Bought My Third Car - It's a Suburban - BIG Picts Too !

[MIPS]

I've always been told to opt for used parts when Doorman is the only source for new parts. They are typically OEM matches but the quality is not there.

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by MIPS

I've always been told to opt for used parts when Doorman is the only source for new parts. They are typically OEM matches but the quality is not there.

I don't have time for tracking down used. I have to drive it tomorrow, and I don't want to deal with a taped shut or stuck open window...I already had to drive more than 50 miles with it stuck open today...I don't want to do that again.

[Electronic M]

Well, they gave another one free under part warranty...I have slightly higher hopes for this one. The factory part had been sprayed with white lithium grease some years ago (someone hit the door hinge pins with the same stuff) before I bought it. The replacement that died only had grease in the cable sleaves and would not rise as fast as it would drop...I added a ton of white lithium grease to the slider tracks of today's replacement where the metal cable rubs against them (like the factory original had) and the current replacement seems to rise and fall at the same speed and do so more freely than the last replacement...At the very least I hope it holds till spring...If it fails again in under a year I'm just returning it for a refund and looking for factory used or a different make replacement.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

I don't have time for tracking down used. I have to drive it tomorrow, and I don't want to deal with a taped shut or stuck open window...I already had to drive more than 50 miles with it stuck open today...I don't want to do that again.

It sure was great for hauling large things yesterday.
Dave.

[quaddriver]

Get one of the real Buses:

(this one is a real factory 1 ton)

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by quaddriver

Get one of the real Buses:

(this one is a real factory 1 ton)

I sort of like the older burbans (especially the late 40s-60's models) but ma hates the older ones than mine to the point where I'd be evicted if I got one.... granted if I keep saving I'll have a place of my own in a year or two. Besides it is good to have one car made within my life time to be a reliable winter commuter.

[Electronic M]

Things were going well till they weren't...
So today I tried to fix the 4WD and rear window and had 2 very different results.

I suspected the front differential actuator was bad and when I tried to remove it it snapped in half leaving the threaded portion in the axle... This video shows how it should have gone if it didn't snap...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8zz3-dMjqLc

Not sure what to do about it now...part of me thinks I should heat the metal till the threaded portion of the old plastic actuator melts and peel the soft plastic out with a screwdriver driver but I'm worried it might damage the front diff/axle assembly. Is that a good move? Is there a better way? Should I just take it to a mechanic and let it be their problem?

I decided to replace the actuator after getting all 4 wheels off the ground on jack stands and running it. This was prompted by it behaving like the front wheels weren't receiving power in snow last winter.
With all 4 wheels off the ground in 4wd mode(s). The rear wheels and front drive shaft were spinning but the front wheels were dead still. The front drive shaft also spins in 2WD mode and I believe that the actuator disconnects the front wheels in 2WD mode.

The successful thing I did today was make my first visit to a junkyard to get a new rear lift window and install it. I went to the Milwaukee LKQ rip-a-part (atleast that seems to be what some folks are there for) and found a good rear window. I was looking for some other interior parts (like a spare OEM window regulator) but nothing seemed to be present or an improvement on what I had. I ended up exploring the truck and GM sections and a bit of the Japanese section... Would have liked to explore more but didn't want to waste too much time.
The new window needed a defroster contact resoldered to the glass but otherwise was in good shape and a pain free install....

Why replace the rear window you ask....well last winter I was using it as a heated lacquer drying room and wanted to air it out when I drove it so I drove a few miles with the rear window open and the passenger hinge broke off....it is factory glued to the glass and I decided (now that the weather is nice enough to fix it) that regluing would be less reliable than a good used part....now that annoying rear window air leak is fixed.

[Electronic M]

So it's been pretty good since then. One of the tail gate gas struts failed and got changed. The transfer case rear cover corroded a leak hole from the outside in and I had the FUN of pulling the transfer case and swapping the cover... Discovered the transmission rear main seal was leaky but instead of fixing it or properly replacing the gasket between the transmission and transfer case that stopped the rear main seal from leaking onto the ground I put it back together and have been adding around a quart a month to it...I need to fix that this summer.
My rust repairs are starting to bubble so I'll have to address those again.

