There are just some days I wish I didn't turn wrenches

[OR VietVet]

If it is the cabin air filters, there are two stacked in there, this is a great example of me having tunnel vision on a mechanical problem. It happens. You can be a qualified tech and miss something simple like this. I just hope it has the removable ones in there and not the set up where you have to cut the housing. I have never done that. Would there be old filters in there that cannot be accessed until the housing is cut open? Or, there is no filters in there from the factory and you have to cut it open to ADD the filters and install a kit for future access? Thanks for any help.

 

[OR VietVet]

Never mind. I was being lazy. Through 2002 the trucks came with the cabin air filter set up and the 2003 and newer did not and had to be added if you wanted the cabin air filter.

 

[OR VietVet]

Well, he did show up this afternoon. There is no CAF in that 99 Yukon 4 door. I also rechecked the inlet and outlet heater hoses with my laser temp gun. This time, instead of 10-12 degrees difference between the hoses, it was about 60-70 degrees. I could feel it when I touched the hoses. I went ahead and removed the hoses at the heater core tubes and flushed back and forth with a garden hose. At first it was gurgling through there and spitting and crud coming out and then we had an even flow going both ways. He now has heat that is close to what he was expecting but there is still 20-25 degrees difference between hoses. I am going to order him a heater core from RA. I am not installing it though. I pick and choose what I want to do here at home and I don't wanna do it. He paid me for the flush and thanked me.

 

[OR VietVet]

Besides, I sold my 2006 Denali XL today and the new owner is having me do a large list of things.
1. Every fluid gets changed.
2. Water pump, both tensioners, idler and belts and thermostat.
3. Valve cover gaskets.
4. Plugs and wires.
5. Third brake light, only 1/2 works.
6. Clean Throttle body and MAF.
7. Replace all blades and rear wiper arm.
8. Purge valve.
9. Oil and filter change.
10. Transmission service.
11. Inspect steering and suspension and brakes.

Any pics and write up about all this to follow. He is giving me a certified/cashiers check tomorrow and the truck stays here for the work and when I get the cash taken care of, I will sign the title and release the truck to him, after all work is done.

 

[blackelky]

Besides, I sold my 2006 Denali XL today and the new owner is having me do a large list of things.
1. Every fluid gets changed.
2. Water pump, both tensioners, idler and belts and thermostat.
3. Valve cover gaskets.
4. Plugs and wires.
5. Third brake light, only 1/2 works.
6. Clean Throttle body and MAF.
7. Replace all blades and rear wiper arm.
8. Purge valve.
9. Oil and filter change.
10. Transmission service.
11. Inspect steering and suspension and brakes.

Any pics and write up about all this to follow. He is giving me a certified/cashiers check tomorrow and the truck stays here for the work and when I get the cash taken care of, I will sign the title and release the truck to him, after all work is done.

Thats a great deal.

 

[OR VietVet]

Ordered all the RA parts. The part count was 26 but that includes 8 spark plugs. Went to AZ for the fluids. The organizing of the tear down starts tomorrow. Gonna do fluids first.

 

[OR VietVet]

I talked to the buyer. Now gonna do all 8 ignition coils, too.

 

[OR VietVet]

Got started today on the Denali. Was gonna start yesterday but my girl flew back in to town from Dallas the night before and we went to the coast for an ocean visit and a nice meal and lots of beautiful foliage views, going and coming.

Did the front and rear diffs fluid changes, cleaned the MAF and throttle body and flushed the brake fluid and power steering fluid. Checked the brakes and steering and suspension. All I had was fluids for now. About 4:30 got, via UPS, water pump, plug wires set, rear wiper arm and the seal for the new third brake light that is coming.

The rear diff fluid looked decent with no debris in it and is now new. The front diff had some "hair" on the drain plug magnet and was dirtier. See pics.

Unfortunately, the items coming from Fed Ex tomorrow, they get here by 10:30 usually, the third brake light, the rear wiper blade and the engine oil filter. I can get the third brake light done and the rear wiper arm and blade done and oil change and the transfer case fluid change. The rest is coming UPS and will not get here till late afternoon. The ignition coils were ordered yesterday and say they have shipped but has not given me a due day yet and is also UPS.

