What have you done to your truck this week.

[hatzie]

Just what it says on the tin.

I just did some maintenance nothing terribly exciting.
Cabin filter, tire rotation, and oil change.

[S10Fan]

Filled with gas, washed off gobs of pollen.

[hatzie]

Originally Posted by S10Fan

Filled with gas, washed off gobs of pollen.

Nutin too exciting.

[S10Fan]

Originally Posted by hatzie

Nutin too exciting.

[Boog]

First things first on the 03 Tahoe 4wd. I washed off a lot of pollen. The crap was everywhere. I opened the doors and sprayed all of it that had accumulated in there too around the hinges.
Then I crawled under it to investigate an awful engine oil leak. The truck has 265,000 miles on it. It has great compression and runs great. It just leaks oil, a lot. We've had it for 10 years. We bought it for a daughter to drive. She moved on to an Avalanche and we kept the Tahoe just as an extra. Some years ago I took it to a shop to replace the main seal. They replaced the oil pan gasket instead. It still leaked. Some years go by and I wanted to sell the thing and be done with it. The wife wanted to keep it. Well now I need to put it back in service and got serious again about fixing the leak. I put it in another shop and told them with 265,000 miles the main seal needed to be replaced. They said the valve cover gaskets were pouring oil. I was skeptical but, well, I had not replaced them since we've owned it. Still leaks. I got under it and retightened the oil pan and it seemed to have fixed it. Feeling proud of my fix I moved onto interior cleanup. I cranked it up and low and behold it's pouring oil again. Right at the bell housing. So with it up on ramps I let it run while I laid under it watching the leak. I pulled the larger inspection plate off and just watched. Finally I saw the oil leaking straight down from the crankshaft as well as slinging oil to the bell housing to engine bolts. It looks like it might bleed to death!
This is a 4wd truck and at my age this is a bigger job than I want to partake by myself. So I will try a local shop again to get that main seal replaced. I guess because it is a big job not many shops want to do it? While the trans is out I want the oil pressure sender replaced too as I cannot even see it from the top side and, well, it's probably the original too. We'll see.
Any ideas on what this job will cost?

[hatzie]

Originally Posted by Boog

First things first on the 03 Tahoe 4wd. I washed off a lot of pollen. The crap was everywhere. I opened the doors and sprayed all of it that had accumulated in there too around the hinges.
Then I crawled under it to investigate an awful engine oil leak. The truck has 265,000 miles on it. It has great compression and runs great. It just leaks oil, a lot. We've had it for 10 years. We bought it for a daughter to drive. She moved on to an Avalanche and we kept the Tahoe just as an extra. Some years ago I took it to a shop to replace the main seal. They replaced the oil pan gasket instead. It still leaked. Some years go by and I wanted to sell the thing and be done with it. The wife wanted to keep it. Well now I need to put it back in service and got serious again about fixing the leak. I put it in another shop and told them with 265,000 miles the main seal needed to be replaced. They said the valve cover gaskets were pouring oil. I was skeptical but, well, I had not replaced them since we've owned it. Still leaks. I got under it and retightened the oil pan and it seemed to have fixed it. Feeling proud of my fix I moved onto interior cleanup. I cranked it up and low and behold it's pouring oil again. Right at the bell housing. So with it up on ramps I let it run while I laid under it watching the leak. I pulled the larger inspection plate off and just watched. Finally I saw the oil leaking straight down from the crankshaft as well as slinging oil to the bell housing to engine bolts. It looks like it might bleed to death!
This is a 4wd truck and at my age this is a bigger job than I want to partake by myself. So I will try a local shop again to get that main seal replaced. I guess because it is a big job not many shops want to do it? While the trans is out I want the oil pressure sender replaced too as I cannot even see it from the top side and, well, it's probably the original too. We'll see.
Any ideas on what this job will cost?

It could be the rear main seal or the rear main seal housing gasket leaking. I've read that the gasket leaking is a common problem. The GM SI says you can re-use the rear main seal housing gasket. I wouldn't do that after 265,000 miles and nearly 20 years in service.

When you install the seal you want to make sure to keep the plastic seal installation sleeve inside the seal til the housing is tight against the block. It's used so the lip doesn't roll over when you push it over the end of the crank.

You have to pull the transmission and transfer case. Not a quick and easy job. I'd budget two days to do that myself. I'd be doing it on my back in the driveway and I wouldn't be looking forward to the task.

