Is this frame too late to save ?

[OR VietVet]

Will definitely be going through your posts!

Road Trip!!!

I will create a For Sale thread when I list it.

I went to look at a 2004 Avalanche 2500 with 100k miles on it. It was in Florence, Oregon and I felt like a trip to the coast today when it was 85+ here. I was as told to me. In great shape, no leaks, very small ding, $.25 size on fender above rf tires. Tires at 60%, 2nd owner, clean CarFax and has maintenance/repairs paperwork, pristine interior, bed covers all work and are in great shape, the center bulkhead and glass work as should, has a trailer brake set up, bed extender goes with it, clean coolant, brake fluid, oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid and belt(s) in great shape. Started right up, cold, great oil pressure and maintained that during a pretty hard road test. Great hydro boost brakes. He is a retired cop from Ca. and we got along great. I like it but I gotta now see what I want to pay. Has the 8.1 big block, just did fresh plugs and wires and the 4L85E transmission.

One thing about the big block scares me, the access and PITA to change the crank sensor. Do the research on that labor for that and get back to me.

Still waiting to hear back from my shop friend's father about his 117k miles 2004 Silverado K2500 crew cab with the 4L80E and 6.0 engine.

One thing scares me about this truck, if it ever breaks any of the middle exhaust manifold bolt heads.

 

[hillstrubl]

Wow! That's some interesting stuff. What's you experience with it? How does it work long term for salt covered vehicles?

- Saltsgone is purely a cleaner, but some people have used it to "treat" rust, I wouldn't. (short term use). I couldn't recommend this chassis flusher any more regardless of what else you do.

- Ospho (very thin consistency) and Naval Jelly (thick, think honey consistency) are pretty similar chemically, I use them interchangably based on need (cracks and stuff, ospho gets in there better, but wide coverage, the naval jelly sticks better) - chemically changes the outer layer of rust (iron oxide) to iron phosphate with a white chalky color, treated but needs a topcoat of some kind (paint or oil, etc)

- POR 15 / Eastman paints, super hard coatings intended for frames, engine bays, firewalls, etc. It is VERY hard to remove once cured. POR15 needs a top coat of something UV blocking if exposed to sunlight (rustoleum is fine for this), eastman doesn't but it wouldn't hurt. Good for long term.

- Fluid Film, lots of opinions on this. I came from the Land Rover world, they love this type of stuff (usually use the brand Waxoyl) but once on, its very hard to actually remove. So if you're going to be doing undercarriage work (shocks, replace bushes, etc) don't use fluid film before you do that. Having said that, I always add some when I'm done with that sort of work as I usually get access I wouldn't normally have before taking off dust shields, dropping an axle, spare out of the way, etc. Very water protective and tends to move/spread around a bit (in a good way?). This is very compatible to use AFTER painting/curing as they do a similar job (block oxygen) but work different ways. Good for medium term, can be touched up.

 

[hillstrubl]

How many bolts hold the frame to the body?

It sure would ride nice with some new oem frame bushings on it.

good suggestion

 

[strutaeng]

I will create a For Sale thread when I list it.

I went to look at a 2004 Avalanche 2500 with 100k miles on it. It was in Florence, Oregon and I felt like a trip to the coast today when it was 85+ here. I was as told to me. In great shape, no leaks, very small ding, $.25 size on fender above rf tires. Tires at 60%, 2nd owner, clean CarFax and has maintenance/repairs paperwork, pristine interior, bed covers all work and are in great shape, the center bulkhead and glass work as should, has a trailer brake set up, bed extender goes with it, clean coolant, brake fluid, oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid and belt(s) in great shape. Started right up, cold, great oil pressure and maintained that during a pretty hard road test. Great hydro boost brakes. He is a retired cop from Ca. and we got along great. I like it but I gotta now see what I want to pay. Has the 8.1 big block, just did fresh plugs and wires and the 4L85E transmission.

One thing about the big block scares me, the access and PITA to change the crank sensor. Do the research on that labor for that and get back to me.

Still waiting to hear back from my shop friend's father about his 117k miles 2004 Silverado K2500 crew cab with the 4L80E and 6.0 engine.

One thing scares me about this truck, if it ever breaks any of the middle exhaust manifold bolt heads.

So did you pass on that Avalanche then? Those Avalanche 2500s were strange beasts. Only offered with the 8.1 (was that one a 4x4? I think I read they only came in 4x4 iirc?) Full float 10.5" 14 bolt rear axles. Interestingly, only recently did I notice the Avalanche don't have a cab and bed separately! It's all one piece?!

Compared to the Suburban 2500 (I believe they shared the wheelbase, maybe the same frame(?)), which was offered with the LS 6.0, with the 8.1 BBC as an option. Not sure why?

I think the 8.1 are pretty good if you are doing a lot of towing. Except for maybe the oil consumption issues they had for certain years. Some folks call this the "LS" BBC. Not really strictly, but the ignition/timing system and fuel rails is as close as the old school BBC got to the LS.

 

[OR VietVet]

So did you pass on that Avalanche then? Those Avalanche 2500s were strange beasts. Only offered with the 8.1 (was that one a 4x4? I think I read they only came in 4x4 iirc?) Full float 10.5" 14 bolt rear axles. Interestingly, only recently did I notice the Avalanche don't have a cab and bed separately! It's all one piece?!

Compared to the Suburban 2500 (I believe they shared the wheelbase, maybe the same frame(?)), which was offered with the LS 6.0, with the 8.1 BBC as an option. Not sure why?

I think the 8.1 are pretty good if you are doing a lot of towing. Except for maybe the oil consumption issues they had for certain years. Some folks call this the "LS" BBC. Not really strictly, but the ignition/timing system and fuel rails is as close as the old school BBC got to the LS.

