What did you do to your NNBS GMT900 Tahoe/Yukon Today?

[alpha_omega]

ALL 6AN from the hardlines to the trucool
just waiting on 1 longer line to get here
same thing I did on the yukon when it started leaking, I guess it doesn't help that I drive it like smokey & the bandit all the time lol
View attachment 464110

Very nice! You didn’t use a compression fitting on the hardline?

 

[Doubeleive]

Very nice! You didn’t use a compression fitting on the hardline?

no I just stuck the hose on it and clamped it, that part is not where the leak is, it's leaking at the ribbed fitting that trucool supplies with the package.
actually since I freshened up the connection (cut the hose back and reclamped it) it's not leaking anymore but it will again if I just leave it.
I was planning on doing this previously but just procrastinated.....
just like I plan to wax it, lol when I was a aspiring teenager/young man I at one time used to detail vehicles as a side gig so it's not like I don't know how....... haha

 

[mikez71]

Via the MAP sensor Ok, that makes more sense. That was going to be my next question. You can adjust the temp settings and have them stick (as in not need to be changed each time you start the vehicle - I’m guessing yes with my Tech2) - correct?
You’re saying you went from 201° down to 195° - regarding when the fan(s) kicks on?

Yes, stock was 201, mine currently set at 195. Hasn't had to turn on yet around town.

Not MAP sensor, but an ECM map of engine coolant temp vs. "Spark Airmass" (looks like MAF output).
That map is accessible with HPTuners (and ?). I have NOT changed this map.

The real reason for my 203deg ECT temps was a sticky OEM thermostat.
The stock fan doesn't kick on until 201deg, so even with a properly functioning thermostat, you could hit 201 before the fan comes on.
(231 deg before the second fan kicks on)

With new sticky OEM thermostat and stock fan settings, I was running between 194-203 deg.
This Motorad 174 keeps me at 186-190 (light city commuting, will test more), and consistently opens(fully?) at 188.
I may be dipping to 186 because I removed the jiggler valve and have that 1/8" hole bypass, it really stays at 188 around town until you slow down.
OEM 200k mile thermo was also consistent at 194.

Parked in a drive-thru, the temps will take just a few minutes to go from 188 to 194. (Haven't logged yet, estimating ~5 minutes @ 90deg ambient)
Driving with a load will heat it up much faster of course, so that airflow is critical to keeping the motor cool.

Drawbacks to running 188 vs 194?

 

[89Suburban]

Nice! No waiting around at the tire shop for you!

Very gratifying

 

[mikez71]

Put the rear HEAVY METAL door handles on. (Amazon A Premium brand)
Thanks for the recommendation @kbuskill !!

Some minor scratches. They came in individual bubble wrap bags, in a box. Couple of those dust specks are actually scratches.
Most handles have 2 small scratches.

.

Trim piece has one less bridging support near the front curve of door pocket. Also the handle base is flexier than stock.
Not an issue when bolted in, hopefully the flexibilty will somehow add to longevity or not be any lesser.
Stock handle has plastic liner on the sliding ends. Replacement does not, but handle is made of metal instead of plastic.
Spring slighty stiffer than stock. Spring axle/pin is steel instead of plastic!

I improved the sticky rear door feeling (Had it before these handles) by adjusting the rod as long as possible.
Loosen latch and handle to unhook connecting rod or clip. When reconnecting, push the protruding threaded end of rod deeper into the connector before snapping it closed.

New handle has smaller bump inside at the rear opening.
I feel like you can grab the back edge slightly better, it's a tiny ergonomic improvement.
These things are heavy! Hopefully the weight won't cause any premature wear or noise.
They feel great! Makes the whole door feel more solid because of the handle's mass.

Factory white handle above is missing the return pad, which is why the gap is so small at the rear.
The OEM pad seemed to be made of a rubber/foam, the A Premium pads appear to be made of silicone..

Gaps a hair larger on the replacements. Does not look or feel cheap at all.
So far, I'm big fan!

 

[kbuskill]

Put the rear HEAVY METAL door handles on. (Amazon A Premium brand)
Thanks for the recommendation @kbuskill !!

