Oil sending unit

[jimoshel]

Or 'one tough 2.8' Went into town in the MJ yesterday. '86, 2.8, AX5, 4WD, 31's. About a mile from town engine started losing power and making noise. Bad Noises. Pulled over to side of road, engine died. Hit starter. just went CLUNK. didn't turn engine over. Popped hood. Oil over everything, Pulled dip stick, had to use a rag, it was to hot to hold. Nothing. I had checked it the day before. It was full. Not now. Bone dry. Figured I blew the engine. Called my neighbor. He went over to the yard and got the tow truck and come got me. After getting it home took half an hour inspection to finally realize the oil sending sw was gone. Replaced sw, filled with oil. hit starter, it fired. took 5 minutes of this , start die, start, die before it kept running. Rattled like a tin can in a threshing machine. Drove it around the yard for awhile. Seem to be running OK. Said to hell with it. Went on the highway. Got it up to 80. Put 20 miles on it, turned around and came back at 80. Runs great, no noises.Seems to be OK. Don't know why the sender came out. Threads are good, not stripped. Going to get the steam cleaner fired up later and get the engine bay cleaned up. That 2.8 may be gutless but it's STOUT!!.

[Zenobian_84]

Buddy of my old man had an S-10 once a long time ago with the 2.8. Had the same thing happen to him. I give the 2.8 more props than most people I know do. It's still a tough engine (if properly maintained) :yes:

[Pete M]

the 2.8 is in the same league as the peugeot and the dana 35. if you take care of it, it *should* last. there are plenty out there that have lasted 200k+ (I've got one).

 

 

...but I would have a backup plan just in case. :yes:

[86FUBAR]

I personaly loved my 2.8 , even as gutless as it was it took one hell of a beating between me reving it 6k+ more times than i care to remember , running it 4+qts low on oil consistantly (it had one hell of a leak for sometime) and having not changed the oil for 4 years after i fixed the leak . I was trying to blow it up because my parents said that if it died they would buy me a new engine but that never happened. Needles to say it was still running strong the day i pulled it out but it was way worn out and my needs for power grew so in went the 3.4.

I had an 82-83 s10 when i lived in montana that had the 2.8 ,when i got it it had a steady 70-80 psi but did have a prity good oil leak so you had to check it every 2-3 days . After 3-4 weeks i noticed the oil pressure was like 10-20 psi so finaly poped the hood and when i tried to pull the dip stick it would only come out 3-4 inches so i messed with it till it came out and when it did it was completly covered in bearing material . I quickly cramed a gallon of diesel oil in (thats all i had) and that damn truck was still going strong 4 years later till a friend totaled it . say what you want but iv been impressed with the 2.8s that iv had.