In your tools you should have a set of Kevlar sleeves.
There are just some days I wish I didn't turn wrenches
- Thread starter OR VietVet
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In your tools you should have a set of Kevlar sleeves.
OP
OP
Thanks for the info. If you have the plastic covers on the valve cover, it is a PITA but does pop up when pull on it. Get the plug wire off from top, if can, but save some time and use a 5/8" spark plug standard plug socket with the 6 point on the end. That should be a 3/4" or 19mm on the end. Use a shallow socket and a shorty flex head 3/8" ratchet and once you break it loose, it is pretty easy from there.
OP
OP
I was gonna take the day off and then.....neighbor down the street, with the 2017 Cherokee, called and asked if I could look at her Jeep because she had it warming up but after 10 minutes it had no heat and there was steam coming under hood on the p/s. Found a cracked reservoir tank and a small hole in the feed hose on bottom. Only place that showed coolant leaks on it was directly under the tank. Tore it down and found the problems and threw in a thermostat as well. Ran it and built great heat, I had checked for oil milkshake and found none. See pics. When all done, the reservoir tank cap says 21 pounds and I pumped up to 19 psi and let sit for 10 minutes and never dropped at all.
I did not replace the entire hose because it ran all over the place. I got a 3/4" foot long piece of heater hose and did a butt splice and all is good.
I did not replace the entire hose because it ran all over the place. I got a 3/4" foot long piece of heater hose and did a butt splice and all is good.
LsHart
Member
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- Dec 31, 2025
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Mechanic hands and arms for sure!!
OP
OP
Got the Suburban up on 4 ramps just now. Prepping for tomorrow. Will be doing the transmission service, transfer case service and both differentials. Then will do a tire rotation to finish off the whole job.
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TollKeeper
Full Access Member
3 inch rear, with a 2 inch spindle drop on the front! (wish I had done that to my Esky)
OP
OP
This Suburban will stay stock or I will not work on it. If I work on lifted or dropped vehicles, not stock, my fee doubles. Same with performance engine work.
strutaeng
Full Access Member
That sounds fair to me...
OP
OP
It's because, IMO, they effed up their perfectly good stock vehicle and then started messing with it and now the STRANGE stuff starts happening. I cannot tell you how many times I have been there when someone was doing that to their vehicles, cars or trucks or SUV, and the phrase "good enough" gets said. That phrase irks the crap out of me.
OP
OP
2018 Suburban....no pics.....too cold and tired.
Did the front axle, transfer case and rear differential fluid changes. Tomorrow I will finish. Transmission fluid and filter change and the tires rotate and the final road test.
Did the front axle, transfer case and rear differential fluid changes. Tomorrow I will finish. Transmission fluid and filter change and the tires rotate and the final road test.
OP
OP
Finished the 2018 Suburban today. Sorry, no pics. cramped quarters under there and just wanted to get done. Was working in 40-42 degree weather. Removed the 2 nuts that bolted the transmission mount to the crossmember and lifted at the transfer case and then had enough room to unbolt and remove the transmission pan. The deep end of the pan was completely open and the exhaust was close to the shallow end. I had my normal round drain pan but had recently bought a much larger round catch pan that had holes in the center and it set on the drain pan and I did not spill a drop. When the deep end of pan was down, I started pushing up and ten releasing it and when it dropped, the fluid in the deep end sloshed out to the catch pan. Then it was almost empty and very light and easy to snake the shallow end out between the exposed transmission components and the exhaust. Pulled it all out and wiped it all down and installed new filter and the gasket surface at the housing was dry and I attached the holder tabs and set the pan up and started all the pan bolts. Tightened back and forth. lowered the transmission and reattached at the crossmember. It took exactly 6 quarts of Dex VI to bring to full when hot. Took off of the ramps and then rotated the tires and road test went smooth. Planning on a 30 mile road test over the next 3 days. Landlord back on the 29th.
At the end of all this, with my discount on parts and the labor fee I charge him, the total will be in the neighborhood of $2500.
At the end of all this, with my discount on parts and the labor fee I charge him, the total will be in the neighborhood of $2500.
