; can be abated by such products. Seals harden and leak with time and lots of it. Rings stick after thousands of miles of a slowly building plaque of varnish. Then there is this. This didn't happen over night and this poor fellow knew when he removed the cover and not one second before. Not "aware' isn't the same thing as "isn't happening". The above was typical of the Ford 361 and 391 bus motors on Bulk Pennzoil Mineral Oil products on 3K mile OCI's at about 60K miles back in the 60's and 70's at the Anamosa School District when my Uncle took over their maintenance program. This is Pepper at @ 165K on 5K OCI's using Group IV/V Full Synthetics. HM oils will help the first but not the second. Then again if one used..... ah, ya know.....

Don't know if all will be able to see this. Valvoline Cuts Dexos Claim from Synthetic Oils https://www.lubesngreases.com/lubereport-americas/11_27/valvoline-cuts-dexos-claim-from-synthetic-oils/

Great thread. As for parts did you try. www.car-part.com?

i would be checking the driver door harness

I've referred to this many times over the years and I've had zero issues after the installation. Also, it helped a friend of mine resolve transmission issues he was having with his 2018 GMC Sierra. Chevrolet TSB 21-NA-199.pdf

Seems to be a BCM issue. Have it scanned and checked for codes. Erase all faults and see if the issues return. If so, you might want to reach out to White Automotive for a BCM replacement.

I am using a ScanGauge II. A ScanGauge III is nicer but it's bigger and I couldn't figure out where I wanted to mount it. I mounted the smaller ScanGauge II where it covers the bottom part of the tach (who cares about 500 rpm most of the time?) and it covers up some idiot lights. I use it to display (actual) engine temp, engine oil temp, transmission gear (1-10), and transmission fluid temp. I checked engine oil pressure and voltage but the dash gauges were close enough (unlike engine temp), so I display the ones I listed above. L8T gasser.

Thing is gorgeous! Definitely been a LONG time since I've heard that sound! I wouldn't call myself a purist, since I'll throw Wilwoods and power adders on anything. For me, that engine makes me cringe as a former shop owner remembering all I've been through with some of them. Plus I hate LS engines for their oiling system (MANY places to lose pressure from, especially on the AFM ones which I wouldn't be caught dead with), and the dowel-less front and rear covers - an engineering decision that irks me to no end! And I despise electronics with every fiber of my being. My main reason for avoiding modern electronics is that when they fail, they typically leave you stranded. Tied for 1st place is also the fact that sometimes troubleshooting super-annoying problems can suck the life right out of you. I've wasted so many hours of my life chasing gremlins on those in all kinds of vehicles. I find carburetors and simple HEI style components much more suitable for keeping my sanity, lol. Different strokes for different folks. I probably get more hate from the younger crowd for sticking with my old school ways of thinking than you would for doing an LS swap. When everything's working, they're certainly a ton of fun!

Just cruising around this holiday weekend. Been working on her every spare minute for the past two months. Still lots to do but sometimes you gotta stop and smell some flowers! Old school guys will appreciate the rock crusher whining away. Such a nostalgic sound. Purists may disagree but I like to think I hit a good blend of modern and retro with this car and did it my way.

Because I added the trans dipstick to a new truck. So I’m assuming the fluid is already at the right level from the factory. And because no one has ever opened up my new truck that I got with 5mi on it, I would also assume that the fact it is showing full on my added transmission dipstick, that all is right. it would be different if I added this dipstick to an old truck that I didn’t buy brand new. Then I get what you’re saying.

Great photo. The shade pops the color

Was checking out a 39 Buick at a charity auction and found the statement on the cover of the owners manual interesting. What it can do for you, and what YOU can do for IT? Framing your ownership as a two way relationship! Seems this type of thinking is all but gone with the non-enthusiasts, and something like that would never be printed on the cover of a manual. It would likely offend people. Hey, I just spent two years salary on an SUV and it has the nerve to request anything back from me????

Yes, thats the PPE pan. Or if one wanted a little cheaper and the raw finish: https://www.jegs.com/i/PPE-Power/795/128051900/10002/-1

I haven't spent a lot of time looking at the performance aspects. Just enough to know the Turbomax put out more torque than the 5.3, and does it at a very low RPM. Not what I'd expect from a turbo. I'd expect the gains to be at higher or at least mid-range RPMs. So yeah maybe that does indicate a smaller turbo that spins up quickly and there's some room for a higher end, bigger turbo. I already have a huge divet in my savings account from buying this truck. I would like to see a full dyno graph of the 2.7 vs. the 5.3. It seems to go pretty good. Not big on the somewhat anemic sound of the 4cyl from a stop, but it is what it is...