But what's really driving me nuts is a fuel system problem...A few years ago it used to be that on -20 winter days if there was less than 1/4 tank it wouldn't start because it wouldn't have fuel to the injectors. It's gotten to the point it won't start at any temp if there's less than 1/4 tank. Now if you start with more you can drive it to a hair above Empty and it'll be fine, but if you park it for a day even with 1/8 tank it won't start till you add 2-5gals. Anyone ever seen this before on this era of GM truck?
I'd like to find the root cause rather than load up the parts cannon.

[init4fun]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

So it's been pretty good since then. One of the tail gate gas struts failed and got changed. The transfer case rear cover corroded a leak hole from the outside in and I had the FUN of pulling the transfer case and swapping the cover... Discovered the transmission rear main seal was leaky but instead of fixing it or properly replacing the gasket between the transmission and transfer case that stopped the rear main seal from leaking onto the ground I put it back together and have been adding around a quart a month to it...I need to fix that this summer.
My rust repairs are starting to bubble so I'll have to address those again.

But what's really driving me nuts is a fuel system problem...A few years ago it used to be that on -20 winter days if there was less than 1/4 tank it wouldn't start because it wouldn't have fuel to the injectors. It's gotten to the point it won't start at any temp if there's less than 1/4 tank. Now if you start with more you can drive it to a hair above Empty and it'll be fine, but if you park it for a day even with 1/8 tank it won't start till you add 2-5gals. Anyone ever seen this before on this era of GM truck?
I'd like to find the root cause rather than load up the parts cannon.

I have absolutely seen this before on a GM car, the fuel pump was weak and eventually failed outright. A new pump got the car running again, and able to start reliably no matter how little fuel was in the tank (above empty, of course). Just for the hell of it, have you put a fuel pressure gauge on the injector rail to see what the pressure reading is (or isn't) when it won't start?

[Electronic M]

All I have is a vacuum guage... I'll need to buy or rent the correct equipment to check pressure.

I started looking in the Chilton's and it seems like there's only one pump and it's in the tank. So either the pump is failing or the pickup is damaged. I'll be getting to the bottom of this soon.


I forgot an amusing tale from the 2021 June ETF...The AC compressor siezed about 3 hours in going there in 87 degree weather. It ended up having monsterous belt squeak. After driving back with NO AC in 90 degree weather with a monsterous sunburn I got at the meet I changed the compressor/got the AC working and figured out how to change the serpentine belts...good times.

[rcaman]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

So it's been pretty good since then. One of the tail gate gas struts failed and got changed. The transfer case rear cover corroded a leak hole from the outside in and I had the FUN of pulling the transfer case and swapping the cover... Discovered the transmission rear main seal was leaky but instead of fixing it or properly replacing the gasket between the transmission and transfer case that stopped the rear main seal from leaking onto the ground I put it back together and have been adding around a quart a month to it...I need to fix that this summer.
My rust repairs are starting to bubble so I'll have to address those again.

But what's really driving me nuts is a fuel system problem...A few years ago it used to be that on -20 winter days if there was less than 1/4 tank it wouldn't start because it wouldn't have fuel to the injectors. It's gotten to the point it won't start at any temp if there's less than 1/4 tank. Now if you start with more you can drive it to a hair above Empty and it'll be fine, but if you park it for a day even with 1/8 tank it won't start till you add 2-5gals. Anyone ever seen this before on this era of GM truck?
I'd like to find the root cause rather than load up the parts cannon.

I have a 2003 tahoe that i bought new at around 60,000 miles it started the no start at 1/4 fuel in the tank. i never let it get below 1/4 tank but if i do 1 gallon will get it started. it now has 86,000 miles on it and runs great never had a problem with it, not going to fix untill it will not start .

[Tom9589]

I've owned three Suburbans since 1993: 1984 (diesel), 1990 and 2002. I thought about my battle with the radio speakers in the 2002 after reading Tom C.'s post on the subject.

