87 s15 2.8 wont start

ChevyBoy78 · 11-06-2009, 06:41 PM

So i got this 87 s15 2.8l 4x4 from this guy about a week ago.
I drove it for about 3 days and it was running great wasnt making any noise or anything at all.
Then yesterday i decided to go hunting so i hoped in the truck and on down the road i was going about 50mph and it just died, i had no clue why but it just died. I pulled over sat for about 15min and it started right back up i took off and was going about 50mph agian and it starts knocking not real loud but not good loud. So i keep driving until i saw a drive way and i pulled in nd it died agian befor i got to put it in park. It wouldnt start right back up this time i had to wait about 40min and it finally started and i had to drive it home knocking and it got really bad and loud on the way back.
I finally got back and parked it and poped the hood and like 15min later anti-freeze starts leaking from somewhere it wasnt coming from the radiator or water-pump so im not sure where it was coming from. So i just said forget it and went in for the day and today i went out to try and start it after i got back from school and its not wanting to start for nothing its not even fireing or anything.
What you guys think? I heard the 2.8 are crap anyways but if i can fix it then i might try but if i have to i might sawp a 4.3 in it or somehing.

88GMCs-15 · 11-07-2009, 06:05 PM

not sure about the leak. but the knocking could be a blown connecting rod bearing.... possibly.. mine conrod bearing went out and it was loud but it stayed running..hmmm.. sounds like you gotta pull the engine anyways because of the knocking. where abouts was the leak coming from?

ChevyBoy78 · 11-07-2009, 06:58 PM

yeah i figured it was a rod or rod bearing or something but the leak seems to be coming out of the oil pan not sure how thts possible but its all wet where the oil pan seals and its all rust looking and kinda thick but when it drains on the drive way you can tell its antifreeze...

ChevyBoy78 · 11-07-2009, 08:50 PM

If i as to put a 4.3 in would i need a different trans?
id be nice if someone could tell me everything i would have to do if i was o put a 4.3 in this
its a 2.8 auto so im not really sure on what i would have to do...
i have people to do this for me but im wanting to do most of it just becasue its mine lol i just need to know everything i would need thx

taylordoege · 11-14-2009, 05:56 PM

you would have to get a different trans.. the 700 r4 bolts right up to the 4.3l. other than that im not too sure if its a direct swap or not..

neo71665 · 11-15-2009, 04:10 PM

4.3 uses a different tranny, motor mounts, rad, and computer chip.

GTCHAMBERS3 · 11-20-2009, 04:53 PM

well to clarify, there is a 700R4 for the 2.8l and there is a 700R4 for the 4.3 to V8s...

You would need a new tranny switching from 2.8 to 4.3 the bellhousing patterns wont match, the 4.3 is much larger housing..

Did you check your coolant or oil quality? I wonder if you blew a head gasket, that would cause antifreeze to leak and you would get the knocking if coolant is dropped into your oil pan and destroyed its quality of oil- driving at high speeds would cause you to throw a bearing.

Have you checked if you're recieving spark? Take a spark plug & plug it into the ignition coil directly (dont connect through the cap) and see if it fires...
if not, there are faulty ingnition components and on a 2.8l it is either:

ignition module
magnetic pickup coil
ignition coil
wires leading from ignition switch (the key slot) to ignition coil
and wires from ignition coil to module
and from module to the coil pickup.

I had a similar problem w/ the shutting down... As if I turned off the car while driving-

You can do a few things to make life easier is definately using hte ignition wire directly from coil to a plug (taken out of the engine) and see if you're getting spark....

