What did you do with your GMT400 today...or yesterday....

[Big T]

@Big T I'm gonna be looking for a good motor real soon for mine. Wife and daughter think I'm nuts for wanting to put more into my truck instead of cutting losses and get another one. I honestly feel like I have put so much into this one it's gonna be real hard to let go of it and start over. only unless another one that's in better shape happens to fall into my lap I think I would let this one go!

I was looking on a site for ones like mine and found a real beauty, 2000 model with 44k miles but they were asking 32k for it. I was like WOW!

I think we could work out a deal. I am an honest and reliable person. MrMarty can vouch for that. If the engine did not work, I would just refund the money.

We were keeping the engine as a back-up for the ‘94 Suburban as that engine has a lot of blowby. This one has just a little. It was a solid performer before the wreck. That said, had never pulled the the oil pan on it.

 

[dbrannon79]

I will shoot ya a message when I get serious looking! right now the plan is to wait for our tax return, then pay off my 401 loan and renew it that will give us enough cash to help pay for my daughters wedding happening the 4th of July, plus have funds for my truck with some to spare on a rainy day (rebuild our emergency savings). it will most likely be in about a month from now.

just got Ole' Betsey moved to the driveway and cleaned up from sitting under the pecan tree yesterday, hopefully she passes inspection today so I can start driving her while I park my rig for the anticipated work to begin!

 

[dbrannon79]

New tires ,new carrier bearing, and found out I have a really bad pitman arm...

do you have the pitman puller and a tuning fork? there not that terrible to replace with those tools. might be able to pick them up at harbor freight for a one or two time use for cheap.

 

[Big T]

I will shoot ya a message when I get serious looking! right now the plan is to wait for our tax return, then pay off my 401 loan and renew it that will give us enough cash to help pay for my daughters wedding happening the 4th of July, plus have funds for my truck with some to spare on a rainy day (rebuild our emergency savings). it will most likely be in about a month from now.

just got Ole' Betsey moved to the driveway and cleaned up from sitting under the pecan tree yesterday, hopefully she passes inspection today so I can start driving her while I park my rig for the anticipated work to begin!

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I'm in no rush. Engine is stored in a military crate. The kind they drop out of airplanes with a parachute to areas near the front line.

 

[MrMarty51]

I think we could work out a deal. I am an honest and reliable person. MrMarty can vouch for that. If the engine did not work, I would just refund the money.

We were keeping the engine as a back-up for the ‘94 Suburban as that engine has a lot of blowby. This one has just a little. It was a solid performer before the wreck. That said, had never pulled the the oil pan on it.

I will vouch for that. Mighty fine outstanding member right here.

 

[dbrannon79]

That's what I love about everyone here! good people, great trusting friends always helping each other out. even sharing some sarcasm to to keep us all straight too lol like a big family stretched all over the world

 

[Stoney]

Don't have a puller but can borrow one easy.. for as many times as I've done this I ought to just buy one... I've never had much trouble getting the old one off I always have trouble getting the new one on usually end up involving a hammer

 

[MrMarty51]

Don't have a puller but can borrow one easy.. for as many times as I've done this I ought to just buy one... I've never had much trouble getting the old one off I always have trouble getting the new one on usually end up involving a hammer

Well, at least You are making this vehicle safe before it gets too far down the road.

 

[Stoney]

Yeah I have to.. but gonna drive it to work today the way it is and hopefully get pitman arm on the way.. maybe get it in tomorrow

 

[Will L.]

New tires ,new carrier bearing, and found out I have a really bad pitman arm...

umm... you just posted it going over 300,000 miles the other day. Diesel GM = not a Toyota Camary. Does a lot more work, hauls a lot more weight, burns a pot more fuel and requires a lot more maintenance. But to make that sentence short enough the commercial just says “Chevy”

 

[Stoney]

@Will L. I would agree..but.... I just changed the pitman arm and idler arm maybe six months ago... Change the carrier bearing about a year ago... That's what's getting me... The whole front end of that truck has been rebuilt since I owned it... It just seems like these parts are crap..
Can't really complain too much about the tires.. they gave me a good deal on them.. with the road hazard warranty also... And as y'all can tell by the picture of the old tires,. I got my money's worth out of those...lol..
Just seems like every time I put it on a lift I find something that needs to be fixed I'm going to quit lifting that truck up..lol

 

[MrMarty51]

@Will L. I would agree..but.... I just changed the pitman arm and idler arm maybe six months ago... Change the carrier bearing about a year ago... That's what's getting me... The whole front end of that truck has been rebuilt since I owned it... It just seems like these parts are crap..
Can't really complain too much about the tires.. they gave me a good deal on them.. with the road hazard warranty also... And as y'all can tell by the picture of the old tires,. I got my money's worth out of those...lol..
Just seems like every time I put it on a lift I find something that needs to be fixed I'm going to quit lifting that truck up..lol

Get it on the lift. Afore too long it’ll all be good as new.