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OP
OP
The transmission fluid was very brown but there was only slight shavings on the magnet. Very grey but minimal amount, IMO. The fluid had never been changed. I am not, "In the know", about the 6L80E transmissions, so can someone share info about what me be expected in the future for this transmission. Does light towing. Just a flat bed trailer with appliances or furniture on it and a small boat. 50/50 mix of driving. I saw no clutch material but I know the fluid turns brown because of clutch material and heat.
OP
OP
Took it on a 40 mile road test yesterday and saw the V4 and the V8, changing back and forth.
Tonyv__
Full Access Member
Well it definitely has it.
I tuned mine out, not because I was afraid of it being unreliable, I just didn’t like the lag of power when passing on the highway. Although I tuned mine out, I still have the mechanical DOD lifters in my engine and I suppose they could still fail at any given time.
You’ll get a lot of mixed reviews as people will tell you to get rid of it, it’s a ticking time bomb. Others will say they’re at 200+ miles without an issue.
OP
OP
I want to talk to him about it when he gets back from Hawaii. He is just over 97k miles and runs great but I hear the stories. I will recommend he get it gone. How is it "Tuned Out"? Is it something that a talented enough tech can do with a scanner? Needs a pre-programmed PCM swapped out with Black Bear Performance? Attach something at the DTC connector? Or something else? I am in the dark because I own a 2005 Tahoe Z71 and do not deal with it. I did see this yesterday during the 40 mile road test and could feel the difference when it was switching.
Tonyv__
Full Access Member
I’m not exactly sure of all the ways to do it.
2 that I am familiar with are the range AFM delete tool and a tuner
- range AFM delete tool (used in the past)
PROS. Cheap and Literally plug and play. You plug it into your OBD port and it works immediately
CONS you have to leave it in your OBD port at all times. If you state does emissions inspections, you have to unplug it like 100 miles before your inspection so all the computers reset for the emissions test. (That was annoying)
- Diablo intune 3 (currently using)
I forget how much it is but that one will plug into your car and have preset tunes. Eliminating AFM/DOD will be one of the options you can select. Go through the steps on the handheld and it will reprogram the vehicle to shut off AFM/DOD permanently. Once you use the tuner, it’s married to the vehicle, so he’ll own the tuner. Also you don’t have to use any of the tunes, you can choose to only deactivate the AFM/DOD
2 that I am familiar with are the range AFM delete tool and a tuner
- range AFM delete tool (used in the past)
PROS. Cheap and Literally plug and play. You plug it into your OBD port and it works immediately
CONS you have to leave it in your OBD port at all times. If you state does emissions inspections, you have to unplug it like 100 miles before your inspection so all the computers reset for the emissions test. (That was annoying)
- Diablo intune 3 (currently using)
I forget how much it is but that one will plug into your car and have preset tunes. Eliminating AFM/DOD will be one of the options you can select. Go through the steps on the handheld and it will reprogram the vehicle to shut off AFM/DOD permanently. Once you use the tuner, it’s married to the vehicle, so he’ll own the tuner. Also you don’t have to use any of the tunes, you can choose to only deactivate the AFM/DOD
OP
OP
Yesterday and todays task, pics of today only, on a 2010 Ford F150 5.4 with a P0016 code for problems of camshaft and crankshaft correlation on bank 1 sensor A. On this Ford, that is passenger side cylinder head because #1 cylinder is on p/s and sensor one means intake cam/inside cam. Outside cam is the exhaust cam.
Anyway, about 18k miles ago. she has good paperwork for repairs and maintenance, she had a Cloyes timing chain kit put in with tensioners and guides and the whole sheebang. They used Ford phasers and Ford seals. About 6 months before that she had aftermarket cam sensors and VVT solenoids installed. The only thing that was obvious was a "customer complaint of not running right", both times, and never once was the Crank sensor replaced. Likely because of the required a/c compressor drop to gain access.
