What did you do to your GMT today?

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TollKeeper

Supporting Donor
Member
Dec 3, 2011
8,047
Brighton, CO
Hand washed the Silverado and trailblazer. Both need a good buff/polish job. Maybe I'll buy me a buffer and some patience someday lol.
I had some of that, once upon a time.. than I got married... Than I had a kid... Patience? No more
 

Mike534x

Member
Apr 9, 2012
894
Hand washed the Silverado and trailblazer. Both need a good buff/polish job. Maybe I'll buy me a buffer and some patience someday lol.

If you ever get one, the DA polisher from Harbor Freight is great! It took me 6 hours to do the Envoy. Though I was scared about messing up, so I took my sweet time lol. Well worth doing it!


Did the oil change Sunday, ran a can of BG EPR to help free up the piston rings (idle 1200+ rpm for 10 mins straight). Oil came out blacker then I've ever seen. So I took it as a sign that it definitely cleaned out something! So far the noticeable difference is the idle is extremely smooth now and the upper drivetrain noise is way quieter then it was prior. Performance wise, its just a tiny bit more responsive but nothing groundbreaking. Put in the new Wix XP filter, and filled her with Valvoline 5w-30 HM FS. So now its just a waiting game of checking to see if my oil burning slows down. I'm not expecting miracles, but if the EPR helps a little then that's a win until I can do a treatment with the AC Delco Top Engine Cleaner.


Also attached a pic I took while I tested it on Cylinder #5, there's a decent amount of carbon build up. So my conclusion so far is gummed piston rings, and carbon on the valves causing the oil burning I'm experiencing.....and the leaking rear main seal too. lol...
 

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Sparky

Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
Doing rear brakes finally. What a pain they are. Got the driver side up, didn't like the crunching sounds I heard when jacking it up but rust scale is reality. Took some hammering but got the drum off (would jave been easier if I could have found a M10 bolt). Worn for sure, but forbover 100k miles on them it doesn't look bad IMO. Finished it up, rotated tires on that side, down, done.

Passenger side was another story.

First, it was extra crunchy when jacking it up. And the frame caved a bit :eek: moved the jack a couple times and got it jacked up ok. Dang it, the frame ain't gonna last me 2 more years after all. Sigh.

Then I had to beat and beat on that passenger drum. This is the side that was making a racket. Found out the parking brake pivot arm is all seized up and the shoe is worn to about nothing. No axle seal leaks so we're good. Taking a short break at the moment.

Yes I know those wheel cylinders look like crap BUT they still work and I would rather not mess with them if not needed.

20201017_125457.jpg20201017_142817.jpg20201017_150501.jpg20201017_153617.jpg20201017_161735.jpg20201017_161742.jpg
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,262
Ottawa, ON
Started taking the Saab apart in 5c weather. Got the rear diff out easy enough. Took the new alternator and water pump out, the PCM and TCM. Trying to take the front diff out with everything out of the way taking the power steering pump mount out and cutting wires and there's no space to get it out from top. The engine mount bolts are rusted to crap and the diff is in the way of taking the one mounts bolts off. Would have needed a flex socket. Wish I had my torches here as they would have made short work of those bolts.

Oh, and before all this, moved it one last time and...


Strange thing is after blowing up, the starter would actually spin the engine but sounded like it was spinning with no load but no compression. However, I did get resistance turning it with a breaker bar. It didn't throw the rod out of the block. Very strange.
 

Sparky

Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
Brakes are on but not done. Pedal is a little spongy and the parking brake does not quite hold it in place, so they need adjusted. Darn drums...
 

TollKeeper

Supporting Donor
Member
Dec 3, 2011
8,047
Brighton, CO
Strange thing is after blowing up, the starter would actually spin the engine but sounded like it was spinning with no load but no compression. However, I did get resistance turning it with a breaker bar. It didn't throw the rod out of the block. Very strange.
I would bet the bearings are shot, along with the crank journal. But rods are still in tact.
 
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TollKeeper

Supporting Donor
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Dec 3, 2011
8,047
Brighton, CO
Over the weekend..

Front end rebuild complete!
New
  1. Upper and lower ball joints
  2. Upper and lower control arms
  3. Lower control arm mounts
  4. Stabilizer Links
  5. Struts and springs
  6. Inner and Outer tie rod ends
Everything went smoothly, except the strut extension, and strut extension bolt. Those are a complete nightmare to get off! The threads on one of the bolts did not survive extraction, so a quick junk yard run, and she was back up.

