1997 Project Jimmy *Now with Pics*

[94SilverSSEi]

So I went to look at a 1997 GMC Jimmy
It is a 4 door 4x4. The body is in very good shape with a wash and wax it will be immaculate!!
124k
But wow!!
It was sitting since last October went to fire it up and there is coolant just shooting out of the driver side front of the engine. So at first I'm thinking intake gaskets cuz I know these are problematic with these. But the guy said it was a heater hose and the father in law said it was a headgasket.
Also the wiring in steering column is all Jerry-rigged but everything seems to function ok
and also the front tires are garbage.
The interior is decent there are a few rips in the cloth interior but overall pretty good.
And the brake booster isshot so it doesn't have power brakes. And they Jimmy rigged it so you can shift it without pushing the brake or having the key on.

It took 2 1/2 hours to drive it 7 miles bc all the coolant would pour out and then we would have to pull over and wait for it to cool down. The hottest it got was to 215 but then it started smoking but that was just the coolant all over everywhere.

So anyways I got it for $300. And I am hoping to sell for $2200-$4000

has anybody worked with these what do you think my problem could be?
Any advice or words of warning?
What could I realistically sell this thing for if everything is in decent shape with no problems.
Pics will follow probably tomorrow

[wake]

[94SilverSSEi]

Yeah...yeah I knew that was coming but I haven't taken any good pics yet
Although I do have on teaser.

I love working on engine stuff but I think this jigged rigged wiring *shoot* is gonna be a real PITA but I guess what better time to learn than to trouble shoot it myself and figure it out

BTW if you couldn't tell Im only 17

[wake]

im 19 bout to be 20

i hear ya dude..i started posting and working on cars at about 14

[94SilverSSEi]

Yeah that was prolly when I starting reading up on everything. And growing my vast knowledge of 3800 although there is still SOOO much I don't know.

But yeah like 15 I did intake on 92 Regal with L27 that was a fun little car

But back on topic.

Do headgaskets commonly go on these? I thought it was only intake gaskets?
And why would the coolant be SPEWING out?

[wake]

is that the vortec 4.3 ?

your talking about this body style?

[LeSabreUltra]

Head gaskets fail about as rarely on these as they do on 3800s.

You're looking at intake gaskets more than likely. The heater hoses...maybe...to be honest I can't recall where they are exactly. But that's easy enough to determine if you watch the leak.

I feel for you. Be prepared to have FUUUUUUUUUUUN changing those gaskets. You will be cursing at something, more than likely the distributor before you are done, I promise.

These engines are not nearly as fun to play with as 3800s.





My gaskets hadn't yet failed, but were starting to fail towards the rear...

They are very thin in comparison to 3800 gaskets. Fortunately metal framed gaskets are available for these as well.
.
.
.

[RJolly87]

The heater hoses do run down that drivers side, and when the intake gaskets go, they don't usually bother with dumping the coolant outside of the engine, they just dump it right into the lifter valley usually. You will be cursing things by the time it is all said and done. Working on that engine in that truck is dumb. I want a crew cab short bed variant of those, but won't because of engine bay inaccessibility.

[94SilverSSEi]

Yes it has a 4.3 and yeah it is that body.

And I thought I heard about the headgaskets rarely failing on these.
But I thought intake gasket at first but the way that it was just gushing exploding out made me think it was something else.

[GM Collector]

Failed intake gaskets can and sometimes will flow coolant outside the engine.

[94SilverSSEi]

Even though I know the headgasket failure is rare I've still got my fingers crossed.

Maybe I'll get the lucky and it'll be some stupid hose or something (that's why the guy kept telling me it was. But even if it is the intake. That shouldn't be TOO bad to fix.

Also I just found out the electrical is really jacked up because I just had it on accessory with radio an if you push (button that changes channels) twice and then turn it the truck will turn on full ignition like the notch before start.

Also you don't have to engage the break to shift from park.

[LeSabreUltra]

when the intake gaskets go, they don't usually bother with dumping the coolant outside of the engine, they just dump it right into the lifter valley usually.

