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

[Grady_Wilson]

The front passenger outside door handle just broke.
I ordered another one since the only place around here is the dealer and they want almost $100 for one.

 

[89Suburban]

Unfortunately, the rust bug is attacking the Tahoe, and I had been thinking of selling it and moving on. But after the interior detail, I just can't get rid of it. I love this thing and waited MANY years to find one with the L9H. This is my baby and I can't part ways with it, no matter what. Do you guys think this can be fixed?
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It's only the driver's side. Also both left hand doors are screwed, I'll have to replace them.
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I just recently found a very small spot like that on my l/r fender lip. I sanded it down, taped the good parts off and repainted that blotch with some Rustoleum paint to try and slow it down.

 

[mikez71]

The front passenger outside door handle just broke.
I ordered another one since the only place around here is the dealer and they want almost $100 for one.

Where did it break?

 

[Grady_Wilson]

Where did it break?

The inside portion of the handle let go.
Still attached at the hinge point but the arm at the end of the inside is no longer connected.
Haven't taken the door panel off since I am in the middle of moving and all my stuff is scattered between 3 different places at the moment.

 

[Fubar0715]

I bought one of those on Amazon for about $20 and repaired the cracked dash in my 08 Tahoe. It worked great but I suggest having a helper you trust apply the staples on the bottom while you hold the cracks together and watch from the topside. I did it myself and although I held the cracks together on the backside as I hot stapled it and the cracks were invisible on the backside, they were slightly visible on the front. Otherwise it came out great. I don’t even notice the cracks anymore.

I bought one too in hopes of stitching up my 03 dash. First attempt went horribly wrong and it just broke up like day old cornbread. Picked up another from a salvage yard with way less damage then my existing one and stitched together the cracks. I also added some JB weld plastic cement to further bond the cracks after stapling. Added a little touchup paint so I wouldn't notice any of the imperfections - haven't used it since and is living it's best life in my tool cabinet.

 

[mikez71]

Forever mad at GM, because dashboard garbage..

 

[mikez71]

The inside portion of the handle let go.
Still attached at the hinge point but the arm at the end of the it is no longer connected.
Haven't taken the door panel off since I am in the middle of moving and all my stuff is scattered between 3 different places at the moment.

The hinge points look extra thin on one side, surprising it doesn't break all the time!
That was one part that looked even thinner on my metal handles, the weak side hinge support. (still plastic)

When you do swap handles, I found I had to unbolt the latch as well. That made it easy to slip the handle off/on the rod end.
Trying to remove the linkage on the latch, just hurt my fingertips.

 

[alpha_omega]

Wow, that is unfortunate...
But my Motorad is definately opening at 188... (If I had determined that I wanted 174 deg, then I would be disappointed)

As a final check, you might look for the temp rating inside the tube.. But assuming it's just inconsistent..

What was the purpose of you removing the little weep hole device? Just because? I think you mentioned it, but I can’t remember for sure.

 

[mikez71]

Yea just cuz. The old trick people used to do was drill that hole before there was a jiggler.. figured I'd stick to the old way.
Believe it was done to help bleed the cooling system. (same for jiggler I assume) Drawback would be longer warmup time?

I just mentioned it in case it affected anything like running temp (maybe why I can get down to 186, normally at 188)
Maybe not preferable in cold climates. Autosync seems to display increments of 2degrees.

 

[lowh07]

If I’m not mistaken, I think this is the earliest possible mfg date for a GMT900. Dad bought it new

Edit: looks like 12/05 is possible since that's when the Arlington plant first started producing them

 

[j91z28d1]

I guess I have 3 spare new thermostats..
Melling water pump comes with MotoRad 5945KT / 15608. It's a cheap looking thermostat neck, and a 187 deg MotoRad thermostat.
Which is funny because the temps my "174" opens at, would be perfectly accurate as the 187 deg thermostat..

I spent the extra $35 for an OEM thermo, just to not have it not open until 201-203 degrees at times..
Still agree, most parts I end up going back to stock.

The OEM casting was different from the Melling. Think I might have saved $100 or so. And while the Melling has given me no issues yet, I would go OEM next time probably.
Were I Melling, I wouldn't include that thermostat neck just because it looks bad. A bit of porosity on the sealing surface, hose surface has casting flange ground down whereas stock is machined round full circumference.. I'm sure it will work, but when you hold the OEM next to that one, no way I'm using the Melling(motorad) neck.

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I believe I got the same millings pump and stat housing off rock auto you did. the pump seems find but the housing as awful. I reused the oem housing and added a new oem stat. the motor rad is still tossed in the counter with about 5 other ls stats haha.

 

[j91z28d1]

No go on the motorad. Bench test says 196° open temp. I got it to open once at 192°.View attachment 464331View attachment 464332View attachment 464333

did you bring the temp up pretty slow? as I understand it, the stat temp part still a brass thing with wax inside that changes with temp. I might be a bit delayed from you thermometer. or it could just be that far off. I have heard that before in another thread. guy tested 3 of the same temp, got all different openings.


if you look deep inside, just to confirm it's says 174 on the stat and not just miss boxed?


I'm still convinced MALH makes the oem for gm and no one else makes any other ones except those Motorrad ones rebranded by a few different names.

 

[j91z28d1]

from their website

 

[mikez71]

missing the rubber cone on top of the valve, and the valve looks different.
And the bridge support has a different shape (wider top edge)

I couldn't find one for our trucks, so maybe a different model pictured?
Not saying they don't make the OEM..

 

[j91z28d1]

missing the rubber cone on top of the valve, and the valve looks different.
And the bridge support has a different shape (wider top edge)

I couldn't find one for our trucks, so maybe a different model pictured?
Not saying they don't make the OEM..

funny I didn't remember that rubber part. I wonder what that does. I had looked up 2011 cause that's my truck. but if I look up 2008, my car when I first when thru this, it's got a pic more like the oem one. not that really. matters, since they only sell a 183 temp anyways





while looking I ran across this. looks like they got bought out too.


MAHLE has finalized the sale of its OEM thermostat business as of May 2, 2024. The sale transfers the thermostat segment to the industrial and investment holding firm ADMETOS, which will operate the business under the name BTT Solutions. As part of the deal, ADMETOS is taking on around 600 employees in six countries. In the spare parts and accessories market, the sale of thermostats under the MAHLE and Behr brands will continue to be handled by the worldwide MAHLE Aftermarket network.

 

[kbuskill]

All this thermostat talk, especially the inaccurate part which seems rather prevalent, has me wondering how hard it would be to "adjust" the temperature of one of these, or if it is even possible by normal means.

 

[mikez71]

test fit dorman inside driver handle.

Color a little off... Worse than the pictures are showing, but it's not terrible.

You see videos and wonder why its bulging by the switches..

 

[Charlie207]

I thought LS engines were designed, and like, to run hotter?

 

[Sparksalot]

Yea just cuz. The old trick people used to do was drill that hole before there was a jiggler.. figured I'd stick to the old way.
Believe it was done to help bleed the cooling system. (same for jiggler I assume) Drawback would be longer warmup time?

I just mentioned it in case it affected anything like running temp (maybe why I can get down to 186, normally at 188)
Maybe not preferable in cold climates. Autosync seems to display increments of 2degrees.

To bleed trapped air behind the tstat. Very small hole did nothing to change warm up time. I learned the tip from my grandpa. His mechanic career started before ww2.

 

[Sparksalot]

Yup, gas and ice cream are your only two choices in Farson.

Was there yesterday.