The lower control arm mounts are a pain when those captive nuts break free. But I discovered 2 things while doing this about them. You can easily get a large wrench onto them, I believe it was a 1 5/16 wrench. Once it popped out of the frame, I sprayed PB Blaster liberally all over the nut, exposed threads of the bolt, and anything else I could soak in relation. I then zipped the bolt in and out a good 5 times. I then zipped the bolt down to spec. It sucked the nut right back into the nut retention ring, and held firmly! Zipped the bolt back out, and did not have another problem. Luckily, I only had this problem for one nut/bolt per side, the very front one that sits right under the stabilizer bar. The easist one to get thru the access hole cut into the frame just in front of it.

Drove like shit! But sent it over to Firestone for a Lifetime Alignment, and now its all good. Gotta get use to a firmer ride until those springs and struts get broke in.

I cant tell you how nice it is to work on a truck with 200k miles on it, and to know that every bolt, nut, frame section, anything, you touch, is going to be rust free. (Not trying to be snarky, just glad I can get MANY more years out of the old girl)
 

Stugar

Member
Apr 17, 2019
48
Michigan
One thing I've found that's great about these trucks is how well the Geomet coating on the fasteners work. The frame could be rusted apart and you'll still be able to remove most fasteners with an impact. My Envoy had experienced 17 Ohio and Michigan winters without many car washes and even right to the end fasteners would come out no problem, I think the only bolts I ever broke were the one holding the ac suction line to the engine lift bracket, and some of the nuts for the battery tray seized up and required removal from the back side.
 
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Sparky

Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
Backed up and stabbed the brakes a few times, then held the parking brake release lever while pumping the parking brake pedal. The parking brake pedal no longer goes to the floor and the brakes feel much better. Win.
 

TB_n00b

Member
Dec 19, 2011
121
Queens, NY
  • I'm behind here. August 24th, found an oil spot under the front diff. Isolated to the drivers side seal.
  • August 25th, tried to pull drivers axle on my own. No luck pulling axle.
  • August 26th, dropped to the local repair man for a 3 night stay for 300 clams.
  • October 10th, started hearing a humming while driving home after moving my brother upstate.
  • October 11th, start poking around, find grease slung all over front passenger side wheel well. Outer CV boot had a small tear. Threw on a quick boot.
  • October 12th, decided to cut the cord on this beast and start looking for a new set of wheels.
  • October 17th did a heavy duty shop vac of the interior and quick wash then visited some Subaru dealers to start car shopping.
 

Mounce

Member
Mar 29, 2014
13,667
Tuscaloosa, AL
Changed oil for the Silverado, went with Mobil to see what the hypes about and see if it outlasts the max life. Lifters get angry towards the end of the oci. Also went with stock spec wix oil filter instead of the longer one I usually use. Gotta find something to help the lifter collapse or finally replace them.
 

TollKeeper

Supporting Donor
Member
Dec 3, 2011
8,047
Brighton, CO
Replaced the rear wiper washer motor. Then threw a bitch fit at Advance Auto Parts. They cant find my warranty records for my ball joints. They claim the upgraded their computer systems, and I have to call customer service to get them. GRR!
 

Stugar

Member
Apr 17, 2019
48
Michigan
I put a cardone wiper motor on two weeks ago, it failed the next wednesday. Gotta deal with returning that to rockauto... Though first I gotta trouble shoot it I guess. The shaft of the old one was seized in the barrel of the motor and would only turn like 15 degrees and then stall, so I knew the circuit was good, just that it was seized. Now I suppose I gotta check the circuit first.
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,262
Ottawa, ON
Yesterday fixed the heated seat switch again in the Av. Took the micro switch apart and it had green shmoo on the contacts. Used a the cut end of a copper stranded wire as a brush (I couldn't find my actual burnishing brush) and cleaned it up. Now working perfectly.

Then took it to the shop that's associated to the used car lot I bought it from. The new rear brakes squeal like a GMC bus and when filling the gas tank, when it stops, it belches a ton of gas out. Tried different gas stations and going slow, same result. Likely an issue with the filler vent or EVAP. It's on warranty so I'll let them fix it.