Some minor scratches. They came in individual bubble wrap bags, in a box. Couple of those dust specks are actually scratches.
Most handles have 2 small scratches.
View attachment 464148

Trim piece has one less bridging support near the front curve of door pocket. Also the handle base is flexier than stock.
Not an issue when bolted in, hopefully the flexibilty will somehow add to longevity or not be any lesser.
Stock handle has plastic liner on the sliding ends. Replacement does not, but handle is made of metal instead of plastic.
Spring slighty stiffer than stock. Spring axle/pin is steel instead of plastic!
View attachment 464150
I fixed the sticky rear door feeling (Had it before these handles) by adjusting the rod as long as possible.
Loosen latch and handle to unhook connecting rod or clip. When reconnecting, push the protruding threaded end of rod deeper into the connector before snapping it closed.
That will fix the sticky rear door handle!

New handle has smaller bump inside at the rear opening.
I feel like you can grab the back edge slightly better, it's a tiny ergonomic improvement.
These things are heavy! Hopefully the weight won't cause any premature wear or noise.
They feel great! Makes the whole door feel more solid because of the handle's mass.
View attachment 464151
Factory white handle above is missing the return pad, which is why the gap is so small at the rear.
The OEM pad seemed to be made of a rubber/foam, the A Premium pads appear to be made of silicone..
View attachment 464152
Gaps a hair larger on the replacements. Does not look or feel cheap at all.
So far, I'm big fan!

I am glad you are well pleased.

I am also glad you documented these a lot better than I did. I didn't think about it until I was done, I was just shocled/impressed with the weight difference.

I wish I had a postage scale or something to weigh them against the stockers just to note the difference.

 

[89Suburban]

Just curious what is the better points of the metal handle? Do the plastic ones start to wear out and act like azzholes? Cuz my drivers l/f door handle is.

 

[mikez71]

For me, my painted plastic handles were feeling scuzzy (scratched?) and some rubber pads were missing.
Plus I like the black texture look for some reason, so I went with these.

One noticeable improvement is feel, due to the weight.
Feels sturdier, even though it may be exerting more bending force on the door skin due to the flimsy base.

Will it actually last longer or be more durable? They did, at least, attempt to make improvements..

 

[Charlie207]

How hot will they get in the sun?

 

[alpha_omega]

no I just stuck the hose on it and clamped it, that part is not where the leak is, it's leaking at the ribbed fitting that trucool supplies with the package.
actually since I freshened up the connection (cut the hose back and reclamped it) it's not leaking anymore but it will again if I just leave it.
I was planning on doing this previously but just procrastinated.....
just like I plan to wax it, lol when I was a aspiring teenager/young man I at one time used to detail vehicles as a side gig so it's not like I don't know how....... haha

Right, but you’re older now. It’s like the mechanic who drives a vehicle that barely runs.

I know the fitting you’re referring to. I refused to use those hoses and went down a rabbit hole after failing to properly bend the hard lines. Now it’s all -6AN fittings and braided line from the external filter. I have the lines and fittings to run the whole thing braided, but I didn’t feel like pissing around with the new hard lines I had just installed.

 

[alpha_omega]

Yes, stock was 201, mine currently set at 195. Hasn't had to turn on yet around town.

Not MAP sensor, but an ECM map of engine coolant temp vs. "Spark Airmass" (looks like MAF output).
That map is accessible with HPTuners (and ?). I have NOT changed this map.
View attachment 464119

The real reason for my 203deg ECT temps was a sticky OEM thermostat.
The stock fan doesn't kick on until 201deg, so even with a properly functioning thermostat, you could hit 201 before the fan comes on.
(231 deg before the second fan kicks on)

With new sticky OEM thermostat and stock fan settings, I was running between 194-203 deg.
This Motorad 174 keeps me at 186-190 (light city commuting, will test more), and consistently opens(fully?) at 188.
I may be dipping to 186 because I removed the jiggler valve and have that 1/8" hole bypass, it really stays at 188 around town until you slow down.
OEM 200k mile thermo was also consistent at 194.

Parked in a drive-thru, the temps will take just a few minutes to go from 188 to 194. (Haven't logged yet, estimating ~5 minutes @ 90deg ambient)
Driving with a load will heat it up much faster of course, so that airflow is critical to keeping the motor cool.

Drawbacks to running 188 vs 194?

Gotcha. Visual map. They both make sense. I just put that new water pump on, but haven’t added any coolant yet. Might be worth the swap while she’s still dry?

Drawbacks? I wouldn’t think so. Maybe more wear on the thermostat, but if it’s built better then it’s a matter of paying to play?