A transmission repair outfit would be more likely to be able to do the job quickly since they have the tooling and equipment to pull the transmission and xfer case out quickly. More than likely they have done more rear main seals than your regular mechanic could dream of doing in his worst nightmares. It's one of those "while you're in there" jobs.
I'd probably ask them to change the torque converter to pump seal as well.

Ask them to use GM parts. There is an updated design rear main seal as well so be aware of that and let your shop know that one exists. They'll likely recommend OEM parts but it's good to let them know you're on the same page.

[Boog]

I've always done all my repair work until the last year. At my age (68) I am finding some things aren't as easy as they once were. I don't have a lift or even a tranny jack and I don't want to purchase either just for this job.
Since there is no issue with the tranny, I haven't given consideration to a trans shop doing this work. That may be doable. Thanks

[hatzie]

Originally Posted by Boog

I've always done all my repair work until the last year. At my age (68) I am finding some things aren't as easy as they once were. I don't have a lift or even a tranny jack and I don't won't to purchase either just for this job.
Since there is no issue with the tranny, I haven't given consideration to a trans shop doing this work. That may be doable. Thanks

You've got 10 years on me. I'm doing the pump rub kit in the transfer case this summer. Not looking forward to that job.

[scotto0609]

Pay for a tranny refresh then get them to do it while there in there. @ 2k and then you will not have to worry about the tranny. Jmho

[Boog]

I put the truck back in the shop to do the main seal job. I balked at their initial estimate after having already spent $800 with them a few weeks ago. They adjusted their estimate and I let them proceed.

[hatzie]

If they replaced the rear main seal and it's still leaking from the rear main seal... I'd expect them to pick up the tab for the second go round. No way they'd get a third and honestly I'd think long and hard about whether I wanted to give them a second try at it.

[Boog]

No. I first took the Tahoe to them and told them it was the main seal but their mechanic said the valve cover gaskets were pouring oil. So I let them replace them knowing they had not been replaced in the 10 years we've owned it, and with the miles it has it wouldn't hurt. Convinced it was fixed they returned it to me and I parked it at home for a couple of weeks. When it warmed up a bit I put it up on ramps and crawled under to have a look over. I used a whole can of carb cleaner and towels to help get a sense of where the oil was coming from. It never was the vc gaskets. I tightened a couple of oil pan bolts, wiped it down again and let it sit while running and it seemed to be much better. Then a couple days later it was dripping again just as bad as before it went to the shop. So this time I reminded them I told them the first time it was the main seal and that's what I want done! I asked if this job was above their mechanics experience level. I was assured it was not. So I should probably get it back Friday. We'll see.

[hatzie]

That's a little better than I thought.
Not sure what I'm going to do when I get to the point that I can't do my own work. I've been working on machinery my whole life.

[Boog]

Yeah, I'm not liking it a bit. That shop rate adds up quick!

[Boog]

I thought I had updated the repair. I guess not.
Anyway the shop did replace the main seal, oil pan gasket, trans input shaft seal and oil pressure sensor as I asked for, although reluctantly. It's been a month now and I am happy to report it's bone dry under there now.
I understand their mentality of disregarding ALL customer's diagnoses, but explaining what I had already gone through with another shop and the 265,000 miles on the vehicle, and telling them how I laid under the vehicle with it running to confirm where the oil was leaking from, I expected them to spend time ( a matter of minutes ) to confirm my main seal call. But commercial shops are more interested in quick repair jobs, turn them and move on. So with no real examination work they chose to start at the top with the valve cover gaskets and work their way down. All they needed to do was get it on the lift with the engine running and watch through the bell housing inspection hole to see the oil running down the block. I had already cleaned the engine top side with a pressure washer last summer and inspected it to see that the v/c gaskets weren't the cause but new ones couldn't hurt. The main seal is what I wanted replaced the first time I took it to a shop some years ago but they chose to replace the oil pan gasket instead. So that repair bill along with what I have spent this time around to replace that again plus these other items, I have spent right at $3,000 to fix the engine oil leak. I am not tooting my own horn over being a better diagnostician, just disappointed that the shops disregarded my call just to get it in and out fast to move on to the next one. THIS is why I dread sending my vehicles to commercial shops.
Yesterday I replaced the spark plugs. We've put about 150,000 miles on them since we've had it. I've never replaced them. It was still starting and running just fine but I thought it was past time so I bought a new set of AC Delcos. I was happy to see there were no oil deposits on any of the old ones. Rings and valve seals seem to be in good shape. Nice and clean but the gap was out there at 65 thou. It still started in less than a rotation every time however.
I've got a couple more things I want to do to it before handing it over to the kids but it's getting better. We can do repairs to this old girl far cheaper than buying a newer rig and having a car note.
Cocoa is on the road again.

