Future of the Burb?

[dka99burb]

Sorry I have been missing lately. Busy with work. I have new exhaust sitting here and no time to install it.:mad2:

I am also troubled as I am at the turning point financially with the Burb. I have to make a decision on how to proceed. I have now spent more on the purchase of the truck + parts than I think I can sell it for. I have only put about 5k miles on it since I bought it last July because my time is limited on getting to work on it. So, do I continue to dump $$ and time into it or do I cut my loses and get something more reliable? I really want/need to be able to jump into the truck, hook up the trailer with ATVs & camping gear, and feel confident taking the family on 1000+ mile trips. Based on our conversations here, the only way to do this is to rebuild an engine, preferably with the Optimizer block. This means another $5k - $7k that I don't have and it would make it permanently mine because I will never get my investment back on a 99 Suburban.
Recommendations? Thoughts?
Offers?

 

[NVW]

If the engine is running well I wouldn't worry about replacing it.

As a side note you would have more in a new vehicle than you could sell it for.

 

[dka99burb]

I have not messed with any other 6.5s. I have a 7.3 in the truck at work and friends who have Cummins. My 6.5 seems to have a lot of vibration, sometimes worse than others. This concerns me a little. Maybe it's normal. Idk.
There just seems to be a lot of horror stories on here about the bottom end coming apart. I can't deal with that while 600 miles from home...

 

[NVW]

How is the HB and the drive pulley? Maybe try running it for a bit without the belt on and see if it still vibrates.

 

[dka99burb]

How do you inspect the HB and drive pulley? I will try removing the belt to see what happens.
So, how many miles can I really get out of this original engine? I seem to be seeing everyone have failures around my mileage. I plan to put injectors in it soon if I decide to keep it. It doesn't have any blowby that I can see when pulling the filler cap or dipstick.
But, it's 4wd, so pulling the oil pan for inspection doesn't look like an option.

 

[orrum]

Mine has more than 300000 miles n she runs like a raped ape, drives like a dream, purrs like a pissed off old school muscle car, n drinks like a two dollar whore, that is to say if you put it in the tank she will make miles with it. Wvo, used motor oil, hydraulic fluid! She drinks it all. my witches brew involves regular gas, k-1 kerosene, diesel kleen oh yea almost forgot the paint thinner!!!!! Reminds of the town drunk in Saltville Va where I grew up, it was a dry county so he would get Aqua Velva aftershave at the grocery store and drink it! We called him Angel breath! LOL

 

[NVW]

How do you inspect the HB and drive pulley? I will try removing the belt to see what happens.
So, how many miles can I really get out of this original engine? I seem to be seeing everyone have failures around my mileage. I plan to put injectors in it soon if I decide to keep it. It doesn't have any blowby that I can see when pulling the filler cap or dipstick.
But, it's 4wd, so pulling the oil pan for inspection doesn't look like an option.

The rubber in the HB should be uniform, not bulging out more in some areas. With the belt off, engine off grab hold of the pulley and try turning one way then the other. It should be tight, also look to see if the rubber is weathered or cracked. Running with the belt off will give and indication if any other driven accessories are making noises. Don't run it long.

New inj. might clear up rough running, do you know how old yours are?

I have 375k kms and have no worries yet, that would be close to 240 k miles.

 

[dka99burb]

I am right at 260k miles. Based on PO receipts the injectors have almost 100k on them. It was just a daily driver for him. Almost no towing at all. Grocery getter with occassional 'help a friend move' type stuff.

 

[NVW]

Going by recommendations you are due for new ones.

If and when you get new inj. stick with AC Delco, Bosch or Stanadyne.

 

[dka99burb]

Should I go for rebuilds? I have seen on here that some people like buying from a guy on ebay? And, will they need to be pop-tested regardless of source?

 

[NVW]

Ideally new or rebuilt inj. would be pop tested for peace of mind. If the vendor is reputable I would install as is. A pop tester can be built fairly cheap and do it yourself if you are capable.

Another option would be to check with a local pump shop on rebuilding yours.

 

[dka99burb]

Thanks for the advice. I hope to tackle the install of my exhaust soon. I will look into the injectors in the mean time. Maybe do it all at once. I like to consolidate my work.

 

[NVW]

#8 inj is easier with the DP off.

 

[Pruittx2]

#4 and #6 are easier with the turbo off also,,, But all can be done with out removing those items.

 

[WarWagon]

You will never get your investment back in a vehicle. New ones are more of a loss. Newer used ones still loose value. The diesels hold more value over gas. In any case you are on the 3rd 100K 'lifetime' of the vehicle.