Yesterday I did the a/c compressor drop and installed a Ford crank sensor and also did Ford cam sensors. Today I did Ford VVT solenoids. I had done new valve covers over a year ago. I asked then about the VVT solenoids but she said no. Anyway, you can see difference of the screens locations on the body of the solenoids. The Ford VVT is the long numbered one. Cleaned the throttle body while I was at it.
Anyway, about 18k miles ago. she has good paperwork for repairs and maintenance, she had a Cloyes timing chain kit put in with tensioners and guides and the whole sheebang. They used Ford phasers and Ford seals. About 6 months before that she had aftermarket cam sensors and VVT solenoids installed. The only thing that was obvious was a "customer complaint of not running right", both times, and never once was the Crank sensor replaced. Likely because of the required a/c compressor drop to gain access.
Yesterday I did the a/c compressor drop and installed a Ford crank sensor and also did Ford cam sensors. Today I did Ford VVT solenoids. I had done new valve covers over a year ago. I asked then about the VVT solenoids but she said no. Anyway, you can see difference of the screens locations on the body of the solenoids. The Ford VVT is the long numbered one. Cleaned the throttle body while I was at it.
Attachments
OP
OP
Over a 7 day period, the above 2010 F150 with a 5.4L 3 valve engine was/is having a reoccuring code P0016-Crankshaft and Camshaft Correlation problem on bank 1 sensor A. That would be p/s head and inner camshaft which is intake valves. 18k miles and 4 years ago had Cloyes timing kit and tensioners with Ford phasers. About 6 months before that had cheap generic cam sensors and VVT solenoids done. The owner has extensive paperwork for repairs and maintenance. The engine is quiet, cold and hot. I just replaced both cam sensors, VVT solenoids and crank sensor with Ford parts. When valve covers were off I inspected as deep as I can and saw no slack in chains and like I said, can sit overnight and no cold engine clatter noise, so no hydraulic tensioner bleed off.
I can clear pending and stored P0016 code but Permanent code will not clear. I know the problem is not fixed. It runs and idles fine. Shows good oil pressure at cluster gauge but when has a mechanical gauge attached, it shows minimum of 42 psi hot and high at 46 psi when cold. What it is doing is fluctuating between 42 and 46 at idle with the mechanical needle fluttering fast with engine speed and timing is fluctuating by 8 degrees when this is happening. That is happening on the p/s head. The VVT is reacting to the oil pressure flutter. I can clear the pending and stored codes and the CEL goes out and I can drive it on a 10 mile trip and no CEL and no code till back at home and at stop and go from drive to reverse. This oil pressure fluctuation was discovered today when I had at a friend's specialty shop for an ECM reflash. They did not shoot a video and their explanation makes complete sense. I had done 2 crank sensor relearns on my Autel scanner and showed successful but the relearns are not done at idle shifting from drive to reverse. Also, the oil flow on these engines is from pump and thru lower end and then the d/s head and then across to d/s head.
So...any thoughts on the fluctuating oil pressure that is raising hell with the p/s VVT solenoid?
I can clear pending and stored P0016 code but Permanent code will not clear. I know the problem is not fixed. It runs and idles fine. Shows good oil pressure at cluster gauge but when has a mechanical gauge attached, it shows minimum of 42 psi hot and high at 46 psi when cold. What it is doing is fluctuating between 42 and 46 at idle with the mechanical needle fluttering fast with engine speed and timing is fluctuating by 8 degrees when this is happening. That is happening on the p/s head. The VVT is reacting to the oil pressure flutter. I can clear the pending and stored codes and the CEL goes out and I can drive it on a 10 mile trip and no CEL and no code till back at home and at stop and go from drive to reverse. This oil pressure fluctuation was discovered today when I had at a friend's specialty shop for an ECM reflash. They did not shoot a video and their explanation makes complete sense. I had done 2 crank sensor relearns on my Autel scanner and showed successful but the relearns are not done at idle shifting from drive to reverse. Also, the oil flow on these engines is from pump and thru lower end and then the d/s head and then across to d/s head.
So...any thoughts on the fluctuating oil pressure that is raising hell with the p/s VVT solenoid?