Wife followed me in the TB and I drove it back. Hadn't driven it for a couple of months. Noticed that the left front hub is noisy, windshield washer doesn't work again and a tire was low. That's what happens when my son borrows it and doesn't tell me. Wife was also pissed off that he left a ton of garbage and fast food bags in it :mad:. Talk coming tonight
:deadhorse:
 
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TollKeeper

Supporting Donor
Member
Dec 3, 2011
8,047
Brighton, CO
Here would be my talk...you can no longer borrow our vehicles because you bring them back farked and filthy.
.. and out of gas (probably)!

So I finally got all my parts bought for the brakes. Went to install them. The drivers side was a little more worn, but only just, replacing the rotor and pads/hardware went like they should, easy peasy. Got over to the passenger side, pop the center cap off, and a lug nut falls out... WTF?!. Go to zip off the other lug nuts, 1 is loose, the other 4 are tight...

Well if the lug nuts are loose, I wonder about the bolts for the alignment I had done, Firestone was the last place to touch this truck. Control arm bolts are loose as well. Looks like I will be making a call to Firestone today! Another alignment is in my future me thinks..

Anyways, the passenger side brakes also went smoothly. New pads/hardware and Rotor. Brake pedal is a lot firmer now. More confidence in the braking with that feel.

My high speed shimmy is still present thou. I just cant figure out what it is. U-Joint maybe? Only happens above 72mph.
 
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Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,262
Ottawa, ON
He must have felt it coming because he stayed at his GF's last night. I also want him to take his g*d damned subs out since they take up half the cargo area and reinstall my bass tube. And he seems to have misplaced the left rear door sill plate when he did this. :mad: It did have a 1/4 tank of gas.

This is the way my talk will go:

" When I borrowed your truck, I always brought it back in the same or better condition than when I got it. I've cleaned it up a bit and brought it back with more gas than it had or a full tank. I would expect the same."

So anyway, I replaced the WW pump with the one from the Saab. Works great however, as I later found out, it eventually leaked out all the fluid. Maybe didn't push it in all the way, the hose connection or I hope I didn't damage the seal. At least Lowes has a special on fluid.

Still waiting on the Av. Called the shop this morning and he didn't get it in until now :mad: .

Buddy coming by with his '10 Av. The money light is on so I'll scan it and then tune it to disable DOD.
 
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TollKeeper

Supporting Donor
Member
Dec 3, 2011
8,047
Brighton, CO
Buddy coming by with his '10 Av. The money light is on so I'll scan it and then tune it to disable DOD.
You have been watching SMA on youtube again havent you?
 

Matt

Member
Dec 2, 2011
4,019
BTW, we did a thing on Tuesday. Chanin got rid of her 02 Rav4 and picked this up. A 2021 Kia Seltos AWD. I'm surprised by it, it's comfy, zippy (for a 2lt 148hp 4 banger) and actually has more cargo room than you'd think. I test fit my golf clubs and cart in the back and they fit with room to spare without putting the back seats down. Poo poo the idea if you like, but I "may" well end up in one of these when the TB goes. I don't need to tow anything anymore and I'd LOVE the 29/33mpg.

seltos.jpgseltos 1.jpgseltos 2.jpgseltos 3.jpg

And, if you're interested in such things, it's 7.3" ground clearance and 28° approach and departure angle.
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,262
Ottawa, ON
@Matt gets 2 warning points for being off-topic :biggrin:

Follow-up on my buddy's Av. It had a post cat sensor stuck rich code. Don't remember the exact code but no matter, I just turned off all the DTC's for the post-cat sensors along with DOD. He also asked that I bump up the idle speed as it had a little shake while in gear. Bumped the in-gear idle from 525 to 550 RPM and that did the trick. His truck has only 72k km and in mint condition so no reason for a shake. I'll probably do the same to mine as it has a bit of a shake too. Reminds me of the good 'ol days of carbs when you could simply adjust idle like this.
 

