1998 4x4 blazer 4 door- should I buy one?

[troubles789]

Ok I own a 91 and a 93 already. I am looking at a 98 and just want to know if it has problems like the w motor on the 93. What problems should I look for before buying? Just dont like the little suprisies like the w motor gave me. What is the 98 induction system tb or cpi? or other?

[Rens87GN]

I have a 98 LT 4x4. Very nice truck, 75k miles on it now and it has never let me down. Only problem is they eat ball joints and if you have the dealership do the repair it is 700 bucks or so.

[Mikado14]

You say the '93 had a bad motor (4.3 w)? Like what?

[troubles789]

Not motor luv the long block, the induction system cpi,gives you troubles at times. Egr and the regulator, t nut fuel lines,pentuim gasket cracks, etc.

[Rens87GN]

I have had ZERO problems with my 98 and I am hard on it :-)

Only problem is with the damn mice that like to nest in the air box....grrrr

I switched to a cold air pipe and K&N so they have nowhere to go now.

[BlazayBlazerious]

Sequential Central Port Injection, I believe.

I'm on my second 98 Blazer LT in 2 years. The first was destroyed by a lady who must have been partially blind and pulled out of a parking lot T-boning me and sending me rolling (click on my gallery). The blazer took it like a champ. I went out and got my second one...just like the first. Amen on the ball joints, but that's pretty widely known. My two where/are in the 60-80k range with no problems so far, although I would recommend looking into an extended warrently. After all, it is a 6 year old truck.

[troubles789]

Originally Posted by BlazayBlazerious

Sequential Central Port Injection, I believe.

I'm on my second 98 Blazer LT in 2 years. The first was destroyed by a lady who must have been partially blind and pulled out of a parking lot T-boning me and sending me rolling (click on my gallery). The blazer took it like a champ. I went out and got my second one...just like the first. Amen on the ball joints, but that's pretty widely known. My two where/are in the 60-80k range with no problems so far, although I would recommend looking into an extended warrently. After all, it is a 6 year old truck.

SCPI is that like the system on the 2001 5.3 trucks?

[Mikado14]

Originally Posted by troubles789

Not motor luv the long block, the induction system cpi,gives you troubles at times. Egr and the regulator, t nut fuel lines,pentuim gasket cracks, etc.

I'm not sure what your first sentence means. "the induction system cpi," are you talking about air induction problems or injection problems. Yes, the CPI does have problems but at 194K in my truck and on my second CPI unit(8K ago) that isn't in my opinion bad, however, it is a piece of cake to change. "Egr and the regulator", yes, the '93 did have a few LEGR problems but so do quite a few others and Ford is leading the pack, as far as the regulator are you talking about the alternator or the fuel which is part of the CPI spider? As far as the t nuts go, I have never seen a 4.3 come into our shop with a t nut problem, leaking or otherwise and the replacement ones are better than the ones that came from the factory. Never saw a pentium (plenum) gasket crack on its own unless someone changed the CPI without doing the gasket.

Overall, it is a pretty good engine. I do agree that the CPI in the first gen's suck. All it takes is one bad injector and poof! your doing the whole unit. I have never changed an LEGR on one of these except for my own. Usually a good cleaning gets rid of the carbon but if you have carbon that is usually indicative of another problem.

I would say that the 4.3 in the '98 is better than the '93 in that it has individual injectors (SEFI) instead of the spider. It will have problems from time to time but then what doesn't.

[Rens87GN]

I have a 98 and I do not see individual injectors. The fuel enters behind the butterfly as far as I can see. My other two cars each have individual injectors (Buick, Dodge) but I don't see the fuel rail and injectors over each cylinder on the Blazer.

Are they hidden inside the intake manifold?

[troubles789]

Originally Posted by Mikado14

I'm not sure what your first sentence means. "the induction system cpi," are you talking about air induction problems or injection problems. Yes, the CPI does have problems but at 194K in my truck and on my second CPI unit(8K ago) that isn't in my opinion bad, however, it is a piece of cake to change. "Egr and the regulator", yes, the '93 did have a few LEGR problems but so do quite a few others and Ford is leading the pack, as far as the regulator are you talking about the alternator or the fuel which is part of the CPI spider? As far as the t nuts go, I have never seen a 4.3 come into our shop with a t nut problem, leaking or otherwise and the replacement ones are better than the ones that came from the factory. Never saw a pentium (plenum) gasket crack on its own unless someone changed the CPI without doing the gasket.

Overall, it is a pretty good engine. I do agree that the CPI in the first gen's suck. All it takes is one bad injector and poof! your doing the whole unit. I have never changed an LEGR on one of these except for my own. Usually a good cleaning gets rid of the carbon but if you have carbon that is usually indicative of another problem.

I would say that the 4.3 in the '98 is better than the '93 in that it has individual injectors (SEFI) instead of the spider. It will have problems from time to time but then what doesn't.

The cpi regulator was what I was talking about. About the plenum gasket, I searched for high idle problem for a few months. Also if you were driving and let off the gas it was cruise at 45 mph without touching the gas. Was scary on the ice when it spun it out cause of the idle speed. But anyway finally gave up finding it myself and the shop I trust hooked up something and stated a leak in that plenum gasket. Took it apart and 2 out of the 6 cricles in the middle of the gasket were crack open allowing the vacum leak. Never apart till then, been in family since new. One gasket and problem was solved. Yes induction system works great when working,I just dont like the design of it, coi hidden away like it is. Thanks for the info though. Seems like I am working more and more on this w motor lately.

[diddy0071]

actually, GM has issued a special factory defect recall. I mean special, because it's not really a recall, but more of an agreement they have made. if any vehicle has trouble with the joints, they will replace them for free, only if you followed the factory guidelines of keeping them well greased, so on and so forth. My brother is looking into buying a new car, and he paid the 1 month subscription to carfax, so I ran my VIN on my blazer, and they show you all the information, including recalls, reliablity, and so on and so forth.

[troubles789]

Mikado14, I just want to add also that the 93 w cpi system has given me trouble since 83k to 114k. The 91 TB system on my blazer never trouble as of yet 158k and the 89 TB system on my chevy truck never a problem at 196k. Now you see why I dislike the cpi system on the 93 w motor. They changed a reliable TB system to one that they can sell parts for CPI=$300.