[hatzie]

I hear you on the commercial shops. If I have them work on my stuff I just don't want to deal with whatever task it happens to be.

If I want some miserable job done I tell them that's what I want done. I expect them to do the job I contracted them to do and have it complete when I come to pick it up regardless of what they would like to do.

[S10Fan]

Friday the 13th....
Took the truck in for a state inspection, failed. Upper ball joints, 3rd brake light, and the parking brake needs to be adjusted better. I take my vehicles to this shop for all my inspections, I usually check everything prior to, this time I didn't have time. The inspector insisted I come to the service bay so he could show me the ball joint issue. Wow, I just did the front brakes in January, pads, calipers, hoses, and rotors. The left ball joint had scary play in it, the right was better but still had too much.

There are plenty of places locally where folks get inspections that don't really give the vehicles a good look over. I'm grateful these folks had my back. I tell folks all the time, even if you do all your own repairs, you need to establish a relationship with a local trusted shop.

Now, if it ever stops raining, I'll get the new ball joints installed this weekend.

[Boog]

I haven't driven my 06 crew cab in a while so yesterday I moved it to cut the grass then thought I'd run it into town and give it a good wash. I noticed the AC wasn't working very well so I hooked the gauges up when I got home and sure nuff it was low. I had one can so I loaded it in and it was getting good. When I removed the hoses the high side schraeder valve hung open and I lost the whole dang charge. So back to town the buy another valve and more freon. I've never had one of those to fail before. All good again.

[biketopia]

The high side valve on the GMT800 trucks is very common to fail. Dorman makes a brass plug to cap and seal it off. Always charge these trucks on the low side only.

[Boog]

I was removing both hoses. Not charging on high side.

[Greg58]

Spent over $100 filling my 07 with diesel.

[hatzie]

Likely the HP valve was your leak. When the system gets low I usually change the service valves.
Unfortunately the high side service port is not a Schraeder valve so you can't R&R it with the system charged. On the 2000 T400 you need a special tool to R&R the valve. So far I haven't had to service the T800 so I can't speak to what's needed. Crossing my fingers.

The manifold gauge set hooks up to both low and high side. I usually hook em both up and check pressures and make sure I'm not overcharging the system. IMHO you weren't doing anything wrong.

[Boog]

Another repair on the '03 Tahoe. As is often the case older model, high mileage vehicles require frequent attention. Our last expensive repair was the engine oil leaks and a/c leak.
Well after that repair we had the truck detailed real well and handed it over to one of the kids. It's been just over a month now and here we are again.
Kid came in early saturday morning for the day and upon pulling out of our driveway late that afternoon, I heard a high pressure spraying sound and saw a fog of something coming out from under the truck, twice. I buzzed him up and told him to come on back and let's check it out. Nothing dripping and no more noise while running. Up on ramps and only saw a green liquid had sprayed on the frame and right front tire. It wasn't engine coolant. It was R-134 refrigerant and this is no time to be without A/C. I determined it was not a hose but definitely coming from the compressor. So I sent him on home in my 06 GMC and I got up early Sunday morning and got after it. I had the old one off, ran into town for a new one and back home to swap them out and got it done in right at 5 hours. I don't figure that was too bad for my first time replacing one on these LS type engines. We met half way and swapped out that afternoon. I don't care to do another one however.
The leak was apparently coming from a blow off valve located on the engine side of the compressor. It can't be seen while on the engine. So it got a new valve with compressor. All good again.

[fun in dirt]

A few weeks ago on the '07 Classic (~186k miles), had to replace those plastic, quick connect heater hose fittings. Started smelling a little antifreeze & one had starting leaking a little.

Yesterday, replaced headlight switch on '06 WT(~125k miles) because dash gauge lights would randomly change brightness.

[Boog]

The wife noticed the rear view mirror in our 06 Gmc was hanging by the wires. All the heat I guess had made the glue fail. I found a Permatex mirror adhesive kit at the store so I bought it. Cleaned it real good and followed directions. It said in 30 to 45 minutes it should be good. I waited near an hour with it sitting right in the hot sun then started to remount the mirror and the mount snapped right off the windshield. So I repeated it and left it sit all day and night. I put it back on this morning. So far I am not impressed with this Permatex product.