TollKeeper

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Member
Dec 3, 2011
8,047
Brighton, CO

Matt

Member
Dec 2, 2011
4,019
@Mooseman on topic...just ordered new tires for the TB from Simple Tire. They're being shipped to my installer and I'll have them do an alignment (lifetime Firestone) at the same time.
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,262
Ottawa, ON
Picked up the Av. Those morons couldn't figure out how to fix it even though i told them there was a TSB on fuelling problems. All he could spew was "there aren't any codes". I then talked to the used car salesman and all he could say was "oh well". On top of that, driving it home, the rear brakes still squeal! They did put some orange goo on the back of the pads but I think it's just el cheapo pads. Incoming Google reviews! Oh well.

So, I ordered some new parts on RA: Updated Evap vent solenoid and connector, rear brake pads and drag reduction clips, spark plugs and wires (figure it probably needs them).

Oh, and I also found a gash on the side of one of my tires. I can't say if it was there before or after I bought it :mad:. I was looking at getting a new set of Cooper Discoverer AT3's as they are also winter rated and resell these. Not too many 3 wheeled trucks out there :frown:
 

xavierny25

Member
Mar 16, 2014
6,323
Staten Island, N.Y
Ordered the gm/ ac delco thermal fan clutch from rockauto since the hayden I got a few months ago is just annoyingly loud. I've also been window shopping for a new exhaust as well as the catalysts converter. I might even replace the exhaust manifold and bolts while I'm at it.

We shall see how I work this out since I'm about to close on our new to us house within the next month. The truck can't take a back seat since its our only means of transportation at this time.
 

coolasice

Member
Oct 27, 2013
1,019
Northern Maine
Installed a new rear caliper/rotor/pads after finding the caliper stuck full out and no pad left..... Now have to find the bad abs sensor that's triggering at low speeds....
 
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Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,262
Ottawa, ON
Installed the Android 10 HU. Completely plug and play. Didn't need a mounting kit or adapter for Bose. Very nice and has some cool features like the backup grid lines that turn with the wheel and and indicator when a door is opened. The split screen to run two apps side by side is also cool. A couple of problems, it has alternator whine and also a low level noise when there's no music playing. And the adapter for the OEM backup camera didn't work and had to replace the RCA connector. Contacted the seller about the noise. We shall see.

And I also installed an organizer for the center console. $18 on Amazon, can't beat it. A couple of buttons on my HVAC were worn so used a couple of the vinyl stickers to fix them.
 

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Matt

Member
Dec 2, 2011
4,019
Oil and filter change, plus it got a new dose of Smurf's blood. Found that my passengers side diff seal where the axle goes in is leaking again. I'm not going to attempt that repair again after the last debacle that @Sparky and I had trying to get it out, so I'll just keep topping up the fluid.

I have to try and change the TRE on that side but the lock bolt is locked tighter than a Scotsman's wallet, so I'll spray it with magic piss all week and hit it with a torch next weekend to see if I can crack the seal.
 

Sparky

Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
I totally burned that from my memory lol 😆
 
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Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,262
Ottawa, ON
Not today but yesterday I opened up a PCM just for fun.

Well they sure weren't cheap with the thermal compound!

Drove mine around, picked up a set of used Cooper Discoverer AT3's for the Av. Very good shape and lots of thread. Then went to La Belle Province to try and help out a guy with his 03 Avalanche. He had replaced the PCM and wanted me to reprogram it to the proper VIN. Well, that didn't happen. His is a 5.3 and he put in one from a 4.8. It worked, even drove it from Alberta surprisingly. Once he got here, he tried to tune it with a DiabloSport and bricked it. When I got to the programming stage, got a communications error. Checked for codes and got just one for communications error to throttle system. He's gonna get another one from Kenny-U-Pull. He should be able to get one from a same year truck and engine which should only need a security and CASE relearn.

Then, got home and tore open my dash again. The GPS in my new HU wasn't working most of the time. GPS tool showed poor reception from satellites. Swapped the GPS antenna with the old one from the Saab and voilà, great reception. Another problem to report to the seller.
 

Reprise

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Jul 22, 2015
2,724
Finally got my base airflow / spark dialed in with the Sierra's new cam. Numbers look very solid, IMHO, especially when I compare other people's attempts, and seeing them post their logs to the HPT forums. Even better, drivability is very good - she definitely pulls harder than she did before I put all the time & $$$$ into her this spring / summer, and I don't have any off-idle stumbles, flaring, etc. :2thumbsup: I only had her up to about 4000rpm, so there's definitely more there. I just want to get the rear end noise addressed before I really start thrashing on her to see what she's got in her

PS: When I'm talking 'numbers', for now, I'm talking airflow / timing / fuel trims, rather than HP & TQ.