11-06-2009, 06:41 PM	#1
ChevyBoy78 Registered User Age: 17 Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 3 Location: User is: OffLine	87 s15 2.8 wont start So i got this 87 s15 2.8l 4x4 from this guy about a week ago. I drove it for about 3 days and it was running great wasnt making any noise or anything at all. Then yesterday i decided to go hunting so i hoped in the truck and on down the road i was going about 50mph and it just died, i had no clue why but it just died. I pulled over sat for about 15min and it started right back up i took off and was going about 50mph agian and it starts knocking not real loud but not good loud. So i keep driving until i saw a drive way and i pulled in nd it died agian befor i got to put it in park. It wouldnt start right back up this time i had to wait about 40min and it finally started and i had to drive it home knocking and it got really bad and loud on the way back. I finally got back and parked it and poped the hood and like 15min later anti-freeze starts leaking from somewhere it wasnt coming from the radiator or water-pump so im not sure where it was coming from. So i just said forget it and went in for the day and today i went out to try and start it after i got back from school and its not wanting to start for nothing its not even fireing or anything. What you guys think? I heard the 2.8 are crap anyways but if i can fix it then i might try but if i have to i might sawp a 4.3 in it or somehing.
	[Reply w/Quote]

11-07-2009, 06:05 PM	#2
88GMCs-15 Registered User Age: 21 Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 796 Location: User is: OffLine	Re: 87 s15 2.8 wont start not sure about the leak. but the knocking could be a blown connecting rod bearing.... possibly.. mine conrod bearing went out and it was loud but it stayed running..hmmm.. sounds like you gotta pull the engine anyways because of the knocking. where abouts was the leak coming from?
	[Reply w/Quote]

11-07-2009, 06:58 PM	#3
ChevyBoy78 Registered User Age: 17 Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 3 Location: User is: OffLine	Re: 87 s15 2.8 wont start yeah i figured it was a rod or rod bearing or something but the leak seems to be coming out of the oil pan not sure how thts possible but its all wet where the oil pan seals and its all rust looking and kinda thick but when it drains on the drive way you can tell its antifreeze...
	[Reply w/Quote]

11-07-2009, 08:50 PM	#4
ChevyBoy78 Registered User Age: 17 Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 3 Location: User is: OffLine	Re: 87 s15 2.8 wont start If i as to put a 4.3 in would i need a different trans? id be nice if someone could tell me everything i would have to do if i was o put a 4.3 in this its a 2.8 auto so im not really sure on what i would have to do... i have people to do this for me but im wanting to do most of it just becasue its mine lol i just need to know everything i would need thx
	[Reply w/Quote]

11-14-2009, 05:56 PM	#5
taylordoege Registered User Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 61 Location: User is: OffLine	Re: 87 s15 2.8 wont start you would have to get a different trans.. the 700 r4 bolts right up to the 4.3l. other than that im not too sure if its a direct swap or not..
	[Reply w/Quote]

11-15-2009, 04:10 PM	#6
neo71665 4x4 v6 blazer Age: 29 Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 5,002 Location: rison arkansas User is: OffLine	Re: 87 s15 2.8 wont start 4.3 uses a different tranny, motor mounts, rad, and computer chip.
	[Reply w/Quote]

11-20-2009, 04:53 PM	#7
GTCHAMBERS3 Registered User Age: 24 Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 4 Location: User is: OffLine	Re: 87 s15 2.8 wont start well to clarify, there is a 700R4 for the 2.8l and there is a 700R4 for the 4.3 to V8s... You would need a new tranny switching from 2.8 to 4.3 the bellhousing patterns wont match, the 4.3 is much larger housing.. Did you check your coolant or oil quality? I wonder if you blew a head gasket, that would cause antifreeze to leak and you would get the knocking if coolant is dropped into your oil pan and destroyed its quality of oil- driving at high speeds would cause you to throw a bearing. Have you checked if you're recieving spark? Take a spark plug & plug it into the ignition coil directly (dont connect through the cap) and see if it fires... if not, there are faulty ingnition components and on a 2.8l it is either: ignition module magnetic pickup coil ignition coil wires leading from ignition switch (the key slot) to ignition coil and wires from ignition coil to module and from module to the coil pickup. I had a similar problem w/ the shutting down... As if I turned off the car while driving- You can do a few things to make life easier is definately using hte ignition wire directly from coil to a plug (taken out of the engine) and see if you're getting spark....
	[Reply w/Quote]