Getting my 1996 Yukon back on the road

[Craig Daliessio]

Hi everyone!
I have a 1996 SLT 5.7
The fuel injectors went out two years ago and I parked her. I'm in the process of getting her back on the road, as my daughter is driving now and needs my Volvo every day.
I've pulled the plenum and I'm installing an aftermarket MPFI spider and new regulator. I'm using the Felpro heavy duty gasket set to avoid the coolant suction issues.
I assumed I'll need to take some precautions when restarting after two years of not running at all. I've pulled the plugs and sprayed the cylinders with WD40 and then squirted some motor oil in them. I bought a drill-motor oil pump primer to prime it once I'm ready to start it up. My question is, with the lifters having sat for so long, should I pull them and soak them overnight to re-oil them? Should I just go ahead and install new lifters? (The motor has 267K on it but ran perfectly when the FI died) I'd hate to get it all back together and find out I have a lifter that won't pump up.
Any thoughts?

 

[TigerEyz3]

Other than the lifter issue you specifically asked about, sounds like you're on the right track. I've never had a vehicle sit that long, so no personal experience with that particular issue.

Easiest route is to "see what happens", but I certainly understand your situation of not wanting to put it all back together to find out you've got a lifter issue. If you've got the ability/resources/time, might as well check/pull them and make sure.

 

[Craig Daliessio]

Other than the lifter issue you specifically asked about, sounds like you're on the right track. I've never had a vehicle sit that long, so no personal experience with that particular issue.

Easiest route is to "see what happens", but I certainly understand your situation of not wanting to put it all back together to find out you've got a lifter issue. If you've got the ability/resources/time, might as well check/pull them and make sure.

I'm leaning towards just that. Pulling them, spraying with carb cleaner, blwoing out with compressed air and soaking in mineral oil before reinstall. I'd hate to go through all this and have one or to not pumping up.
Thank you

 

[Craig Daliessio]

I'm leaning towards just that. Pulling them, spraying with carb cleaner, blwoing out with compressed air and soaking in mineral oil before reinstall. I'd hate to go through all this and have one or to not pumping up.
Thank you

Update:
267,000 miles and the inside of the lifter galley and rocker arm assembly were unbelievably clean. You'd have thought this motor was just rebuilt and being checked after break-in. I decided not to pull the lifters. none of them were squealing when the fuel injection quit so no reason to think they'd go bad now. I poured some Lucas Oil treatment into the oil ports in the cam galley and turned the crank by hand, slowly. I repeated this a few times and I believe it lubed the cam lobes and lifter rollers just fine. I'll pre-oil it with the drill motor before firing it up.
The spider was really leaking badly. The amount of carbon sludge in the intake runners and all around the injector unit was astounding. I scrubbed it in degreaser and tok it to the car wash to blast it out. Then when it dried, I hit the entire plenum with a wire wheel on a drill. It cleaned the surfaces perfectly and also polished the aluminum a bit so it looks like an aftermarket piece.
Installed it yesterday using the FelPro heavy duty gasket kit. Snapped off the oil sending unit in the process..barely touched it and it broke in my hand. Installing the spider in the top half this week and hopefully have her back on the road by middle of the month.

 

[willxfs]

Good luck with firing it up! Hope it all goes well. Keep us posted if you can.

 

[Walrusmt]

Update:
267,000 miles and the inside of the lifter galley and rocker arm assembly were unbelievably clean. You'd have thought this motor was just rebuilt and being checked after break-in. I decided not to pull the lifters. none of them were squealing when the fuel injection quit so no reason to think they'd go bad now. I poured some Lucas Oil treatment into the oil ports in the cam galley and turned the crank by hand, slowly. I repeated this a few times and I believe it lubed the cam lobes and lifter rollers just fine. I'll pre-oil it with the drill motor before firing it up.
The spider was really leaking badly. The amount of carbon sludge in the intake runners and all around the injector unit was astounding. I scrubbed it in degreaser and tok it to the car wash to blast it out. Then when it dried, I hit the entire plenum with a wire wheel on a drill. It cleaned the surfaces perfectly and also polished the aluminum a bit so it looks like an aftermarket piece.
Installed it yesterday using the FelPro heavy duty gasket kit. Snapped off the oil sending unit in the process..barely touched it and it broke in my hand. Installing the spider in the top half this week and hopefully have her back on the road by middle of the month.

Good job! Do you have any pics to share of your hard work? I've got a 96 yukon as well.

 

[Craig Daliessio]

Good job! Do you have any pics to share of your hard work? I've got a 96 yukon as well.

I'll post some soon!

 

[Craig Daliessio]

HELP!
I got everything back together. By the time the FI was replaced, I also redid the AC system, brakes, shocks, headlights, tail light assemblies...
It's back together but it will not start. I have fuel, I have spark. But it won;t start. It backfires lightly from the tailpipe but it won't catch. No codes are showing. Any hints? I am certain the timing is correct. Can't figure it out

 

[TigerEyz3]

Could be as simple as distributor being 180* out...
Though unlikely if you followed the spider numbers, it could be that one or more injectors are in the wrong cylinder.

 

[Craig Daliessio]

Could be as simple as distributor being 180* out...
Though unlikely if you followed the spider numbers, it could be that one or more injectors are in the wrong cylinder.

I was careful about the spider numbers. And even then it would try to start, right? The distributor...I thought of that and re-installed it twice. Still nothing.