 

[OR VietVet]

Transmission service today, oil/filter change, had to get a new oil pan drain plug-see pics, new rear wiper arm and installed old blade just for the pic, new 3rd brake light assembly-old one only half worked, drain and fill transfer case and did more cleaning of the rear of engine and oil pan/bell housing area. I am kind of dead in the water till I get more hard parts. Basically, I am done underneath. Now the upper work gets going, Water pump, belts, tensioners, idler pulley and thermostat/housing. The valve cover gaskets, plugs, wires, coils and reinstall the 3 piece upper engine covers.

 

[OR VietVet]

Waiting on parts to arrive and decided to tear down the valve covers work. The hard to reach threaded stud that holds the coil rack to the passenger side valve cover, was a cinch to get out. Just remove 2 bolts and remove the coil and access is wide open. I went from a running engine down to bare valve covers and all 8 plugs out in 1 hour and 15 minutes. Now I am waiting for a call back about replacing the valve covers instead of cleaning them and hope the PCV system is working afterwords.

 

[OR VietVet]

So, I am replacing the water pump and thermostat on this truck. My friend has a vacuum fill kit, for the coolant, that he would lend me but I have no air compressor. He said that before he got that kit and there was no radiator cap on the radiator, he just would jack up the right front corner, where the reservoir is, and do a slow fill and had no air pocket problems and did not fill at the upper radiator hose. Anyone else ever done the coolant refill that way?

 

[iamdub]

So, I am replacing the water pump and thermostat on this truck. My friend has a vacuum fill kit, for the coolant, that he would lend me but I have no air compressor. He said that before he got that kit and there was no radiator cap on the radiator, he just would jack up the right front corner, where the reservoir is, and do a slow fill and had no air pocket problems and did not fill at the upper radiator hose. Anyone else ever done the coolant refill that way?

I've never jacked up the corner nor have I ever filled through the upper hose. Never a problem. Sure, the level in the surge tank would drop after the first heat cycle and I'd top it off. But it wouldn't go anywhere neat dry and I don't think I've ever had to top off more than twice. I pour the coolant in somewhat slowly and stop to squeeze the lower hose a few times.

 

[89Suburban]

squeeze the lower hose a few times.

ENTER: @randeez

TYF Top Reporter: "Randeez, do you have any comments sir? Do you think he was directing that comment to you or himself??"

 

[randeez]

ENTER: @randeez

TYF Top Reporter: "Randeez, do you have any comments sir? Do you think he was directing that comment to you or himself??"

I always find the leak when squeezing the lower hose

 

[OR VietVet]

Today: Removed old valve covers, cleaned seal surfaces, installed new valve covers, cleaned ignition coil racks and installed, installed all 8 spark plugs and installed all 8 spark plug wires and added dielectric grease, clamped off all radiator and heater hoses and compressed all clamps and removed hoses, removed belts, removed tensioners and idler, removed water pump, cleaned water pump mount surface and dried, installed new pump and seals, installed tensioners, idler pulley, installed both belts, hoses and squeeze clamps, reinstalled MAF and snorkel, released all hose clamps and refilled with 50/50 mix of DexCool. Now waiting on coils to get here Tuesday to install and start and finish filling coolant and monitor and road test and check for leaks. Installed new front wiper blades. Replaced purge valve.

 

[OR VietVet]

 

[OR VietVet]

 

[OR VietVet]

 

[MrMonte]

So, I am replacing the water pump and thermostat on this truck. My friend has a vacuum fill kit, for the coolant, that he would lend me but I have no air compressor. He said that before he got that kit and there was no radiator cap on the radiator, he just would jack up the right front corner, where the reservoir is, and do a slow fill and had no air pocket problems and did not fill at the upper radiator hose. Anyone else ever done the coolant refill that way?

When I added coolant after doing my AFM delete I removed the thermostat and added almost 2 gallons, installed thermostat then filled remaining thru reservoir and had no air pocket issues.

 

[OR VietVet]

He wanted me to put the new chrome DENALI letters on the p/s door. The chrome look on the old was peeling off. I taped it off, marked the letter edges, used a high powered hair dryer and heated the letters/adhesive, used a sharp plastic trim tool and scraped the letters off and then reheated what was left of the spongy adhesive stuff behind letters and got down to the actual glue. Used some stuff called GOOF OFF, IIRC, and used a few Q-tips and got all the adhesive off, washed with DAWN soap and rinsed with water and dried completely. Heated again. Wiped with clean cloth. Removed new letters, one by one, and attached on the straight line of tape. I think it came out looking pretty good.