It started the day I bought the 2002 used in 2007. The RF main speaker had an open coil. Since then I have replaced all four of the speakers in the doors, all due to the same problem: open voice coils. I took a couple of then apart. It looks like the person winding the voice coil put a serious bend in the wire just as it comes off the coil form. After many vibrations back and forth, the wire fatigues and breaks. I have also replaced the foam surrounds. There is a company that makes replacements in FL and they are quire easy to replace. I even replaced the surround on the big sub-woofer in the very rear of the vehicle. Try finding a 2 ohm speaker that big!

I have finally started to replace the inferior GM speakers with some from Crutchfield. They are still going strong.

We'll leave the diesel for another post. It's a story unto itself.

[Electronic M]

You're reminding me I never posted about my 2 repairs this summer.

Before going on vacation I embarked on the nightmare changing the sending unit because rust. A 2 hour job became a 4 day job. I rented a fuel pressure gauge and after a couple weeks trying to catch the problem (found it would often go away on the second consecutive long crank when I installed the guage between cranks).
Ordered the expensive Delphi Flex Fuel pump (because my truck supports flex fuel and I wanted to try E85 as it was the only thing close to affordable this summer that didn't involve siphoning). Found some YouTube videos that made it look easy. It went well till I tried to separate the plastic tank line quick connects from the rusted steel lines on the chassis. They were SO badly stuck together I ended up bending the steel and making it leak. I finally figured out that if I unclipped the tanks lines from the sending unit (easy) and from the tank line hold down clips (also easy, but not intuitive) I could have saved myself breaking leaks into the rusty line.
Unfortunately that metal fuel line is a discontinued part that is out of stock everywhere.
I got lucky on the pressure line in that it's only about 1' with 2 bends between the plastic tank line and the filter wasn't too hard to make a new line... Doorman had a kit with 2 pipes one with the filter screw fitting on one end, and a second pipe with a quick connect fitting on both ends. A 3/8 compression union fitting and some bending got me a convincing replacement. Side note bending 3/8" steel without kinking it is like asking an Olympic body builder to lift a truck by the sheet metal with denting it. My bending tool did more bending than the stinking tubing I was using it to bend!
Speaking of the filter, I planned to replace it, but there isn't enough room between the body of the filter and the quick connect fitting to insert the quick connect removal tool...How the hell does a shop technician change the darn thing?...Magic?
I was praying the return line which I hadn't snapped off with gorilla strength didn't have enough damage to leak...My prayers weren't answered. I then started looking for a place on the steel line where I could install a union fitting. (Insert sarcastic laughter) there was a place near the filter that MIGHT have been clean enough to install a union but it was so close to the frame and rusty bends between that I knew if I tried to bend it out an inch to attach a union it'd snap and leak at the bend...the next clean place was above the transmission...I was able to make it work but in-between there was a crimped in flex line I had to somehow replicate...I was smart enough to use nickel-copper brake line for everything but the quick connect end (more steel HARD line from doorman) I ran the hard line to the points where the flex line should be and used a brake line flaring tool to double flare the ends then slipped generic rubber fuel hose over the flares and hoose clamped it down.....Ooh did I mention I did better than half of the return line outside, at NIGHT, IN THE RAIN....I had good times contemplating my life choices a few days before I had to pack the Burban for vacation.

