Mods Because Of Social Distancing

[baddbradd]

Social distancing has given me way too much time. I'm ordering parts for mods I've only been dreaming about doing to our Yukon. I like to experiment, so

I've ordered and I'm adding:
a) a remote mounted 1 gal oil tank to increase sump capacity, Viair# 91014
b) a oil cooler, Hayden# 696
c) a 180* thermostat

and if the social distancing continues long enough, I'm gonna:
d) remove the heads so as to extract all the broken exh manifold bolts.
e) install headers
f) hallow out, or replace w/fake, the cats
g) get the engine tuned for 87 octane and two O2 sensors.
h) get the trans tuned

I have 2 drag race cars, that's why I drive the Yukon like a lil ol lady. I get my kicks at the track. Remember, we mainly use this vehicle to drive at the speed limit to and from a second home 1000 miles away.

Any part# suggestions/link?
Anything else while it's down and/or apart?

Thanks

 

[baddbradd]

I installed Speed Engineering Headers this past weekend. Easiest headers I've ever installed. 2012 Tahoe. Doing the Blackbear autocal now.......who know what'll do this weekend

 

[avalonandl]

I don't know what the 180 tstat will do for you. OE is 195 I think.....

 

[Mark Shipley]

Social distancing has given me way too much time. I'm ordering parts for mods I've only been dreaming about doing to our Yukon. I like to experiment, so

I've ordered and I'm adding:
a) a remote mounted 1 gal oil tank to increase sump capacity, Viair# 91014
b) a oil cooler, Hayden# 696
c) a 180* thermostat

and if the social distancing continues long enough, I'm gonna:
d) remove the heads so as to extract all the broken exh manifold bolts.
e) install headers
f) hallow out, or replace w/fake, the cats
g) get the engine tuned for 87 octane and two O2 sensors.
h) get the trans tuned

I have 2 drag race cars, that's why I drive the Yukon like a lil ol lady. I get my kicks at the track. Remember, we mainly use this vehicle to drive at the speed limit to and from a second home 1000 miles away.

Any part# suggestions/link?
Anything else while it's down and/or apart?

Thanks

It seems like a lot of work to pull those heads just to put those replacement manifold bolts in. You feel like you're under the dealer keeps saying they want to pull the engine out in order to do that which is ridiculous but usually what happens is and I've seen this where they pull the skirts the inner skirts and then drill out the manifold Bolts from there. Seems like that would be easier than pulling the heads

 

[TT53SilveradoDave]

I've found the best place to be socially distant is the junkyard. Ive picked up a Garrett T4 from a 7.3 powerstroke to which I already had the intercooler,V-bands,countless pieces of exhaust tubing w o2 bungs and flanges to mount to some shorty headers to finally get the turbo 5.3 plan on the ball and even scooped up an 02 Yukon and a 99 s-10 for $200 each. The Yukon missing the trans and t-case and the engine in th s10 dead...well it only seemed natural to drop the LM7 I to th lil pickup,beat on it awhile and sell it for $4 or $5k.

 

[donjetman]

It seems like a lot of work to pull those heads just to put those replacement manifold bolts in. You feel like you're under the dealer keeps saying they want to pull the engine out in order to do that which is ridiculous but usually what happens is and I've seen this where they pull the skirts the inner skirts and then drill out the manifold Bolts from there. Seems like that would be easier than pulling the heads

I'll try that Mike.
But being I'm a retired pilot, I plan for the worst and hope for the best.
Thanks

 

[Rocket Man]

There’s lots of tricks for removing the broken studs. Pull the exhaust manifolds and some will have enough to put vise grips on or sometimes you can put a nut over the stub, weld inside the nut so it attaches to the stud and then turn the nut, or use easy-out, etc. It depends on which ones are broken too in the case of drilling. The AC compressor is in the way on the passenger fronts so you might have to pull it, the driver rear has steering in the way, etc. The bolts aren’t usually hard to turn at all, they just break from getting brittle from the heat because they’re poor quality. I suggest replacing them with ARP.

 

[donjetman]

Thanks for the heads up.
I'm a big fan of ARP too, and have been using their stuff as long as I can remember on my racing engines.

 

[Javie]

That's a good idea too, thanks

i currently have no cats on my tahoe and wanted a Y-pipe added problem is i'm in California which means i will be having to slap them back on come this october for smog testing. Question to any and all is will adding a Y-pipe make it more complicated when having to switch back to stock?

 

[Rocket Man]

i currently have no cats on my tahoe and wanted a Y-pipe added problem is i'm in California which means i will be having to slap them back on come this october for smog testing. Question to any and all is will adding a Y-pipe make it more complicated when having to switch back to stock?

Do they have a visual inspection in Cali? They don’t in Oregon and I have the downstream O2 sensors deleted in the tune so it passes the emissions test. And if they do, there’s ways around that too like fake cats.

 

[mikeyss]

I don't know what the 180 tstat will do for you. OE is 195 I think.....

Same here, I don't understand why others switch to the 180 tstat in these modern engines.

 

[OR VietVet]

If GM thought that it would be better for a lower temp thermo they would have put one in but I bet it has to do with better fuel readings with the higher temp stat. Emissions crap again.

 

[donjetman]

It's all about cylinder pressure. Cast aluminum doesn't absorb heat as well as cast iron, so you have to get it hotter to get the same cylinder pressure as cast iron.

I remember back in the day, 70s and early 80s, when cast aluminum heads first started showing up on Pro Stock drag race engines. All things be equal, in order to make the same hp, an aluminum headed engine needed to get the water temp to about 190* f before leaving the starting line, vs a cast iron head engine 170*.

Some nice things about aluminum is its lighter, and can be welded on easily.

 

[OR VietVet]

Yes, aluminum dissipates heat very quickly. That is why aluminum heads came about and then aluminum blocks and radiators and such. It isn't the only reason but did play a big part. It is lighter as well.

 

[iamdub]

Hotter combustion chambers results in more complete fuel burn. Making things run a few degrees cooler probably won't make any notable positive or negative change. My guess is that, if anything, it may result in slightly more carbon in the chambers/on piston crowns after a few years.

 

[GTNator]

This thread needs more pictures!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Rocket Man]

This thread needs more pictures!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, or at least ONE picture of this supposed Yukon. I’m not even sure if I believe it exists.

 

[Danny3737]

Anybody else watch the Motor Trend show on how overfilling oil greatly reduces oil pressure, HP & Torque. They had on engine where the oil was filled to spec. and had a huge decrease in both when they hit 5K RPM’s. All the tests were done on a dyno.

 

[steve45]

The price of gasoline is the lowest in years. Due to massive over-supply, it will remain low for at least another year.

No reason to convert to 87 octane at this time, IMO.

 

[Javie]

Hey Rocket Man . Last i remember no they didn't do a visual inspection on my truck just plugged in to the obd2 port and that was it. When i first took the cats out i had a local chevy guy re-tune the tahoe to keep the infamous code p0420 from coming on. Are you telling me this should be enough to make it pass?