I have not passed on it. Just taking my time to decide. I really want a crew cab 3/4 ton 6.0 with a 4L80E but would be ok with the Avalanche. I used to own a 1/2 ton with a 5.3.

Yes, they are like an SUV and short bed truck, all in one. The interior is great and has some options. Can even sleep in the back and be completely enclosed.

This one is second owner and been taken care of. I like the dark grey color and the interior is nice and a/c cold and heat is hot. No leaks.

 

[OR VietVet]

So did you pass on that Avalanche then? Those Avalanche 2500s were strange beasts. Only offered with the 8.1 (was that one a 4x4? I think I read they only came in 4x4 iirc?) Full float 10.5" 14 bolt rear axles. Interestingly, only recently did I notice the Avalanche don't have a cab and bed separately! It's all one piece?!

Compared to the Suburban 2500 (I believe they shared the wheelbase, maybe the same frame(?)), which was offered with the LS 6.0, with the 8.1 BBC as an option. Not sure why?

I think the 8.1 are pretty good if you are doing a lot of towing. Except for maybe the oil consumption issues they had for certain years. Some folks call this the "LS" BBC. Not really strictly, but the ignition/timing system and fuel rails is as close as the old school BBC got to the LS.

I know that the crank sensor would be a big PITA BUT, if it is my own vehicle, I would not give up. I know my talents and watched some videos about the sensor access. I see idiots on you tube say to remove the d/s rear ignition coil for access and then they show themselves struggle to get the hand and wrist in there. I see a firewall heat shield that can be removed for more access and I see the d/s valve cover that can be removed for more access. There is also a fuel line stand off bracket that can be removed from underneath to allow for fuel line movement. Idiots!!!!!!

 

[OR VietVet]

One other thing I liked. It has 3.73 gears with the G80 locker. It has the semi float 14 bolt.

 

[B-train]

I've worked on TONS of the 8.1L motors in generators over the years. They run great. I've never run into one that has an oil consumption issue, or the crank sensor issue.

If you did buy that avalanche, you could look for a used Kohler 125kw natural gas unit that has the 8.8L. It's a stroked 8.1L with a turbo on it - absolute animal!

I think either truck would be a good purchase. Depending on what your ultimate use(s) would be, the fuel economy between the 2 won't be too far off. 20 years ago one of my dad's customers aas selling his avalanche with the 8.1L. He claimed doing the math at the tank he would get high teens on road trips, which I don't think is unrealistic depending on your speed.

 

[OR VietVet]

I've worked on TONS of the 8.1L motors in generators over the years. They run great. I've never run into one that has an oil consumption issue, or the crank sensor issue.

If you did buy that avalanche, you could look for a used Kohler 125kw natural gas unit that has the 8.8L. It's a stroked 8.1L with a turbo on it - absolute animal!

I think either truck would be a good purchase. Depending on what your ultimate use(s) would be, the fuel economy between the 2 won't be too far off. 20 years ago one of my dad's customers aas selling his avalanche with the 8.1L. He claimed doing the math at the tank he would get high teens on road trips, which I don't think is unrealistic depending on your speed.

At B.A.T., it tends to get crazy on the last day of bidding and I refuse to get caught up in that bidding war. I will not pay more on the site than I would had I bought it yesterday from him. I know the complete history of the repairs and maintenance of the 2004 K2500 Silverado, because of my friend being the one who took care of it. It is a solid truck and the asking price of $17k reflects that but I was told that the father is a vet, as I am, and there is "wiggle room" on the price. I really feel I can get it for $15k, when the day comes that the father lets go of it. I would have it now except that the father is doing his search for a smaller/lighter duty replacement.

Sorry to have hijacked this thread. I will no longer talk of this, here.

 

[Eighthtry]

I say replace the frame. Or go south and find one that is in much better shape. Life is too short to have a truck with a frame that looks like that.

What is on that truck worth saving except the wheels?

 

[Coveman]

That isn’t extraordinary rust. It looks like mine did before i cleaned it up, now it’s more of a keep it up project.

Yours also looks like it had been undercoated at some point, and when the undercoat starts failing it holds water against the frame and its off to the races for the rust.

I use salt away at the end of salt season and rinse the undercarriage every time I wash it. I use a gutter cleaning wand so i can rinse the undercarriage thoroughly (some guys use lawn sprinklers or steel pipes with holes to wash the undercarriage too)

Its a bit tedious rust busting, converting, priming and painting so i did smaller sections as I had time. Ill have to wait for my next fuel pump failure to drop the tanks and get that area up to speed, for now it just has a fluid film lanolin coating on it.

I noticed the gmt900s I have seen have corrosion in the engine compartment, so I gave it the same treatment and added splash curtains to the inside of the wheel wells (hmm, the gmt400s had the curtains, pretty sure gm wants our trucks to rust faster) That has made a big difference in reducing the mess sloppy roads do.

Our trucks have unpainted steel, aluminum and magnesium which leads to galvanic corrosion so if you can’t keep it dry it needs some kind of protection.

 

[Coveman]

BTW, that spare tire and carrier was a mess, I unbolted all that and went to town!

 

[vcode]

Hell yeah, gonna do that with the next one I get! Just have to pay on this one for a bit longer…

How bad is the rest of the body? My frame onmy 2010 looked better but I was seeing rust in door seams and the rear wheel wells.....

 

[B-train]

I agree with @vcode in that the rest of the truck will be next. I applaud the effort shown here by @Coveman as well. I, however, will run away from that project because I know how much other metal there is that is just itching to piss me off with rust bubbles......