New Guy from Arizona

[GO0BER]

Hey all! New guy from Arizona here.
Current vehicle lineup is as follows:
2002 Chevy Suburban 1500 4x4 with a 2inch spacer in rear and 3inch level in the front on 33's.. stock otherwise.
2008 GMC Yukon 2500 4x4 stock all around. Wife's daily + family camping tow vehicle
2004 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD 6.6 turbo diesel. Also family camping tow vehicle when we REALLY load the trailer down.
06 toyota prius.. my daily because I drive upwards of 100 miles a day.. and gas lol

Name is Clint and I found your forum using a duck duck go search for overheating issues. I have already posted some of my story of overheating in the thread I found for it.. but for those who haven't seen it.. it is long and a a bit infuriating
TL;DR.. There are baffles that are on the side of your radiator to prevent hot engine bay air from recirculating into your bumper which in turn pulls it back through the radiator.. I had no idea these existed and after 2 months of replacing components, I now have a brand new cooling system that would still over heat at idle. Found your forum here and within a few days had it fixed.
Already learned a ton about vehicles I have owned for a while and thought I had a good grasp on.. looking foward to learning more and hopefully being able to share some knowledge with others. I will try to get some pictures transferred from my phone so I can post them soon.

 

[OR VietVet]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Miami-Dade]

Welcome from Miami Beach!

 

[dpollak81]

Welcome from Cali!

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Welcome to the Forum from NH.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here who freely share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Knowledge is power.

I hope that you will become a participating member in the Forum's discussions.

Pics of the truck, please.

 

[89Suburban]

Thanks for sticking around.

 

[swathdiver]

Hey all! New guy from Arizona here.

Hiya Clint! I replaced those tar paper baffles on mine last year too.

 

[GO0BER]

I need to actually clear up my camera memory card and not rely on my phone.. here are the only two pics I could find on my phone of the Yukon.. one is in my sisters driveway before leaving Montana and the other is somewhere on the road between Montana and Arizona (I forget exactly where.. it was one of many road stops to let my 5 year old daughter use the bathroom).. I will say.. Best 2 things about traveling across country with a trailer.. Always have your OWN bathroom.. even at gas stations and such.. and having a fridge + full kitchen for food. Made eating easier/cheaper/healthier our whole 2 week trip.
I forgot I uploaded some pictures to my google account for my boss to keep up with my travels.. here is another:

New item by Clint Hecht

photos.app.goo.gl

Here is a video I was making for a friend of mine who was trying to help me diagnose.. Temp started around 217 then a few seconds of 2k rpm and it would drop to 200 degrees.. was infuriating to see lol

New video by Clint Hecht

photos.app.goo.gl

From when I pulled the head to get the broken bolt out:

New item by Clint Hecht

photos.app.goo.gl

When I first realized my exhaust manifold was leaking:

New video by Clint Hecht

photos.app.goo.gl

Ok.. I usually hate google and it tracking/keeping all my photos and videos.. but it has made this edit to this post much more interesting.. I should probably do a full write up of the issues with pics/videos.. for another night

 

[GO0BER]

Thanks for sticking around.

Is it common for people NOT to stick around? I always assumed the point of looking in forums was to do one of two things.. Lurk and get information without interacting.. or to join and interact. Maybe I am a bit odd?

 

[GO0BER]

Hiya Clint! I replaced those tar paper baffles on mine last year too.

Did you replace out of need (had temp issues prior) or did you replace them just because? I can honestly say I had never seen nor heard of anyone mentioning them before.. and I never had seen them or messed with them.. I had an 02 sierra 1500 prior to the yukon (switched it up for the extra seating), my other 02 suburban (built for 1-3 people to ride in for camping.. no 3rd row seats) neither one has ever had issues like this.. and on both of them I have replaced various cooling system parts including the rad/water pump on the sierra.. After $600+ dollars in parts and 6 weeks of chasing my tail.. I was floored to learn about those things and to see how much of an impact they have.

 

[swathdiver]

Did you replace out of need (had temp issues prior) or did you replace them just because? I can honestly say I had never seen nor heard of anyone mentioning them before.. and I never had seen them or messed with them.. I had an 02 sierra 1500 prior to the yukon (switched it up for the extra seating), my other 02 suburban (built for 1-3 people to ride in for camping.. no 3rd row seats) neither one has ever had issues like this.. and on both of them I have replaced various cooling system parts including the rad/water pump on the sierra.. After $600+ dollars in parts and 6 weeks of chasing my tail.. I was floored to learn about those things and to see how much of an impact they have.

I noticed a slight increase in temperatures and one had fallen down and another was about to. I was collecting information for overhauling the cooling system and replacing the front bumper cover when I learned of them.

Our grill opening seems smaller than the Suburban and the pickups. So I reckon they are especially critical.

What size tires are on the Yukon?

 

[GO0BER]

We have the 275/65R18 on there right now.. a full street tire (traveling 3k+ miles with a trailer made that call for me ) The previous owner definitely had something either a tad bigger and/or more aggressive.. You can see in the plastic fender liners where one was cut/tore off and the driver side is rubbing through. I have tossed the idea of a small lift and slightly taller tire with an AT for camping here in Az.. but I already have another suburban (granted SUPER limited seating) for that and I tend to camp where I can get in my pickup and then ride quads out from there.. so I probably won't go larger, but may end up with an AT for light trail exploring at some point.

 

[89Suburban]

Is it common for people NOT to stick around?

Sometimes.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Is it common for people NOT to stick around? I always assumed the point of looking in forums was to do one of two things.. Lurk and get information without interacting.. or to join and interact. Maybe I am a bit odd?

A**holes and expert wannabes who like to bloviate nonsense don't hang around for very long, as this Forum is for serious folks and their trucks. Don't get me wrong, as we often good-naturedly kid around with each other, but we ALWAYS respect each other and our opinions.

 

[RAMurphy]

Welcome to the forum.