Still have some fine tuning to do, and I haven't touched anything non-engine related yet, except to sync my 17" tires with the speedo, vs. the OEM 16" size. Just a little tweaking to the VE tables, so far. No trans programming changes, no Power Enrichment changes, etc. Those will come after I get through the rest of the idle tuning.

This was definitely easier to get done due to the new cam not being super 'big' to start with.

If any of you ever do a cam swap, and want to do the tuning yourself, I highly recommend this resource thread (for Gen3 LS):

The thread is 7 pages long, but the main stuff you'll need is within the first 3-4 posts. That being said, there's a LOT to read through and go over in those posts. I had tried a couple of other methods, and this one worked best for me, at least.

It takes a few 'sessions' to get things dialed in, both because you have to do some of them with the engine 'overnight' cold (or practically so), and it's best to not change every single thing at once; some items are dependent on the results of the things that come before them.

As the author mentions, tuning is 'a process, not an event' (although I don't expect -- or want -- to spend the rest of my waking days tweaking things back and forth.) Once I get the intake swapped out, the numbers dialed in all over again, and the other stuff done, I'll lock the thing down and leave it alone for awhile. That's the point at which I'll write up a 'how-to', as well, in a separate thread. And then I'll turn my attention to the Envoy... :laugh:

Now to get the fuel pump swapped out (the check valve went south, so it loses pressure between starts.) I just have to re-pressurize before starting (same as if you had pulled the fuel relay), and it fires / runs fine. I could prolly run the pump as-is for awhile longer, but I've got a new E85-compatible pump ready to go, anyway.
 

TJBaker57

Member
Aug 16, 2015
2,897
Colorado
Well they sure weren't cheap with the thermal compound!


Thankfully not as I redistributed the excess to the chips before re-assembly. Noted 2 locations where said compound had stiffened, perhaps due to excessive heat? Both locations were at one end of each of the 2 rows of small components I guessed were the output drivers.

Everything appears to work as before. This is an 03 I am using on a horrible mess of spaghetti on a workbench...

IMG_20201019_134034~3.jpg
 

Stugar

Member
Apr 17, 2019
48
Michigan
Installed a spacer on the downstream O2, "fixing" the P0420, then undercoated it with woolwax since I had it in the air. Stuff is way less stinky than fluid film. I almost wish I'd learned about cosmoline based undercoatings before ordering the woolwax kit, but oh well.
 
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aaserv

Member
Dec 1, 2019
408
N of Baton Rouge, La.
Just getting caught up with this thread and all you guys have had a very productive October. Wish I could say the same. I havent touched the Envoy in going on a month. 3 or 4 (i lost track) hurricanes last month, 1 week laid up with Kidney Stones .....and a nice $4600 Emergency Room visit to go with it. All of this and some other life B.S. has led to a bout of anxiety and depression to top it all off.
Reading about you guys getting some things accomplished and feeling good about it has made for a nice evening.....Hopefully its the motivation I need to bust this personal slump and get back to normal.....Only 62 days of 2020 left so maybe theres some light at the end of the tunnel !!!!!!
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,262
Ottawa, ON
Replaced the oil pressure sensor and cleaned the DOD screen and... nothing. Same as before, just above 20 psi at 2000 rpm while cruising. At 4000 rpm, it barely gets to 30 psi. Funny thing is, it was easier to swap that sensor in the Saab than in this full size truck :frown:. And also got into a fight with that feral cat that lives under the hood of all vehicles. :yikes:

So I'm not gonna dick around with it more than this. I still have 1000 km left on the 3000 km warranty and dammit, I'm gonna use it. However they don't pay for the diagnostic and while talking with the warranty rep, if they feel it was a pre-existing condition prior to the purchase, they won't cover it although they didn't seem too concerned if it needs an oil pump but more if it's bearings or the engine needs a rebuild. Booked an appointment next week at their nearest authorized shop. That also means I won't be able to drive it till then neither.
 

Sparky

Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
Oil pickup tube O ring? First thing that comes to mind.

I thought you had the 6.0L in yours somehow and the 6.0 doesn't have AFM? or did I get mixed up which one you ended up getting.
 
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