 

[Big T]

Update for the '99 Suburban:

Received GM Transfer Case Encoder Motor. Did not realize how big that thing was.

Confirmed order and shipment of transfer case. Shipped from Spartanburg, SC by UPS. It was in Illinois yesterday, so I should have it by next week.

Waiting for delivery of various hoses for the power steering pump. Should all arrive by next week.

 

[Big T]

Update on the ‘99;

Transfer case arrived and I helped UPS guy load it into the back of the Suburban. So now I just need to load the transmission in Fullerton, CA into my wife’s 4Runner and have her drive it up to the mechanic in MT.

Also, All the power steering hoses arrived today.

 

[dbrannon79]

Today was a successful job done! I pulled my truck to the back, up on the ramps it went! figuring it's time to break some bolts lol started pulling off the crossover pipe. I decided what the heck, grabbed my 1/2" impact, socket and a long extension and went for it lol

the drivers side only had two holding the crossover on and had blown out where the third bolt was broken, so I ripped that side off first. first bolt came right out! the other one had apparently been studded with a nut, the nut was barely hanging on by a couple of threads as the stud was too short. that one zipped off no problem! went to the passenger side and began.... it had three bolts threaded into the manifold and I was in shock that all three zipped right out with no issues!! when I dropped the crossover pipe I noticed that there was no doughnut gasket at all in the drivers side, it must have disintegrated totally, not even the steel part was there that sits inside the edge of the manifold.

sent my daughter to the parts house for a pair of new gaskets while I began grinding off what was left of a broken bolt and the stud flush with the manifold. center punched them and drilled them out. I was planning no not being able to save the threads, but to use bolts and nuts. to my dismay after drilling through and up sizing drill bits, I ran a 3/8" bit through them both. went into the garage to look for a couple of bolts and nuts I could use and stumbled across a metric 8mm tap. looked at it for a minuet and said nah its not gonna work, but what the heck ill try my luck lol. crawled under the truck and attempted to re-thread the holes. check the tap with the other bolts that came out making sure the thread pitch was the same, then started on the hols I just drilled. it actually pushed the bolt thread out of the old threads and cleaned up nicely! I didn't take any photos as it was getting dark and I wanted to try and finish up. I had some metric bolts laying in my stash that was marked grade 4.8. I figured they would work since they weren't hardened and if they snap I could easily drill them back out. reinstalled the crossover with new gaskets plus fixed another leak I found on one if the clamps on the down pipe. fired her up. she sounds completely different. boost gauge actually responds quicker now.

now I'm relaxing my arms since they are sore and feel like spaghetti from pushing on my drill!

 

[dbrannon79]

I honestly haven't had this much luck working on my truck in a good while. the whole reason I got my dodge back on the road was because I was afraid that I would be pulling both manifolds, breaking lots of bolts as I went. Now I can start focusing more on some other projects I have on the back burner. starting with the first one, cleaning and organizing my garage work space, then possibly tinkering with these used injectors, painting the un-cracked dashboard, getting it ready to install.

 

[MrMarty51]

Wow. That is a wonderful accomplishment on the bolt removal.
If the manifold is removed, or, anything that could be damaged with flame can be moved or covered for protection. Get the hole drilled entirely through the broke bolt/stud. Take the torch and warm arount the hole until it nust starts to form a puddle. Touch the oxygen and gently blow the steel from the manifold. Use a tap to clean the threads after it all cools down.

 

[dbrannon79]

I'm still up in the air on the dash I bought for it since it's blue and my interior is beige. wondering if I should continue looking for a beige dash and sell this blue one. not sure how well paint will stick to plastic and not scratch or rub off revealing the blue color over time.

 

[MrMarty51]

I'm still up in the air on the dash I bought for it since it's blue and my interior is beige. wondering if I should continue looking for a beige dash and sell this blue one. not sure how well paint will stick to plastic and not scratch or rub off revealing the blue color over time.

There is paint made for flexible vinyl. How well it would hold up I painted a blue dash to brown on My 78 K20. Never used the truck much. It just mostly sat facing southwards. In about five years the paint didnt seem to fade.

 

[dbrannon79]

Well I made some progress in my little workshop corner of the garage! Man I have to say keeping crap I think I’m gonna use some day tends to creep up into a huge junk pile lol. The before photo I had already started cleaning but before it began I only had a small narrow path to get in there! The floor couldn’t be seen lol