Growing up doesn't have to suck

[PG01]

How come the H3 mounts are so much beefier looking?! I would think that a tahoe or burb being a bigger truck would already those beefier motor mounts given that’s a bigger truck with a bigger motor? Why does the H3 have bigger?

@Bigbeardenali1992 Chase, just want to make sure you know stock in @iamdub pic is on the left and new h3 is on the right.

 

[ls1yukon]

Okay, a little more research answered my question but caused another. In 2008 the H3 came with the "Alpha" option and a 5.3L V8. GM shows part numbers for mounts are 25847738 for left & 25847739 for right.

Just finished installing those H3 mounts and stock trans mount. The driver side was an effin' BREEZE compared to the passenger side. Gonna clean up then take 'er for a victory lap.

Hey iamdub, do you happen to have the part numbers for those H3 motor mounts handy? I'm usually pretty resourceful but I struck out with a search of the forum...or rather the forum struck out with no results for "H3 mounts" other than in your thread. I checked GMpartsdirect and the diagram of the H3 mounts don't look like the pic of the mounts in your thread...the H2 mount diagram looks closer, but you didn't say anything about H2. Help/clarification is appreciated!

 

[kbuskill]

Okay, a little more research answered my question but caused another. In 2008 the H3 came with the "Alpha" option and a 5.3L V8. GM shows part numbers for mounts are 25847738 for left & 25847739 for right.


Hey iamdub, do you happen to have the part numbers for those H3 motor mounts handy? I'm usually pretty resourceful but I struck out with a search of the forum...or rather the forum struck out with no results for "H3 mounts" other than in your thread. I checked GMpartsdirect and the diagram of the H3 mounts don't look like the pic of the mounts in your thread...the H2 mount diagram looks closer, but you didn't say anything about H2. Help/clarification is appreciated!

Your link to the H3 mount is for a 2006 which doesn't have the 5.3l in it. That is why it doesn't look right.

25847739 is the one you need.

It is the passenger side mount for the '08-'10 "Alpha" (5.3l) H3 but it fits both sides of our trucks.

 

[ls1yukon]

Thanks for the follow up...I found what you're talking about but you probably replied and I didn't refresh the page before editing my post. Good to know that 25847739 fits both sides...it's the cheaper of the two.

 

[iamdub]

Ken got ya handled. When I was price shopping, most places had the V8 H3 (2010, I think) listed as the "Championship Edition". But, yeah, the passenger side mount for the H3 is the one (or two) you need for one or both sides of our vehicles.

 

[swathdiver]

So how are you liking the mounts Chris? Driven the Tahoe much since the repair?

 

[iamdub]

So how are you liking the mounts Chris? Driven the Tahoe much since the repair?

I've only driven a couple hundred miles but I'm loving them! I had gotten so used to babying the throttle and hearing and feeling that clunk every time I drove it. I still haven't gotten used to the way it feels now- I'm almost missing the clunk and kinda feel like something is wrong just from the familiarity! As far as transmitted vibrations, I don't feel any more than before and I'd venture to say there are actually less now. So glad to have finally moved forward from that chapter and looking forward to the next round of repairs and upgrades!

 

[swathdiver]

I've only driven a couple hundred miles but I'm loving them! I had gotten so used to babying the throttle and hearing and feeling that clunk every time I drove it. I still haven't gotten used to the way it feels now- I'm almost missing the clunk and kinda feel like something is wrong just from the familiarity! As far as transmitted vibrations, I don't feel any more than before and I'd venture to say there are actually less now. So glad to have finally moved forward from that chapter and looking forward to the next round of repairs and upgrades!

So would you say the same or less vibration than when the originals were intact and working properly? When the day comes that mine needs new ones, I've been of mind to keep the originals but not if there's no downside to these solid rubber mounts.

 

[iamdub]

So would you say the same or less vibration than when the originals were intact and working properly? When the day comes that mine needs new ones, I've been of mind to keep the originals but not if there's no downside to these solid rubber mounts.

I bought my Tahoe 47,000 miles ago with around 146,000 on the clock. I don't know when I officially "tested" the mounts, but it wasn't long after I bought it and they were shot then. The port side was blown because I noticed the dried rust-colored trails originating from the mount while underneath for it's first oil change under my ownership. The starboard side leaked soon after because the rust-colored fluid was fresh and wet. So, I can't say how the original mounts feel in comparison. My Tahoe sometimes idles so smoothly that I can barely tell it's running and other times it has what feels like a very slight random misfire. I haven't been able to relate the varying idle characteristics to any particular type of driving, atmospheric conditions, fuel brand and grade, etc. I'm not so concerned with it as, apparently, it's completely normal for these things. I'd say that, with the H3 mounts, it seems to have the "smooth idle" spells more often. By the way, when I mention the idle vibes, I don't mean anywhere near how poly engine mounts feel. The vibes I'm referencing are strictly those infrequent "pulses" that feel like a slight random misfire, like once or twice within a 5-10 second period.

I honestly see NO downside to the H3 mounts. The hydraulic mount is a weak design and I really think was only conjured up to help absorb the extra vibrations that occur when AFM is active. My AFM has been disabled for about a year now so I surely don't need the special (and weak) mounts. Even if my AFM was still active and even if the H3 mounts transmitted noticeably more vibrations, it couldn't be much and surely not enough to warrant electing to repeatedly replace the hydraulic mounts after every time the truck towed or was driven more spiritedly (such as when your wife drives).

It's definitely a job I'd only wanna do once if I could help it. I'd rather have the small chance of feeling a shake ever so often than the guaranteed chance of having to repeat their replacement.

 

[swathdiver]

...it couldn't be much and surely not enough to warrant electing to repeatedly replace the hydraulic mounts after every time the truck towed or was driven more spiritedly (such as when your wife drives).