Two inches lower, same rake? https://www.belltech.com/categories/lowering/components/?Year/2026/Make/Chevrolet/Model/Silverado-1500/Submodel/WT/Drive/4WD/Engine/2.7L/EngineFuelType/GAS/BodyType/Standard-Cab-Pickup Mines a 2/4 drop. Gold Bowtie is nice. Love red trucks. Especially SCSB units. Nice thing about a knuckle drop is a no muss no fuss alignment without special A arms and no stress on the half shafts.

I upgraded to the 2026 HD 2500 LT Z71 Trail Boss 6.6 gas to pull my 2026 Rockwood 2908 SRL Ultra Lite that is 7808lbs dry and we load it up between 8500lbs to 9000lbs. The truck tows it with no issues in the Mountains where I live. I tow it with just the hitch without the torsion or sway controls bars. (I'll add those when I do longer runs on the highway, but most of our trips have been an hour or less from home). I am getting anywhere between 6.5mpg to 7.5mpg for each trip. I really love the different camera views the truck has. Over the 4th the GM store had a killer deal on the GM Trailer Camera kit and I ended up getting it for $211.00. I'll be installing it this weekend and what I like about is I'll be able to use the infotainment center to view the backup camera to back the trailer up as well as see what's behind the trailer when I use the turn signals. I'll wait on setting up the invisible or look threw trailer view.

I have a 2024 Crew Cab 4x4, the door sticker says 3417 lbs payload and 16000 lbs conventional trailer, 1600 lbs tongue weight. We pull a 2026 ~38' Forest River Cherokee Grey Wolf 29TE with a sticker dry weight of 7047 lbs and a sticker GVWR of 9995 lbs. We just got the camper so have only done local pulls under 60 mph so tough to say what longer trips at full highway speeds will bring, but so far it's towed beautifully. We had full propane tanks, but the fresh, grey, and black water tanks were empty (emptied at camp ground before coming home, had water hookup so didn't need to fill fresh) and a decent bit of gear, both in the camper and in the bed, but I'm not sure what total weight was. Given empty tanks I'm confident we were below the 9995 lb trailer GVWR.

I will add pulling a tractor up to my land in TN about 403 miles each way. Tounge weight was 1425 and an easy tow. Total weight of the trailer was 14,250. Sag was 1. 75". And the tow was very controled with no problems. I would not have been able to do this drive at night with out the RAS and I will say I would take RAS any day over airbags.

If you want to use a HM oil this would work https://www.amsoil.com/p/amsoil-5w-30-100-synthetic-high-mileage-motor-oil-hm530/?zo=521390

Therefore, I presented the caveat about erasing codes and then check if the issue returns. I'm still leaning toward a BCM issue.

Very informative Grumpy. Thanks

Have you already dealt with the trans thermostat, which I think your burb might have? I know the trucks have one that keep the trans temp higher.

If you keep it, i would just add 4 ball joints, an idler arm and most likely pitman arm to you future list. My 95 s10 zr2 ate 5 sets of ball joints, 4 idler arms and 3 pitman arms in a 100k of use, a glaring weak spot even with the non zr2 variants.

My truck is a 2024 2500 LT crew cab with the 6.6 gas engine and 10 speed trans. It has a payload of 3578 lbs. We pull a 22' Grand Design 17MKE that has dry weight of 5006 lbs. and a gross weight of 6395 lbs. The trailer weighs about 5800 lbs. when loaded up with all the gear. I don't fill the water tank for travel as most of our trips are to state parks that are within a day's drive. Depending on the wind I get anywhere from 7.5 to 9 mpg. I do use a weight distribution hitch (WDH) and have no problems with sway or being pulled/pushed side to side by 18-wheelers passing by me. The trailer is about the same length of the truck so that helps a lot. I say that because we traded in our 33' Grand Design 2670 MK (7800 lbs. loaded with gear) and using the same WDH, it would get pulled side to side by big trucks passing by me. It was not bad, but you needed to stay alert and know when a big truck was pulling up beside you. I got about 7 to 8 mpg pulling that trailer. I normally drive about 65 to 67 mph when pulling. Overall, I love the payload capability of the truck as I doubt I will ever get close to its limit and I love the stability it offers over a half ton truck while pulling a trailer. I have just over 30000 miles on the truck and have not had any issues. We live in Texas where it is relatively flat, just windy.

