Blue Behemoth Build Thread (01 Yukon XL)

[Rayyy]

Aright alright alright finally decided to do a build thread, mainly under slight peer pressure from @Tonyrodz and @Rocket Man, on my 2001 Yukon XL 5.3

I’ve had this truck for a little over 10yrs, and aside from religiously doing oil changes, haven’t done much else to it, and since I plan to do a bunch of mods now, I figure one thread with progress would be better.

I recently installed fresh plugs and wires (AC Delco 41-114 plugs and AC Delco 9748HH wires). The engine is much smoother.

Planned mods/work coming up:


Throttle Body Spacer

Intake tube (going to use stock box w/ drop-in filter).

Update all lighting (exterior/interior)

Oil catch can

NNBS Brake Kit upgrade

Corvette Servo

Black Bear Tune

Electric fan upgrade

Overdrive pulley for alternator

Underdrive pulley for crank

Hydroboost upgrade

Update stereo


Please chime in if there are any highly recommended must-do mods I should do.

 

[Rayyy]

Ah I also recently installed a Flowmaster Series 70 (Big Block II - Delta Flow) muffler, along with a straight through resonator. I’ll also be throwing in a resonated tip next weekend.

It sounds purrrfect now. Definitely louder than stock if you step on it, yet very, very quiet otherwise (especially inside the cabin). Idle sound outside sounds almost stock, just a little more bass.

I like being able to creep around quietly, yet have the benefit of straight through flow performance and a little growl under throttle.

 

[Tonyrodz]

Well, it's about time!! Looks like you've covered most of the popular mods--that I can think of anyway. Don't forget--PICS!! Plenty of pics--we love pics around here, along with the occasional video of said mods. NOW GET TO IT!!

 

[Rayyy]

Indeed, no time to waste. I plan to install the intake tube and throttle body spacer today. The drop-in filter is still in the mail, ordered the Afe - Pro Dry S filter.

 

[GreyStone]

pics Bro!...we're big on visual aids

 

[Rocket Man]

Yeah

 

[Rayyy]

So the tune up, along with the Airaid intake tube (200-912) and TB spacer woke the motor up a bit.

When I installed the TB spacer, I noticed a small river of oil dribbling out from the intake.

I cleaned it all out, but made the oil catch can the next on the list.

 

[Rayyy]

Can anyone identify the PCV valve hose on the 01 Vortec 5.3, which I should be splicing the oil can into?

The Moroso instructions that came with the unit aren’t very helpful. They instruct to remove the PCV by twisting it, along with the port, but I didn’t want to snap it so I just slid the hose off what I think is the PCV hose.

The photo in the instructions however appear to show the guy holding the hose which mounts closer near the throttle body and has the Evap port inline.

Which hose is correct? The one with the green evap port or the one I removed?

 

[Tonyrodz]

Can anyone identify the PCV valve hose on the 01 Vortec 5.3, which I should be splicing the oil can into?

The Moroso instructions that came with the unit aren’t very helpful. They instruct to remove the PCV by twisting it, along with the port, but I didn’t want to snap it so I just slid the hose off what I think is the PCV hose.

The photo in the instructions however appear to show the guy holding the hose which mounts closer near the throttle body and has the Evap port inline.

Which hose is correct? The one with the green evap port or the one I removed?


View attachment 250450 View attachment 250452 View attachment 250453 View attachment 250454

Here ya go Ray--

I did mine 3 yrs ago so I had to go back to my build page. This is on a 6.0 in my 03. Should be the same as yours afaik.
https://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/tonyrodzs-tahoe-build-thread.92329/page-4
About 8 posts down.

 

[Rayyy]

Thanks a lot, indeed I did see this on your build thread, which gave me the idea to install on my 5.3, and further alerted me when I saw so much oil draining out of the intake.

The install seems easy enough, however I’m just confused as to which hose I should be splicing mine into.

Also, the Moroso can I got has a little spout on it, which allows it to be drained occasionally. Does yours too? How often do you clean yours out?

 

[Tonyrodz]

My hoe is at my buddy's shop, so I can't double check on it--been so long I forgot how I routed it. I was hoping the pics would help. Mine also has a drain plug on it. Alot of guys like to check/empty it every oil change. By doing it then it'll give you an idea on what your oil consumption is. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

 

[Rayyy]

Actually very helpful, I’m realizing that the only thing that confused me was the photos in the instructions, which seems to be from an 03-06 5.3, and the hose layout is just a tad different.

Although it would be nice if someone with a 00-02 5.3 chimed in who installed a catch can, I think I removed the correct hose.

 

[Rocket Man]

I'm having a hard time telling which hose you removed in your pictures. I know on mine, I had to remove the plate that the engine cover mounts to on top, and I can see that you did that in one of your pictures but then its laying right in the way of seeing where the hose is. The hose you're looking for goes from the rear of the driver side valve cover to the intake and it connects under that plate I was talking about. It's hard plastic and you'll probably want to change it to fuel line with clamps. You can see in Tony's first pic where the hose goes to under that plate, and where the other end goes down to the rear of the valve cover.

 

[Rocket Man]

For some reason the hose you pulled doesn't look right. Did it go to the rear of your calve cover, and does it have a PCV valve in the end that went to the VC that just pulled out of a rubber grommet in the VC?

 

[Rayyy]

Precisely, I thought the same that it didn’t look right, but it does indeed have a PCV valve at the tip, which fits into a grommet on the drivers side valve cover, near the firewall, and into an elbow connection which is somewhat pinned down by that plate.

Fairly certain it is the correct hose. However, another curve ball... When I pulled the PCV valve, it has a part number written on it CV2001C, which “doesn’t fit” a 2001 Yukon XL according to O’Reilly, nor Amazon.

Further, part number AC Delco 19313320 is what shows up on Rock Auto (which does “fit” according to Orielly and Amazon).

I ordered the correct valve.

 

[Rayyy]

Since my PCV hose doesn’t have the built-in connection tips and allows the hose to just be slipped off, I’m thinking I can just replace the entire PCV hose with the hose that came with the catch can.

First photo shows how snug the (old) PCV valve sits in the new hose, and the second one is both hose ends from the other side, which would slip onto the elbow connection below that plate.

Only question, is it okay that the entire hose is just that... a hose. The original “hose” is actually a more rigid plastic.

Is it possible this new hose would be okay pressure-wise?

 

[Rayyy]

Here is how it all connects, hose to elbow below plate with three screws, and the other side to the PCV at the end of the valve cover in the drivers side.

Just have to slice the hose and plug both tips into the can, and forego the entire original hose.

View attachment 250527 View attachment 250528 View attachment 250529

 

[Rocket Man]

Yes, that’s the right hose you’re tapping into and yes I replaced the rigid plastic one with rubber hose. You’re good to go, and if the hose doesn’t fit tight you can use hose clamps.

 

[Rayyy]

Awesome. Done and done. Hoses are tight as can be. I’ll replace the PCV valve to the correct one when it arrives tomorrow.

 

[Rayyy]

Btw instructions say to trim to fit, then zip tie together, but I wanted less kinks/angles in the hose, plus slightly longer hose would allow me to easier move it out of the way without needing to remove it if working on something else.

Does hose length matter in this case?