LOL

 

[iamdub]

My $39 and $23 lower control arms were delivered today. They're listed and boxed as ACDelco Professional and they look legit- ACDelco parts labels with numbers, etc. Boxes were beat up but the arms have no damage, ball joint boots and studs had plastic shields, shiny black paint and the bare metal inside the holes and on the edges of the bushing bosses is clean and shiny with no rust. I was pleasantly surprised to see the ball joints have Zerk fittings. The plastic they're wrapped in has a sticker with "EXCK620888" (lower left arm) and "EXCK620889" (lower right arm). Searching those numbers leads me to believe they are Moog CK-series arms. Looks like I'll have matching upper and lower control arms, all with greasable ball joints. And I got both of these to my doorstep for less than what one arm cost before shipping. The only con is that one arm is missing the ball joint nut. For what I got these for, I can't complain!

Ordered from eBay, arrived in Amazon boxes with Amazon gift receipts inside. These came from the same seller, LH arm in smaller box, RH arm in ridiculously over-sized other box:

Grease Zerks!

Anyone recognize these stampings?

 

[swathdiver]

I see that SH come up all on several different brands doing a google.

 

[iamdub]

I see that SH come up all on several different brands doing a google.

Just figured it out- it's Shih Hsiang Auto Parts Co., Ltd., a supplier for MOOG and apparently ACDelco, among many others.

 

[iamdub]

Nothing exciting to update, but I took it through the automatic car wash then filled up with 24 gallons of ethanol-free 91 octane ($68 ). Then headed to an inspection station about 20 miles away 'cuz the guy said he wouldn't hassle me about the tint. On a relatively flat and clear stretch of road after leaving the gas station, I noticed it was immediately getting about 2 more MPG, thanks to the tank of straight gasoline. With the cruise set on 55, the instant fuel economy showed an average of 22 MPG. Stays around 19 MPG when cruising at 70 and 18 MPG at 75.

Took a pic cuz it was the first wash in months. It makes my shop look tiny- that's a 10'x10' door. Lowering should help this as well as improve the MPG:

My new sway bar bushings were waiting when I got home so I may toss them in real quick. I'm happy to see they're polyurethane and made in U.S.A:

 

[iamdub]

After replacing those sway bar bushings, I decided it was time for some simple aesthetic improvements.

I christened my new heat gun by using it to shave the finger pad off the back glass.

Before:

After:

^^^ Oh yeah, I continued on by peeling off that scratched "chromed" bow tie...


... And painting it with some ACDelco touch-up spray paint I found late one night in a dusty corner of teh interwebz. I used some clear coat I got from an auto paint supply store a few years ago. Last time I tried this stuff it made the color really hazy so I practiced on a spare broken mirror cap. Pleasantly surprised, I proceeded and am very happy with the results! The clear laid deep and flat. No orange peel:

The color is plenty close enough to this OEM color-keyed door handle. The bowtie looks to have a very slight bronze tint to it by comparison and this pic makes it stand out worse than it does in person. It'll completely blend in with the body once installed and you'd have to really be looking for a difference:

...Which brings me to revealing another little surprise. I stumbled upon a full set of nearly-perfect OEM Graystone Metallic door handles about a week ago on ebay. My guess is they were taken off when nearly new to be replaced by chrome ones and were stored ever since. I wasn't totally in the market cuz I planned on trading someone their color-matched handles and mirror caps for my chrome LTZ pieces. But the deal for these new ones was way too good to pass up. Buying them is what prompted me to buy that touch-up paint so I could paint the mirror caps.

 

[iamdub]

Temporarily stuck it in place for pics:

I'm wondering if I should've left that outer part chrome. I may fill the thin area between the outer edge and raised center with gloss black. Since I'm doing away with all the chrome, I think I'll just do that black line.

Now that I know this paint and clear work great, next is painting the front bow tie. While that's drying, I think I'll start de-badging...

 

[iamdub]

Replaced the Axxess-GMOS-LAN29 radio interface with a PAC C2R-GM29 I had on the shelf. I like the PAC's warning tone sound over the GMOS's because it's closer to the original sound. It's a bit loud and I can't adjust it. I also like that the blinker sound isn't from a relay clicking. It, too, is electronic and more similar to the original sound. As a bonus, my steering wheel controls work now. I never could get the Axxess ASWC-1 to work with the GMOS even though they were the same brand and the GMOS was prewired for the Axxess interface. It took a bunch of back-and-forth reading between PAC's and Axxess's sites, but the problem was the way it was wired. The input wire needed to be tapped to the factory data line, before the radio interface, regardless of it's brand. Upon power-up, it programmed itself to the Tahoe and Pioneer and the default settings are intuitive and just how I want them.


Harness ****:

It's been raining and they're harvesting the sugar cane around me, so the Tahoe is too filthy to mess with the body so I haven't finished debadging it. Maybe I'll rinse it tomorrow and do a little.


Speaking of body mods... Anyone want a full set of chrome door handles and mirror caps? Maybe I'll post in the classifieds.

 

[iamdub]

To complete the de-chroming, I'm gonna have to do something about the grille. I could just trade someone my LTZ grille for their LT or LS grille, but I'm considering doing some paintwork.

Lemme know what y'all think about these ideas.

All black (what's chrome around the bow tie on this one would be body color or black):

Just the middle part black. I know these are inserts, just pretend it's the chrome lacing painted black and the outer shell body color:

Or, should I get fancy and cut it all out for this piece? I'd really like to see this grille on a Graystone or even silver Tahoe to get a better idea:

 

[GranPrix]

Which ever the second is, it's SICK!

 

[HiHoeSilver]

I also like #2.