Even with a newer vehicle it is smart to have a towing coverage plan like AAA or insurance or cell phone.

You could get a lemon with a new vehicle. Random mechanical things like dropping a valve or breaking a band in the transmission happen - it's just under warranty.

You can go for a cheaper engine replacement. I have used the low mile tested 6.2 take out engines for ($1200 now plus shipping.). Simply clean up the cylinders and re-ring them. (plus 6.5 heads with turbo precups is the way to go.) Worked hard towing I have 40K on mine 70K total miles assumed (1986 was rebuilt when I got it so block miles could be higher). The cracks have started but have lots of miles left before failure. Without heads it is about $2K to drop in a 6.2 yourself with new injectors. Avoid the china nozzles as they are good for about 30K miles only towing.

These engines run perfect till the moment the cracks let go. I like they way they run vs. the newer stuff. Esp the 1993. And most important: I HAVE THE TITLE!!! I make my 'payment' to the parts store with zero worry about bad times loosing my vehicle.

You could go for a used Optimizer and rebuild it.

I would also get a non-factory turbo on it.

There is nothing else like a 1999 diesel suburban made anymore. The 1995 350 Gas 4 door Yukon is close in MPG.

In summery you have identified the possible failure points from mileage. How many miles on the transmission? How is the wiring harness holding up?

 

[wyattearp]

dka99burb...I hear you and feel your frustrations. I am doing an frame off restoration on a 85 Chevy K30 crewcab. I am leaning very heavily towards a Cummins swap right now. Yet I find myself wanting to keep it all GM. But the reliability issues haunts me. I have even heard of some having problems with the new Optimizer engine. Mine would be fully mechanical and 6.5L has one that he put an ATT on it. He is getting up to 260 rwhp. I can work on other things in the mean time on my project bu in the next 30 to 60 days I ened to move forward. It seems to me that it is easier to make power with the Cummins that are low cost and with the GM motor it take a lot of tweaking and significantly more dollars.

 

[dka99burb]

If I had time to do the swap, and felt like I could fit it vertically, I would like to put the new Cummins 4cyl in it. I may even have access to getting one very resonably. I just don't see that kind of time available.

 

[dka99burb]

WarWagon,
Thanks for you response. The transmission is original too and the harness seems to be in good shape. So, I have two ticking time bombs right now which causes me to be scared to drive more than 4-5 hours away with the family in it. I don't mind a failure if I am within reasonable distance for me to call a friend to pull it home. But, I am scared to drive it to TX to visit family with ATVs & camping gear in tow and be too far away. We plan to make this trip sometime around Thanksgiving this year and I want to make a couple WV trips by then too. So, I have to figure something out by this fall.
I am going to throw the exhaust on it and some injectors soon and see how much we like it then before I make the big decision. If I keep it I will have to start serious shopping for the rebuild or upgrade asap.

 

[wyattearp]

As a side note, the sound of a Cummins kind of drives me nuts :smash:

 

[Pillow]

Since I am a fellow 99 Burb owner let me weigh in on the way I see it. FWIW I have 8 miles before 200K!

I use my Burb as a daily driver at about 75 miles per day. Yes, I have put a lot of money into the "upgrades" for a little power boost and added reliability. All said I probably have a little over 20K in the Burb counting purchase price and upgrades/maintenance.

For me the Burb has been very reliable once the electrical was sorted out. That has been the only real trouble for me over the years. Every upgrade seems to make the Burb run even better regardless of its age!!! The only oddball issue we had on the road was a coolant "T" shattering in the middle of nowhere. Thanks to a tow from USAA and $50 at a local shop we were good to go, but behind schedule 2 hours.

Issues that always are on my mind:
1. I wish it stopped better.
2. I hope it does not rust!
3. I hope to never see coolant in the oil!

Plusses!!!
1. PAID for!
2. Reasonable mileage for a huge vehicle (17 mixed/city - wifes Escalade 13)
3. I really like the ride.
4. Fits kids and beer cooler with room to spare
5. The upgraded radio with Sirius, HD, subwoofer, and hands free calling is excellent... I spend a lot of time in the Burb so I need some tunes!
6. With great support from this forum anything can be overcome mechanically
7. It is an excellent tow vehicle for my old Spartan trailer!

And the best selling point... I travel a lot for work and get to drive a variety of rental cars, but none make me happier than the Burb! It always amazes me that the SLT trim still has on par amenities compared to the newfangled cars!