I almost tried to fix my transmission leak before vacation (had to pull the from drive shaft to install the return pipe union so I was roughly 1/3 of the way in to the leak fix work), but I was worried I didn't have enough time and after fixing the fuel system shortly after finishing the transmission swap on my Oldsmobile I had had entirely too much of doing involved auto repair...
Then due to 4th of July fireworks being delayed 5 days (due to predicted rain we never got) we pushed vacation back enough I almost did it anyway.
I ended up wishing I had fixed the leak because I put more than 4 quarts in over vacation, and the repair (dropping the transfer case and replacing a seal) was easier than the blasted sending unit job... Despite having to remove and install both drive shafts, half a dozen electrical connectors and a 30-50lb transfer case from under the car on jack stands...I had done this basic job once before to fix a transfer case leak from corrosion so I remembered how to do it, and probably was more efficient than the first time. I literally got it done in a day. I was lucky....in a way my truck has the 4L60... Apparently the the 4L60 4WD trans has no rear shaft seal (the 4L80 does) so I had only one seal instead of 2 to change...The bad news about that was that basically the seal between the transfer case and transmission was the only thing that kept the trans fluid from leaking out the back of the trans....I really have only my self to blame that leak. Back IIRC in 2019 when I fixed the transfer case leak I hadn't realized I needed the seal, was on a time crunch, and couldn't find an open parts store that stocked it the night I put it back together so I added some sillycone to the old damaged gasket bolted it up and said "if I have a small transmission leak I can live with monitoring it and topping it off from the engine compartment dipstick, and it's better than a transfer case leak I can't even check the level of without jacking up the truck and wallowing under with a wrench"... Of course that leak was much smaller a few years ago.
Glad it's fixed anyways. My truck didn't leak a drop of fluid for a couple months since then, but I'm worried I might have an oil leak or oil consumption....Since a week ago it was low enough to trip a warning light and it never lost measurable oil between changes before.

It's always something...
Though it gets points, for never leaving me stranded. Last year when the battery failed in winter It had the courtesy to do the warning die at an oil change place that could jump me, and then the "okay time to fix this" second time in the driveway.

[Tom9589]

Tom C., Too bad we don't live closer. We have almost identical Suburbans with two exceptions. Mine is RWD and has always lived in the South. I, too, have Flex Fuel which has the screwy fuel filter. I was lucky, I have a friend who is a professional mechanic and has all of the specialized tools. I had already bought two different tools trying to get the fuel filter off to no avail and finally borrowed the right tool. It's a Lisle 35000 Fuel Disconnect tool for GM. Amazon wants $15.99. Well worth it.

Before you try E-85, check the 12% Ethanol Rule. You will get 12% less mileage with Ethanol than with gasoline. If E-85 isn't at least 12% cheaper than gasoline, it won't be to your financial advantage.

I've also replaced the fuel pump, so I feel your pain. It's a bear to get that large (31 gal) fuel tank out, even with help.

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by Tom9589

Tom C., Too bad we don't live closer. We have almost identical Suburbans with two exceptions. Mine is RWD and has always lived in the South. I, too, have Flex Fuel which has the screwy fuel filter. I was lucky, I have a friend who is a professional mechanic and has all of the specialized tools. I had already bought two different tools trying to get the fuel filter off to no avail and finally borrowed the right tool. It's a Lisle 35000 Fuel Disconnect tool for GM. Amazon wants $15.99. Well worth it.

Before you try E-85, check the 12% Ethanol Rule. You will get 12% less mileage with Ethanol than with gasoline. If E-85 isn't at least 12% cheaper than gasoline, it won't be to your financial advantage.

I've also replaced the fuel pump, so I feel your pain. It's a bear to get that large (31 gal) fuel tank out, even with help.

Thanks for the info.
I've been basically using E85 or half a tank of it and half regular every fill up since independence day. For the worst parts of the ongoing gas spike there was close to a dollar a gallon difference here. I'm starting a new job soon and will be less worried about going Bankrupt on gas going forward, but you can bet I'll take advantage of E85 if the price difference is advantageous...Out here they pretty add 10-15% ethanol to all gas so for stuff NOT designed for ethanol there's no escaping it.

Since the old pump still worked albeit begrudgingly on less than 1/4 tank what I did to make the tank less strenuous to move was unhook the return line from the regulator on the engine (apparently half way through our generation of suburban they moved the regulator to the tank and eliminated the return line), from the return line clamp a piece of rubber hose over the regulator outlet and run it into a 5gal fuel can (I had a second identical can and a couple 1 gal tanks Incase 1/4 tank was more gals than expected), started the engine and let the truck drain its own tank mostly into the external fuel tanks. The internal tank is a LOT lighter bone dry. I did have to add 2-3 gals for on the ground leak testing so it's final reinstall was a bit heavier than removal.

It did once give a struggling start with the new pump. It probably has 2k miles on the new pump now. If it does it again I'll probably get that tool and swap my filter. Thanks for telling me about it.