Are you planning to adjust your fan settings as well, or are they good enough for your driving patterns to not require making adjustments? Maybe towing more or lots of uphill high heat commutes might call for that?

 

[alpha_omega]

Estimated ship date August 25th? Well…maybe the ole t-stat upgrade will have to wait. Unless the good folks at the zone have one in stock.

 

[Rocket Man]

Put the rear HEAVY METAL door handles on. (Amazon A Premium brand)
Thanks for the recommendation @kbuskill !!

Some minor scratches. They came in individual bubble wrap bags, in a box. Couple of those dust specks are actually scratches.
Most handles have 2 small scratches.
View attachment 464148.

Trim piece has one less bridging support near the front curve of door pocket. Also the handle base is flexier than stock.
Not an issue when bolted in, hopefully the flexibilty will somehow add to longevity or not be any lesser.
Stock handle has plastic liner on the sliding ends. Replacement does not, but handle is made of metal instead of plastic.
Spring slighty stiffer than stock. Spring axle/pin is steel instead of plastic!
View attachment 464150
I improved the sticky rear door feeling (Had it before these handles) by adjusting the rod as long as possible.
Loosen latch and handle to unhook connecting rod or clip. When reconnecting, push the protruding threaded end of rod deeper into the connector before snapping it closed.

New handle has smaller bump inside at the rear opening.
I feel like you can grab the back edge slightly better, it's a tiny ergonomic improvement.
These things are heavy! Hopefully the weight won't cause any premature wear or noise.
They feel great! Makes the whole door feel more solid because of the handle's mass.
View attachment 464151
Factory white handle above is missing the return pad, which is why the gap is so small at the rear.
The OEM pad seemed to be made of a rubber/foam, the A Premium pads appear to be made of silicone..
View attachment 464152
Gaps a hair larger on the replacements. Does not look or feel cheap at all.
So far, I'm big fan!

Do those come in a smooth finish so they can be painted to match? If not that’s a hard no for me. But then I’ve never broke one of the plastic ones. If they’re locked or frozen I don’t yank on them. The same handles are on my Silverado and I’ve had that for many many years. I just painted some aftermarket plastic ones for my Tahoe that look to be pretty well built.

 

[mikez71]

Wow thats a long wait. I got mine from rockauto.

I'm actually more concerned about overworking the fan, and not giving it enough time to rest.
Stock OS can go no lower than 192.2 degrees before the fan turns OFF. (to go lower we need to convert to 2bar OS, so it's do-able)

I set my fan to come on at 195 for now, no issues yet..

Oh, and I don't know if the Motorad is a better design or not, but after paying for OEM just to get a sticky one,
I figured I would buy 3 thermostats, for the same money, and give someone else a chance.

 

[mikez71]

Do those come in a smooth finish so they can be painted to match?

Unfortunately, I do not think they have smooth ones.

 

[alpha_omega]

Wow thats a long wait. I got mine from rockauto.

I'm actually more concerned about overworking the fan, and not giving it enough time to rest.
Stock OS can go no lower than 192.2 degrees before the fan turns OFF. (to go lower we need to convert to 2bar OS, so it's do-able)

I set my fan to come on at 195 for now, no issues yet..

Oh, and I don't know if the Motorad is a better design or not, but after paying for OEM just to get a sticky one,
I figured I would buy 3 thermostats, for the same money, and give someone else a chance.

The reviews on the MotoRad claimed the same issue. Sticky therms not opening/closing. Hopefully yours was one of the good ones.

 

[lowh07]

The 6 pistons are installed and working GREAT. Took this after I initially installed them, but I finally got the rotors painted this weekend. Ended up replacing all four, as well as the rear calipers (with factory size ac delco in the rear). The rotors came painted silver so I sprayed them with some high temp black. Also sprayed the rear caliper brackets since those were also silver.

I should have some new wheels and tires next week! Bronze Vossen 22s with Michelin defenders. They should be about 10lbs lighter per corner than my current setup (so they should more than offset the rotor weight up front). If anyone is kinda local to Conroe I'll make you a good deal on this set...

Also going to install 4.10s soon so that should wake it up

 

[Charlie207]

Replacing caliper pins and boots with some OEM stuff.

 

[Charlie207]

Man, it's hard to get work done on my car when they keep scheduling work calls all day.

 

[SpareParts]

Retire and you won't get work calls all day. Worked for me anyway.