1992 Chevrolet Blazer S-10 Tahoe LT 4.3 non Vortec

Summary:

A great engine if you stay away from Vortec

Faults:

Ball joints.

Brake pads & rotors.

Seat bracket broke.

Passenger seat belt got stuck in.

General Comments:

The 4.3 engine without Vortec has been known to go 1 million km without being rebuilt.

The Vortec version is more problematic and uses a lot more fuel. If you can find one without Vortec, you need to grab it ASAP.

The Vortec is prone to air leaks and fuel leaks, both of which cause it to drink fuel 3 times more than the non Vortec. If you own a shop and you can afford $50 a day in gas, then you don't need to worry.

If you live on a budget and can't fix your own car, then I suggest not to buy a Vortec. I have owned both 4.3 engines, and the simplicity of the TBI 4.3 is what I prefer. If you want power, then do yourself a favor and just buy a V8 truck instead. Stay away from Vortec systems. I've owned Blazers, Suburbans, Safaris, Jimmys, Yukons, and my 97 Vortec had power. My 73 Suburban 4x4 was better on gas than my 97 Vortec.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 27th October, 2014

1992 Chevrolet Blazer K5 5.7 liter / 350 ci

Summary:

This is an excellent truck, and I would not trade it for any other vehicle... period

Faults:

Heater control module stopped working.

Door hinge sagging on driver door.

Tie rods loose with 33 inch mud tires now on it.

Passenger seat mechanism broke.

Tranny gear selector needle quit working.

General Comments:

Very smooth ride and fun to drive. Things that have gone wrong are not things that stop the truck from operating, and it has been used and abused, at over 300,000 kilometers. The engine still runs smooth and the tranny shifts excellent. It might be wearing out, but it hasn't rusted at all, and it runs and runs with no quitting in sight.

I've owned several 73-91 K5 Blazers, and they were great, but this model is by far the best I've owned. Comfort is awesome, gas mileage is better by a lot (lighter truck I think), still a fullsize and lots of power with 33 inch mud tires and I still get 17MPG+, and that's city driving.

My S10 Blazer was only a tiny bit better and it was not as comfortable.

My 4runner was about 23MPG with a 4 cyl 22re, but the engine started making a timing chain noise again after only 4 years from putting a new timing chain set on, and it had no power at all.

All in all, with reliability for the years of use and everything considered, I'd rather have this big `gas guzzler`than a 4 banger that needs repairs every 4 years maximum. Definitely one of the better trucks I've owned, and I paid next to nothing for it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 17th October, 2008

18th Oct 2008, 17:09

I also get approx 17MPG with X pipe/headers and 235's.

Did you install any extras?

I have a 2006 Jeep and I would rather have my Blazer if I had to choose just one of them.

10th Nov 2008, 09:58

Yes it has a crossover pipe, not an X like the guy said.

It has duals, stock type mufflers, but true duals with a pipe connecting them together.

I took the 33's off and put 265's on which equal a 31.5 inch tire. When on E... $20 give just under 1/2 a tank on the gauge. I'm curious to see what the tire size does. Too early to tell.

Yeah compared to a lot of other trucks, the room and comfort of this one is better by a lot and mileage is not as bad as one might think. Or not as bad as a 70's carbed truck anyways. It seems to do better on the highway than my friends S10 does, or at least equal. We both use the same amount of fuel and his is a lot smaller (88 S10 with 2.8/auto) and I do go UP HILLS with the power I have in the truck, so I'm not babying it much. I also put it into OD while cruising anything quicker than 80kms for any amount of time.

29th Dec 2008, 15:32

Update to original mileage costs from original poster.

I went on a 6000KM trip from BC Canada to New Mexico USA.

It cost me $360 for a round trip. My revs varied between 2000 to 3500 at times when in passing mode, I drove steady at 2500RPM's as much as possible, as this is where the speed was safe and the truck did good.

I haven't figured out exactly what kind of mileage I was getting, but you can do the math. I left with 343,XXX kms on the speedo and got back at 350,0XX kms when I got back home. I filled up maybe 4 or 5 times and still had gas in the tank, it really sipped lightly when cruising on the highway for hours in overdrive.

I still had more than 1/2 a tank of fuel left when I got back home which can basically take about $40 off the price bringing it to $320 per 6000KMS. Which gave me between 16MPG - 18MPG, and I didn't have to sacrifice passing power or hill climb power in a old truck that cost less than $1000 to purchase.

I'm so happy with my fullsize Chevy Blazer I plan to buy my girlfriend the same truck now, and we will have a pair of them. She wants a burgundy one, personally color isn't important to myself.