96 Sonoma 2wd

[mikeroc283]

Well i needed a cheap daily driver that was good on gas after i sold the dodge back in february and ended up picking up this 96 sonoma 2wd. Its only a 2.2 L4 automatic with 124k on it. Vinyl flooring with a shitty bench seat and a rot hole under the sil plate on the drivers side i need to repair before winter. Funny thing is it goes the length and width of the sil plate and stops. I added the same model pioneer cd player i had in the dodge that i sold with it. Runs great and gets good mileage all that matters till i can get the mercury fixed.

Repairs done

New rotors, pads with bearings, races and seals
All 4 shocks replaced with Gabriel Pro Guards
Gabe wired up the fog lights for me
New idler arm
New center drag link
Replaced a tailgate cable
Installed a sunpro oil gauge with copper line
New cheapy coil packs
replaced the rusted away head light buckets
both upper ball joints since the passenger busted on me while driving home one night
replaced the gas lines
rebuilt the motor and added a stainless header
thermostat
muffler and tail pipe
pcv valve
swaybar links
all new motor internals when i rebuilt the motor except cam and cam bearings (because the motor shop told me they were fine but i still have shitty oil pressue at idle from the bearings)


I just picked up a nice set of rims from an extreme for it today.
First pic is the day i got it, i did remove the tail light covers since i didnt like them. 2nd Pic is with the new rims i just got.

[sly]

make sure the trans cooler lines recall has been done on it. They used O rings on the trans instead of something that will actually seal at high temps and they leak. The recall addresses this and changes the fittings.

[mikeroc283]

The trans lines and all 4 brake lines were brand new when i got it.

[sly]

hopefully the fittings are compression/flare/etc and no the original o-ring style. It was a 1-year screw-up. My cousin had a 96 S-10 (all S-10/Sonoma/Jimmy/Blazer used the same thing) and had to deal with that. Just a heads up in case you start seeing something leaking from the trans.

[mikeroc283]

My brother was out riding around the area last night and found me this in the garbage. Its cracked but im going to eventually switch over to this style now that i have the assemblys.

[mikeroc283]

I never update this but i changed from the bench seat to a 60/40 split and put a floor shifter in its a B&M racheting megashifter. The pic shows what it looks like. Ill take an interior shot one of these days.

[gadget73]

Nothing wrong with that a nice 4.3 or 350 wouldn't fix. Stupidly its actually less expensive to stuff a V8 in one of these than fool with the 4.3. I considered headers on mine years ago but changed my mind when I saw the prices. Kind of a shame, the 4.3 hauls ass in a serious way in an S10.

[mikeroc283]

I have a header on the 2.2 along with a cheapy cold air intake i got off ebay, they make the truck a bit faster.

[gadget73]

just doesnt seem those 2.2's hold up that well in the trucks. I've known a lot of people that had them die in significant ways. I guess thats what happens when you put a Cavalier motor in a pickup truck and try and work it like a fullsize.

[mikeroc283]

yea the 98 runs better then the 96. Dont know why this one just doesnt run like it should. Head gasket is leaking into the back cylinder but its still going. Thats the main reason for buying the 98. Just waiting on the kid to find the title or do lost title replacement before i go and finish paying him for the 98 and then it can swap places with this one.

[mikeroc283]

So this rust in the floor or what was the floor needs to be taken care of ASAP. I need to find a floor pan soon as possible or shortly after i get the other truck on the road. Head is bogging the engine down worse and im starting to think the V8 swap is going to be a good idea. Keep in mind that isnt the only hole in the floor. The sill on the driver side hides the practically length long hole near the outer part of the floor.

[mikeroc283]

So today its starting to run like shit. Hope the title for the other one is in fast. I cant keep driving it like this or its gonna go and i dont need a tow bill i cant pay. Got to a gas station earlier and went to leave, it took 5 minutes of cranking it to get it to start. Usually its flick the key slightly and its on. Could smell the coolant on the drive home.

[mikeroc283]

Well the title came in for the other truck so i swapped over to it. It will be on the road today and this one will either find itself a new motor in the future or a new owner.

[mikeroc283]

Truck is going either to the junk yard soon or someone else. I was suppose to trade for a 94 v6 camaro earlier and came home got the truck running tried to get it prepped for the trip to the guys house to trade and it either blew the starter or the motor went when we tried to start it again. Was idling at 0 psi for oil when we shut it off, tried to start it again and there was a loud pop or bang and spark and nothing. Wont crank but its free and not froze. Not putting a starter in it. I rebuilt the motor once not gonna happen again. Cant afford a v6 swap dont even want to try anymore.

[mikeroc283]

Its running again. Trade for camaro is still gonna happen if it makes it up otherwise its done for.