Ancillary parts to the lower intake and connections went together without issue. There was a brief pause when I leak-tested the fuel lines and injection system. Fuel was spraying all over. Lovely. O-rings weren't sealing the fuel lines to the spider, and inbound line was leaking at schrader valve, leaks at both flange nuts. It's moments like those when you just want to set fire to the whole shop, and be done with it. I was mostly enjoying the project up until that point, and was tracking to an agenda of having a running Blazer and a cold beverage in hand by dinnertime. I found some larger Viton o-rings for my spider and some grease to get them to seat. One leak solved. Swapped fuel line Schrader core for old core. Still leaked. Swapped entire valve for old valve. Leak solved. Nudged the flange nuts a little tighter on the connections. Another leak solved. I could cycle the key / prime the pump and the intake was staying dry. Reassembled the upper intake, with 10,000 vacuum lines, and filled the cooling system with water* (this is temporary, I'm not done with the cooling system yet). Showtime!! Cranked it over and smoke billowed, it was running rough. CEL illuminated and began flashing. P0300 and I somehow tripped a code for the TPS sensor, voltage low. There's nothing as unrewarding as a vehicle that won't run (and produces the same code/problem) after hours of research and work. Clearly I was in over my head. Was the timing off, did I stab the distributor incorrectly? Is the new distributor bad? With my limited OBD 1.5 data stream I really don't have a lot of parameters to see. The engine was pulling mad timing again (flooding?). Think, Atlas, think. 1-6-5-4-3-2. One, six, five.....four, three, ....two. Wait a second. That makes no sense. 1 is the forward cylinder on the driver's side, so 2 should be the forward cylinder on the passenger side, not 6. I can't believe it, but I'm looking right at it. Swapped 2 and 6 on the distributor and turned the key over, and... It fired, coughed and stumbled, smoked, and then settled into a smooth idle. The scanner showed no codes, no lights on the dash, and the throttle was nice and responsive to gentle revs while it warmed up. It's working!!! IT'S WORKING!!! I paused for a late dinner, no cold beverage yet. I was determined to do my shakedown run. Did a basic safety and fluids check one more time and then went out and put almost 70 miles on it last night. She's a runner, runs good. Came home and did a post-trip, post-mortem. The underside is dry *except* for where the last owner RTV'd the snow out of the intersection of the timing cover and oil pan. He said he had replaced the timing cover seal, but, my dude had clearly done it incorrectly and then tried to hold back fate with black RTV. Never works. Yesterday morning I replaced the broken driver's door mirror. As much as I hate cheap Chinese parts, thank goodness for cheap Chinese parts. I think an entire new power mirror assembly cost me like $30, and it works perfectly. Replacement tail lights (faded, and one was busted) ran me about $12/side. I have a door pin kit ready to go in because the driver's door sags just a little and I want to fix that because there's nothing sadder than a saggy door. I don't know what's next for this rig. Half of me wants to take some nice photos (there's a park nearby with a HUGE American Flag that always seems to be catching wind) and throw it up on CL/Marketplace for a couple grand and see if it flies. The other half of me... I've got a sweet running S10 Blazer that's been keeping my mind off of whatever I'm going through right now, and it's bringing some joy, and is cheaper than therapy. Maybe I'll keep it around for a little while. However, this is my 5th vehicle, just for me. 4 is really my limit, but they are not junk, so need very little attention. I don't know...there's a point where it's just too much and I don't see owning this truck long term. But I solved its major problem, got it running, so I'm going to stick a feather in my cap for now. Sometimes we just need to get our hands dirty and fix something in the physical world to gain some satisfaction.

That's a tough spot to be in, I personally would question spending 1/2 the book value on a repair vs. selling it as-is. Presuming you own it out right, sell it for 10k and have a down payment for a replacement truck, or spend 10k on the one you already have... I still think there is a cheaper transmission out there via recyclers, aftermarket or rebuild. (Cheaper than 5k for the unit)

A 5mm slip on spacer is no big deal. I run them with my summer aftermarket 20" wheels. There's a LOT of thread still. It's not like you only have 3 or 4 turns of the lug. Been running this setup every summer for the past 5 years with no issues. I run true spacer/adapters in the winter with the stock wheels. 2" spacers that bolt on to the stock lugs and wheels bolt on to the lugs on the spacers. Again, 5 years with no issues.

Found the fix for this. Untightan the bolt just below top linkage on the steering column, turn assembly left to reduce space between the two linkage rods at the steering column, tighten bolt. Made a big improvement.

That’s wild? So you think most people crawl under their new truck to check the transmission fluid level from the factory? To me that’s “wild” And upon the first fluid drop I’ll be able to see how much fluid drains out and cross reference that with the known amount that comes out and put that exact amount back in via the trans stick. Pretty easy stuff.