Yeah, kinda what GM collector said, they can pretty much leak anywhere. They are equally thin in all directions so it's a matter of which point is weakest. Mine were on the verge of failing out the rear of the motor, but the sides toward the lifter valley were perfect.

Even though I know the headgasket failure is rare I've still got my fingers crossed.

Oh and you don't want it to be the headgaskets any more than the intake lol...that's even harder to get to as you have to take more off...I could have misinterpreted your statement though.

The intake isn't horrible as far as straight disassembly or even reassembly goes. As you may have been able to tell from my pic, the 4.3 is one complex bastard of a motor with all those hoses and wires in every direction. Take careful note of what goes where, and it helps to group parts together when disassembling.

The difficult part comes in the space to work with...being a 4x4 and therefore higher off the ground will only make it worse. That and the distributor which could likely ruin your day. Might as well explain why so you know ahead of time...

By the book, the way to remove and reassemble the distributor in the block is to mark it's orientation before removal and then put it back in exactly the same spot during reassembly...problem is the real world doesn't make it that simple. The distributor is connected to the oil pump at the bottom of the block via a long shaft and the oil pump will settle or move a bit while the engine sits and you're working on the gaskets. Thus you will need a LONG flathead screwdriver to turn it back to where you think it was before it settled, and those marks you made before removing the distributor become really little more than wishful thinking...

I got lucky and got it perfect on the first try, thus my timing was perfect...but it is EASY to skip a tooth over on the distributor and jack up your timing, and then you have to take the whole *dang* thing apart again to get to the distributor.

Sounds like they really jacked up the electrical on your Jimmy though. Hope it keeps "working" long enough for you to sell it.
.
.
.

[94SilverSSEi]

Yeah I'm not really too worried about the electrical right now though. Cuz I gotta get the motor fixed first and then I'll have to get the brake booster fixed cuz right now it only has manual brakes.

I hope the electrical isn't too messed upand it looks like it shouldn't be THAT bad to fix but u never know what your getting into.

But before anything I have to get the title.

also does the distributor have to come of or is it much easier to work when you have it off.

[GM Collector]

I can tell you havn't done anything like this before. MAKE SURE you go do some research about the process before just tearing into it. Also, you need to have a torque wrench to tighten the intake back down to spec in the proper tightening sequence. Look that up too. The distributor runs through the intake manifold so it has to come out. Realistically, you are probably going to get no more than 2500-3000 if it is in the good shape you say. Book value is between 2500 and 3500.

[94SilverSSEi]

Ok. First of my budget is $1100 hopefully I won't have to spen the whole budget and at the time being I've already spent $300 on truck. So I've got $800 left and so far I haven't bought everything but I'm looking at about $300 in parts and that's whithout fixin the wiring.

Have said this my goal is $2500 if I could get more that would be absolutely awesome but I want to get at least $2500 for it.



Should I get a hanyes or chilton?
Or should I try to find a factory service manual?

[Wes]

hands down go with a fsm if cost isnt the deciding factor. But even if it is, search on ebay. I bought a fsm for my buick for $20 shipped. which is less than the cost of a new chiltons currently runs. It has tape holding the front cover on, but who cares, its fine with me.

[94SilverSSEi]

Well the haynes manuals are $25
I found the book for engine an tranmission shipped to my door for $24
but I need a book for wiring too though?!?

Hmmm. Should I just get the haynes or I could order a chilton for the same price?
Will they be sufficient to reside some stuff and do intake gaskets?

[GM Collector]

Forget all that crap.

Click here http://search.ebscohost.com/

user: neitlrc
password: lrc

Click auto repair reference

Find your truck.

Click repair procedures,

click engine and engine repair,

click engine,

click intake manifold

find removal and find your particular engine.

There is step by step instructions on how to do your intake manifold gaskets. There are probably wiring diagrams as well. Print everything out and there you go.

[94SilverSSEi]

WOW!! Thank you SOOO much tha website is awesome!!

Its got pics and specific directions for each step

[GM Collector]

It sure does, good luck.